We returned from lunch at about 6:30pm, which is a good indication of the pleasure we derived from it. Santa Maria is a tiny, trendy joint which is the brainchild of former Ferran Adrià (El Bulli) students. We boldly opted for the taster menu - essentially a license for the staff to supply tapas and tapas and tapas non-stop until you fall over.
Highlights included maki rolls with pork, mango, avocado, seeweed and pineapple on top, carpaccio of pork loin with artichoke and pear, frogs legs (a first for me), quail, duck liver on fried 'angels hair' (something sweet you usually find in breakfast pastries) and various unidentifiable salads and other morsels. Dessert was outrageous - before the tiny, perfect tiramisu and plate of chocolate truffle and nibbly bits, there was there cup of vanilla custard adorned with what i think was cola mousse, atop raspberries and poprocks (aren't they illegal or something?)!! We were instructed to eat it 'bottom up' and it was this fizzy bubbly sweet thing. Uff! I could have died..

Wierd thing was emerging from the toilet slightly more than tipsy, the taste of the frogs legs still lingering. T'was dark, there was spooky music and straaange pictures all around.. I spotted two dry fish tanks with shells on the bottom and low and behold a live frog camouflaged in each one. Felt a bit queasy for about 5 seconds, but forgot all about it when I returned to more tapas being shoved in front of us.

So that was anniversary number 7.