With five branches located across central London, Barrafina is one of the capital’s most highly regarded Spanish restaurant groups. Until this year, their original branch in Soho’s Dean Street held a Michelin star.
Barrafina has been on our London to do list for yonks, but with Spanish restaurants of the calibre of Bar 44, Asador 44 and Curado Bar in Cardiff, there's never been a great sense of urgency.
However, our appetites finally got the better of us when we walked past the Adelaide Street branch in Covent Garden on a Saturday lunchtime. We’d eaten brunch a good few hours earlier and had plenty of time to kill before dinner at Kolae. So, we thought it would be rude if we didn’t stop off for a few plates.
With a sweeping marble counter surrounded by striking red leather stools, Barrafina has a classy yet laid back setting. Their menu is divided into snacks, tortillas, seafood, meat and vegetables, whilst a compact blackboard features the day’s specials, which on our visit included bream, brill and mackerel.
We glugged glasses ice cold Estrella Galicia (£6) and Llopart Cava (£10) whilst watching the action in the open kitchen.
Pan con tomate (£7.80) was one of the best versions of the dish we've ever had. Toasted bread was topped with a thick layer of the most vibrant tomato pulp and the grassiest of olive oils.
Mushroom croquetas (£8.50) were beautifully golden and filled with thick bechamel which absolutely honked of fungi. Garlic twanged golden alioli added even more decadence.
Excellent padron peppers (£9.80) were well-blistered, soft-textured, delicately sweet and scattered with a fistful of salt.
A top-drawer mini tortilla (£13.80) with layers of soft spud had a perfect golden ooze. It was elevated further by pieces of smoky txistorra and more of the excellent alioli.
A special of sardines (£18) had good crisp skin, but their flesh had disappointingly become a little mushy. The star of the dish was a sweet and fiery mojo rojo, which I mopped up with my fingers. However, serving such a saucy dish on a wooden plank was rather impractical #WeWantPlates.
We had a delicious if a little spicy priced lunch at Barrafina. I'm just grateful for the calibre and value of the Spanish restaurants we have in Cardiff.
The Details:
Address - Barrafina, 10 Adelaide St, London WC2N 4DH
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