You can't book at Barrafina, like seemingly every Soho restaurant these days, so we got there in plenty of time to have an outside seat on a sunny Friday. It was a lovely moment in that we'd never before eaten a proper dinner outside on a beautiful Soho evening. However, before we'd had the chance to sit, we were asked to wait until a table became free. As such, we ordered some snacks while we waited.
Some chorizo wrapped in thin, fried bread got things off to a chewy, greasy start (left). And I mean chewy and greasy in the most positive way. Spanish sausage is wonderfully rich and indulgent and I quite liked the idea of serving them wrapped in crisp bread to provide some contrast and body. More simply, we also plumped for toast with alioli (right). There's not much to say about crusty bread with garlic mayonnaise except that it had better be done properly. And this was.
After our appetisers were out of the way, we sat down and immediately asked our waiter where we could find deep fried baby squid since it wasn't on the main menu. Fortunately, the chipirones were a special of the day so we wasted no time in getting stuck in (left). These were exactly as you want squid to be: crispy, a touch of chewy texture but enough moisture to make it a perfect savoury plate of summery Spanish seafood. Everything that's great about Spanish food in one simple plate.
Another special was one I ordered without a moments hesitation: summer asparagus (right). This was a delectable mixture of green and white, giving a nice variation in texture and richness, served with shaved payoyo cheese and balsamic vinegar. The cook on the asparagus was flawless and the combination of flavours was a mixture of sweet-sour from the vinegar and salty from the parmesan-like cheese, perfectly counter-balancing the sweet vegetables. Reminiscent of Bocca di Lupo some weeks earlier, this was a beautiful summer plate of food.
No visit to a tapas restaurant is complete without bravas potatoes of some kind, so we went for the option on the Barrafina menu which was 'Chips with Brava sauce' (left). The chips themselves were crunchy and properly prepared, with salt & thyme flowers to season. The sauce was a little too sour though, leaving me wishing they had really gone for the sweeter more classic Spanish option with some mayo and more balance to the dish.
We fancied some chicken and the thigh with Romesco sauce was one dish which jumped out at us (right). The chicken was well-cooked with a delicious crispy skin but the sauce, garnish and seasoning did not work. Almonds on top were more confusing than anything else and the whole thing was so covered in thyme salt that it was overpowering and a little too bitter in the event. We got little of the mildly spicy tomato sauce either, with a similar problem to the brava sauce which came with the chips.
More sausage next, with the very modern-sounding 'chorizo, potato & watercress', which was exactly what the dish was (left). Nothing fancy here, just a hearty and well-constructed array of complimentary ingredients. It didn't really feel like tapas as such, but the plate of food was nicely filling without being too rich or salty.
We had one more dish to come and it was possibly the one I'd been looking forward to the most. Pork belly from the specials board was an enticing-sounding thing and it looked pretty impressive too (right). However, it didn't really sit very well as part of a Spanish tapas meal. Where the chorizo with potatoes was a brisk, modern take on classic Spanish dinner, this was an English dish forced into a Spanish menu. The addition of mashed potato added little more than filler and the sauce was so rich and salty that it overwhelmed the pork. A shame to finish on such a strange dish but we were very satisfied overall.
There was not a lot to tempt us on the dessert menu, so we took a short stroll down on to Rupert Street and stumbled upon Madd, a relatively new (at the time) dessert shop/café with a strong mango theme. The setup here is refreshingly simple: you take your mango dessert, add whatever kinds of fresh fruit or dressing you feel like and away you go. The prices seemed a little high but the temptation of a mango creme brulée was too great (left). It was pretty decent in the event, a well-set custard and not too much burnt sugar on top. The mango flavour itself was not so strong, but the scoop of mango ice cream on the side was compensation enough.
I put them to the true mango test by ordering a lassi, one of my favourite drinks if done well (right). It was not the best lassi I have ever had but it was a decent effort: creamy, refreshing and sweet. It was certainly a lovely finisher to an evening of Spanish tapas in the sun. The youth hostel-like atmosphere in the place actually adds something to it, with the board games, pick-up sticks and drawings on the wall reminding you that desserts should always be carefree and enjoyable.There is no doubting that Barrafina is one of the very best places to eat tapas in London. Especially when the sun is out. By and large the food was delicious and even though not every dish hit the spot, for a little grazing over proper Spanish, it's got my recommendation.
Madd is a different proposition but another well-crafted Soho venture. Properly put together mango desserts at semi-reasonable prices mean punters will keep coming back. For some light-hearted after dinner eats, I'll certainly be back before long. If things in Soho continue to trend as often happens, we might see a second Madd location in the near future.
No comments:
Post a Comment