Mesa Mesa
Proper Spanish tapas and vermut, rescuing Marie Heinekenplein from mediocrity.
Marie Heinekenplein has spent years as the square you walk across rather than to, which makes Mesa Mesa's arrival feel almost pointed. Opened in 2025 by people who understand that tapas is a rhythm, not a category, it runs on the classics done straight: hand-carved jamón ibérico, gildas with the right anchovy-to-olive ratio, pan con tomate that's actually about the tomato, and a truffle tortilla that stays just-runny in the middle the way Madrid intended. The open kitchen keeps the plates coming in the correct disorderly sequence while you work through the vermut list, and yes, drinking vermouth at 4pm on a Tuesday is exactly the point. Candlelit later on, loose and chatty at the bar always. Weekends it opens at noon, which is the civilised Spanish position on lunch drifting into dinner.
The truffle tortilla, still wobbly in the centre, with a glass of vermut on ice.
What to order
Full menu- Tortilla con panceta y trufa€16
The signature: slow-cooked, deliberately oozing centre, pancetta and shaved truffle on top.
- Croqueta serranito€12
Jamón ibérico and chicken croquetas, fried to order, a recurring review favourite.
- Paleta de jamón ibérico Joselito€14.50
Hand-carved Joselito ham; start here while you read the wine list.
- Gilda atún€4.50
One-bite tuna-and-olive pintxo, the proper Basque opener with a vermouth.
- Pan con tomate€5.50
Crystal bread, grated tomato, order two, everyone steals it.
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