In the midst of a heatwave, we had the opportunity to eat drink and tan at Whitefield’s answer to Spain.
The aptly named Campo Blanco, translated as Whitefield for non-Spanish speakers, is an 11-minute drive from Bury’s centre or 17 minutes on a direct tram...if they are working.
Sitting in Campo Blanco was like sitting in Spain and not just because of the heat.
The spice smells and refreshing range of sangria became the main talking point among other customers.
@theburytimes Come with us to try the aptly name @Campo Blanco in Whitefield! #Tapas #foodie #Bury #Eatout #restaurant #whitefield #sangria #chorizo #squid #summer #sunshine #renovation ♬ original sound - The Bury Times
The love people already have for this tapas bar should have been indicated when we walked in to see so many customers on Thursday afternoon.
It is easy to see why the new extension was a necessity.
It offers floor-to-ceiling windows which slide open to bring the outside in and it wasn’t until we were leaving that I remembered we were in Whitefield at a busy junction and not on our holidays.
Best described as a ‘Tardis’ of a restaurant, the outside of Campo Blanco is certainly deceiving, giving no clues to the 300-person capacity, two bars and extensive upstairs seating.
Once we had finished gawping at the interior, we were led to a tall table in the centre, with a perfect view of the dishes being eaten.
We began with Hummus & Flatbread, served with chilli, onions and homemade black olive tapenade, a perfect teaser to whet the appetite.
But, a word of warning, don’t eat it all.
The physical restraint we had to draw to save room for more was almost painful as hummus refused to leave our taste buds.
Secondly, we were blessed with goat cheese bonbons with beetroot and mint mayo.
They are undoubtedly for cheese lovers, perfectly crisped and golden on the outside with a soft cheesy centre, filled with a frothy lightness that makes you wish there were more than three.
The sprightliness of the service - a special thank you to Callum and Aaron - was second to none with every staff member eager to fine-tune and deliver a memorable dining experience.
As an avid fish and meat eater, it is fair to say I wasn’t expecting much from the vegetable-based dishes.
I was wrong.
The stark sweet sweetness of the honey halloumi & glazed sweet potato was an opus of flavour.
Served with pomegranate seeds, it was a dish I have certainly put at the top of my list.
Our fish-based dishes included the crispy squid with aioli and the crab mantecadas with homemade Manchego biscuits, recommended by Aaron, co-owner of Campo Blanco.
Following these, we were served meatballs, chicken and chorizo drizzled with chimi churi, chorizo in red wine honey glaze with caramelised red onions and the staple tapas dish, patatas bravas.
Aaron, co-owner of Campo Blanco, said: “We are known mainly for our tapas and our Sangria but we have a fantastic gin list, loads of wines and Spanish beers.
“The dishes are all uniquely designed by our head chef, Pedro. He does extensive research into flavours and bases the dishes on current trends.
“The menus are a good mix of fish, veg and meat and we try to source all our food locally but when we can’t, we get it from Spain.”
With bellies touching the table and barely able to move, there was still so much food to be eaten so my advice is don’t be deceived by the small appearance of the dishes.
Sat in equilibrium, we discussed the food and there was not a single meal we could fault.
Some, like the crab or goat’s cheese, had a very distinctive taste, less suited for the fussy eaters, but certainly not to be knocked.
Every dish, server, drink, and person delivered those finishing touches that make a dining experience something to remember.
Even the bathrooms have hand creams, deodorants, and miniature products to freshen up with.
As the meal came to an end, we were served a perfectly brewed flat white and café bonbon, which is equal parts coffee and sweetened condensed milk.
Accompanying this was a basket of churros, crispy doughnuts dusted in cinnamon sugar and served with dulce de leche & chocolate sauce.
Personally, I am not a fan of cinnamon, but I was pleasantly surprised by how good these were, unlike other churros that have more cinnamon than doughnut, but it was like every meal, the perfect balance.
The showstopper though is a ‘sell your soul’ kind of dessert that you will not stop thinking about for days later.
The Biscoff cheesecake was vanilla flavoured, swirled with Biscoff and a thick layer of biscoff biscuit to line the base.
Sipping on a jug of rose sangria and not wanting to leave, Campo Blanco brought the flavour, feel and in our case, the sun, from Spain and into the heart of Whitefield.
Leaving with a heavy heart, and an even heavier belly, our initial grumbles about the trams not working turned into a little blessing as we attempted to walk off the mounds of tapas we had eaten.
Overall, there was nothing for us to a fault, especially with the food.
But the cheeriness of the staff, the calming atmosphere and the charm of the interior are what topped it all off and transported us from Whitefield to sunny Spain for one hour on a Thursday afternoon.
If you have a story and something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at Harriet.Heywood@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @Heywoodharriet_
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