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Real People. Real Reviews.®
Tottenham Court Road (Central, Northern)
Leicester Square (Northern, Piccadilly)
Piccadilly Circus (Piccadilly, Bakerloo)
Mon-Sat 12:00 - 15:00
Mon-Sat 17:00 - 23:00
Sun 12:30 - 15:30
Sun 17:30 - 22:30
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Loved it!
even standing in queue waiting for the three seater to clear.
the fried miniature green peppers, and the quail, the clams, and the steak, the aioli spread mmmMMMMmmm good
two bottles of wine later, and with a breath that could kill THE dragon, i was rubbing my belly from this culinary pleasure feast.
be careful with the ordering though, as we experienced the waiters sneaking orders in our tab that we just ... had not really ordered.
Very small venue in Soho, but great tapas! Get there before the dinner rush. A bit pricey, but great experience.
It's bar seating, besides a few tables which are outside. It's a white bar, and very bright with big windows. Very cute place!
I am going to tell you guys the truth, I don't really like tapas. They are mostly pork product, and you get really small portions that you have to figure out how to share with your friends, and then at the end someone didn't get as much of the expensive one but everyone still has to split the bill equally, and then you leave still feeling hungry. but last night we HAD to try this place.
This place is ALWAYS bumpin'. whenever I have tried to come here the wait is always RIDICULOUS so we just walked away. But last night we got there around 5:30 and grabbed the only available seats at the bar.
We tried a variety of little dishes, and i had a lovely glass of house red, but I think my FAVOURITE dishes, were the cheapest ones. The Spanish tortilla and the patatas bravas. The food was all lovely, and I heard that the mussels were amazing, but I don't eat mussels. The whole meal meal of appetisers cost around £23 per person, but now I have tried it, but I probably wouldn't go there again. Unless it was to flirt with the cute Australian waiter. He gets an extra point.
We popped in here for a bite to eat before heading to the Theatre and our timing was perfect, we grabbed the last 2 empty stools before the queue started to quickly increase until it was out the door.
The wait staff were really friendly and fun, reeled off the daily specials (the Razor Clams were amazing) and helped in our selections. Although simple the Toast with Al-i-oli was epic, the Chrizo delicious and the Morcilla Iberica (Spanish Black Pudding) with Quail Eggs the star dish.
If there's a down side, it's that when buying wine by the glass, they're a little stingey so you may as well go for a bottle.
Although every dish wasn't mouth smackingly amazing (most were), it gets up into the 5 star echelon because the experience as a whole was great and I already want to go back and eat the Morcilla Iberica again.
Absolutely the best tapas.... always a queue so you just order a bottle of wine a few dishes whilst you wait.... chat with the people around you
everything cooked fresh in front of you..love the razor clams...well worth the wait
I came here for dinner on New Year's Eve. First of all, the service is great even though chances are you will have to queue (we didn't wait that long, maybe around 10-15 minutes?). The waiters will take orders for some drinks and snacks while you wait, which is lovely. I love the seating arrangement around the bar; it creates a more social atmosphere, and it's also fun to watch the cooks make the food you're about to eat. Moreover, everyone working there was amiable (service in the UK is absolutely crap on average, so it's nice to be able to have friendly cooks and waiters for once).
Now the food. Whatever kind of olive oil they use, I love it. It's one of the best olive oils I've tasted in my life---I couldn't get enough of the bread and olive oil! Aside from that, the actual tapas were delicious, but a few dishes could be a bit too salty at times. Still, I give it 4 stars as it is one of the best restaurants I have been to in London thus far.
I've waited a long time for meat before and I will do it again; this tapas restaurant has proved that. So much meat was consumed while dinig here I thought I might get sick of it. There is somehing comforting to me about red wine and salumi. The ham croquets were very hot and very tasty. The grilled rib eye was a necesarry over dose.
Reasons to Go:
Meat
busy atmosphere
Reasons to Pass:
there may be a long wait (45 minutes)
Crowded
Wait for it.....
Barrafina is the real deal. Great food, wine list, lots of buzz in the environs. But, be prepared to wait. It's 3 deep at the bar on a Sat night, and with the tapas plates coming out one at a time, dining takes awhile-- ie you can't be in a hurry to catch the second seating.
I walked past Barrafina too many times, read too many reviews and have always wanted to go! I finally did!
Having to only wait for 5 minutes on a Tuesday evening after work put a big smile on my face and gained 5 extra points! I think it was our lucky day because 30 minutes later, the queue was all the way to the door and onto the street.
As we were seated down, the service was a bit slow... we didn't mind as the only thing we were worried was that we won't be able to enjoy the food/drinks at our own time since Barrafina is quite a small restaurant!
The food was absolutely breath taking. They were cooked fresh right in front of us! It was delicious, the flavour was spot on!
It is a must try place! Don't let the queue put you off!
After all the fuss on Yelp as well as by food critics, I had to see what the fuss at Barrafina was all about. I've always been confronted by a long snaking queue coming out of the restaurant door whenever I've walked past before, so I made a special effort to come just as they opened for lunch today
I was therefore able to snag one of the precious 23 bar style stools. Sitting at the bar and watching the staff run around inside brought a sense of deja vu. Momofuku Ko and L'Atelier Joel Robuchon have borrowed the concept from sushi and teriyaki bars, bringing the concept of immersing the customer in the whole food preparation process and excitement.
The staff were friendly and helpful without ever being completely warm or overly keen to communicate despite service not being that busy when I was there, which was a shame
The regular menu is printed on the paper table mats and there were specials available, which happened to all be seafood today, arranged temptingly on ice in full view of the customers
I ordered the ham croquetas, octopus with capers and quail with aioli. The ham croquetas were nice and light and an excellent starter.
The octopus was cooked in a typical Galician way and arrived with paprika and the capers produced the salty element.
The quail was cooked a la plancha and went well with the aioli though I felt the aioli was a bit anaemic and could have had more garlic punch
However, I'm only awarding the food here 4 stars as there was a lack of any wow moments. This is good quality tapas but the menu feels quite safe with most of the cooking done a la plancha or stove top.
Good but not 5 star worthy for me
We're here with another "Know Before You Go" Tip from Laura N:
What makes a restaurant 5-star worthy?
-You bring every visitor here within 48 hours of arriving in London.
-You have yet to be disappointed.
Also accepted as answer:
-The gambas al ajillo haunt your dreams (and breath) for days on end.
Listed in: London Lunch Spots, London's Best Date Spots, Central London Finds, Best London Meals, Toting tourists?
I'm the girl who wants to sample it all before committing. Seems like a fair and rational mantra… Read more »
Barrafina's aim is to provide top quality tapas and they execute on this goal quite successfully.
Sure, you'll queue up for the privilege of sitting at the counter to sample these earthly delights. But I can assure you this: the food is worth the wait, especially if you drink wine while in line!
Listed in: London Guide: Soho Shops,…
Okay, I admit it: I went out for tapas twice this week. The other contender is Dehesa, the swanky place not to far from Barrafina. I gave Dehesa 4 stars, but Barrafina gets my full endorsement. Why?
Disclaimer: we didn't have to queue. It was like a Christmas miracle! Shortly before we got there the skies opened to a torrential downpour, clearing out a couple of tables outside. No one wanted to risk sitting out there, but we decided to chance it and it turned out to be sunny for the rest of the evening. No waiting makes a huge difference.
For me one of the nicest things about Barrafina is the service - they are very friendly despite how busy they are. Our waitress gave great recommendations and didn't rush us at all. Barrafina is the neighbourhood restaurant where you want to be a regular, although the normal line-up makes that impossible.
The food was outstanding, as always. We ate garlic clams, chili prawns, chorizo, heirloom tomato salad and the best, in my opinion was a blood sausage with peppers and a fried duck egg. Unbelievable.
Oh and the bill? 1/3 cheaper than the meal at Dehesa.
Listed in: London Tapas Restaurants, Top Restaurants
My husband and I were in the Oxford Street area looking for a cool place to have lunch when I remembered a Barrafina recommendation by a friend! Although we spent sometime looking for the place (with GPS that didn't work properly!) our anticipation as well as our increasing hunger raised our expectations, the restaurant seemed more like a bar at first, the seating was limited but we were lucky to have found two ready seats! The waiters were friendly, the environment was cool, the food was absolutely delicious and the bill was good! We paid £20 each (service inclusive) and we ordered Lamb cutlets, Fritura (mixed fried seafood), with salads and chips. Walked out with a big smile!!
I really really really (and I mean really) want to give this place 5 stars but the only think that stole that last sweet trophy of success (that will be the fifth star) was the waiting. Yes I did nibble and sip during the wait but yes I was standing and my tired little legs wanted a rest.
Okay now to the important bit...this resturant gave me some life changing experiences - indeed I fib you not - for the first time ever I tried steak and some sort of spicy sausage! I KNOW! And to tell you the truth it was guuuddd! Well not so good that I'd choose that over a popper meal, like lentils but yes it was very tasty.
The wine was good and the whole experience was enjoyable, infact, even though I wa there with work friends I actually thought the place was romantic. Tapas is pretty sexy, sharing food, feeding each other - no I did not do that with work friends I was just thinking it would be nice.
Anyway if you re only here for a few nights this place is a must even if you have to wait and if you haven't been, you need to g and if you have, why are you reading this? you should be waiting in line for a seat at the bar!
Listed in: Great Dates in London, Lunchtime in Soho, Meat-eaters dining in London, Chic London Guide, Great Tapas in London
I absolutely love unearthing a new gem of a place to eat. Barrafina has seductively swept into my list of favourite dining spots in London.
Three of us strolled into a packed tapas, counter bar, open kitchen restaurant. After being told we would have to wait 30mins for a seat we opted for wine and starter dishes to tie us over. The meat platter we had was delectable. Mixed with the special tomato, alveoli bread suggested by our sensational waitress (seriously she was brilliant) we were happy.
Although very busy, the waitress kept us updated on the progress of seats. It took an hour for us to sit. None of us were angry as we were in good company and a bottle of wine to the good.
Once we sat everything just got better. The journey of piquancy and texture, from the fish to the steak was like a trip with Alice to a flavour enhanced Wonderland. Dish after dish brought exclamations of pleasurable indulgence. (Yes we were only eating.) Seriously the food was devine.
I am the newest fan of Barrafina. From the service to the food and the magic of a scintillating London atmosphere, this place deserves and gets five stars.
Listed in: My 5* Hotspots, Stuff in Soho, Incredible Food Experiences, Great Vegetarian Food
Just a complete joy. Brilliant tapas, varied crowd and huge fun to be had sat the counter watching everything being prepared.
The best spanish tapas in London, always got some good specials you would never see anywhere else and excellent value for the quality.
If a yummy Italian restaurant mated with a traveling foodie and had an adulterous affair with a diner owner, the result would be Barrafina.
Truly one of the better meals I've had on my trip to London. It's tapas, but the high brow sort. During our visit here I sipped on a very tasty, full bodied Granacha and nibbled on mussels, a prawn tortilla, gambas, a cold meat platter (sooooo good!), brussel sprouts... yes, brussel sprouts, chicken with saffron sauce, lamb cutlets, a ribeye steak that is easily in the top 5 steaks of all times, and did I mention the amazing Granacha. Oh to the yes!
The service was also totally humble and friendly and the whole vibe of the place was really friendly and grand. I would definitely come back here anytime to sample the mains or the specials and of course, that ribeye... oh how I will dream of that ribeye!
Listed in: London Restaurants, Top London Restaurants, London Italian Restaurants, London Cheese and Charcutterie, London Tapas Restaurants
On a recent trip to London with a friend who doesn't mind to spend a bit more for a proper meal, we ended up at Barrafina. I'm a tapas fool, so this was right up my alley.
They don't accept reservations, and since we were heading back to the states early in the morning we opted to go early to avoid a queue. Luckily for us there were seats at the bar, though we did get the last two even though it was only about 5:30.
Given the fact that the dollar sucks against the pound, and already pricey meal was even more pricey for us. (This was when it was almost 2-1.) We each ordered about 4 tapas and split a bottle of wine, and it came out to about 60 pounds each. So YEAH, crazy expensive to us. But the food was SO GOOD, about as authentic I've had outside of Spain. The service was fast and friendly.
So if you're in the mood for great tapas and don't mind spending money for top quality, Barrafina will leave you happy.
Yay! I finally managed to get a spot at Barrafina after 4 or 5 attempts. Always packed, I managed to validate my suspicions as to why.. it's great! Although we were only two people, we had to order almost every thing on the menu to try a variety, and nothing disappointed. The staff was great as well!
Great place indeed !
When our ex-pat friend suggested Barrafina I thought to myself "Self, do we really want tapas in London when we have good Spanish food in the US?" Then I remembered that London is closer to Spain than San Francisco, hence the tapas should be better. Welcome to my world, people.
Anyhow...the tapas at Barrafina were great! I dare say this was one of my favorite meals in London (and despite the rumors, we ate quite well) We were willing to brave the chill outside to get our hands/mouths on some of the tastiness coming out of the kitchen. Of course the (many) bottles of wine that we went through definitely helped.
Be prepared for a long queue but trust me, the food at Barrafina is worth the wait.
Listed in: Sharing is caring, London Calling!
The best Tapas I have had in a long time! The SF Bay Area is a multicultural gastronomical feast, but this beats all the Tapas I have eaten over there. We had to wait 45 minutes for a seat at the bar (there is only bar seating) but it was worth the wait. The Cecina meat was spicy and incredible, the Choquettes were creamy and dreamy, even the weird vegetable that tasted like a cross between cauliflower and asparagus was spectacular. I know Yelp is new to the UK, so there are not a tonne of reviews yet, but this place is worth the rating it has! Dont think, just go!
I'm always a little wary of Spanish tapas restaurants in the UK. Having spent a few years living in Barcelona I've been pretty much spoilt by outstanding Spanish cuisine. There's also a lot of bad tapas in Spain, but if you know where you're going it never fails to impress.
So I was pleasantly surprised by my experience here. The food really does live up to expectations and the space itself stays faithful to the modern tapas establishments you find on the continent: clean design and tall stools gathered around the bar.
It smells fantastic in here with chorizo and garlic frying away, it makes you rather impatient, but the good thing is they're fast! The ham croquetas and salchichon with pan con tomate took minutes to arrive. I like the fact too that they've chosen regional classics like Mallorcan pizza and my favourite, Crema Catalana.
The main quibble I have is that it could be a little cheaper. With most tapas starting at £5, if you and your date order 7 or 8 dishes and it could creep up.
Barrafina is a top class tapas restaurant located in Soho. Although it is pricey, it really is an authentic Spanish experience. I went a little while ago, and the line was out the door. They catered well for their patient customers, bringing us a round of dry sherry, which is a Spanish tradition.
We had a selection of dishes, from vegetarian, to seafood, to hot and cold meats. I have to say it was absolutely delicious. The waiter was extremely nice, and he recommended the perfect bottle of wine to go with our meal.
This place is definitely worth a visit, possibly for a special occasion, as it is quite expensive.
Barafina is a counter-seating only restaurant serving up tasty Spanish small plates. Both my selections, the gambas al ajillo and lamb cutlets were strong offerings, I also had the chance to sample a number of other dishes by stealing from friends. Service was very friendly and dishes emerged quickly from the open kitchen. The interior of the restaurant was simple, but stylish. You could have a causal date here, though it's not the most romantic setting due to the counter seating. Our group left happy and satisfied, good stuff.
yummy yummy yummy! This place is divine. Love the counter seating (although only a place you can go with 1 or 2 people). The food was really simple and flavorful. Great wines. Really well-executed Catalan-style cuisine. Loved the coca with spinach, the peppers, and the tortilla. Bit of a wait to get in but worth it. I can't wait to go back!
Yup, you're going to queue, maybe for an hour, but it's so worth it! You can drink and eat in the queue though so top tip is just turn up an hour before you want to eat and order a nice bottle of wine. Don't worry it's nicer to hang out in the Barrafina queue than half the bars nearby!
Great litle tappas venue. Great for a first date or meeting with a friend. Seat layout not so good if your party is three or more people.
An absolutely wonderful experience! Every single plate of food was mouth watering and memorable. Even something as seemingly simple and mundane as a baby gem salad was completely infused with flavor that lingered delightfully in my mouth. Of the 9 dishes I tasted the only one that bordered on miss-able was the octopus as it was a bit slimy. A must for anyone who likes Spanish tapas.
Barafina is a Spanish tapas bar serving some of the best small plates in London. It consists of an L shaped bar in granite and stainless steel. The place is small and often has a line out the door, be prepared to wait. But as you wait you can have a drink and a tapa or two. I am a regular here and stick to the same thing. Pan con tomate, ham croquetas, tuna tartar, grilled squid, and tortilla. This is an excellent place with a friendly staff. As Barafina has only bar seating, I do not suggest going with more than 3 people, 2 is perfect. If you are in Soho, this is the place to go to. It is consistently fantastic and will make a regular out of you too.
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