london
Barrafina Dean Street
• Spanish• Soho
About the restaurant
There’s no doubt about it: Barrafina has come the closest to perfecting tapas in London. It was set up by the Harts Group, run by brothers Sam and James Hart and Crispin Somerville, which also operates the historic Quo Vadis members’ club and restaurant and Mexican restaurant group El Pastor and wine bar The Drop.
This Barrafina site was incredibly popular even before it won its Michelin star a few years ago, and gained a reputation for having a near-permanent queue stretching down Dean Street. Going early or late can help, but even if not, staff are on hand to take drinks orders while you wait. In modern Spanish style, diners eat perched around the open kitchen’s counter or at small high tables by the window.
Much of Barrafina’s appeal is in the simplicity of its menus – while there are interesting specials on offer, there’s also a knockout menu of tried-and-tested tapas, from patatas bravas to jaw-droppingly good jamón ibérico and croquetas. A succinct sherry list is on offer besides the wine if you want to dine like a true Spaniard.
Reviews from the Web
Critic reviews
The Infatuation
Quite simply, the food at Barrafina is superb. This small Spanish restaurant doesn’t seem particularly special at first glance, but it most certainly is.
The Guardian
Owners Sam and Eddie Hart have said that Barcelona's Cal Pep was the inspiration for Barrafina. And although their new place has the requisite frantic, rackety quality, it's way more sophisticated. The design is sleek and cool.
Standard
The kind of service that involves a chat across the bar, eagle eyes which ensure your glass never empties, and staff full of personality and personal recommendations complete the utterly convivial experience.
The Telegraph
Barrafina, as you might have gathered, is a popular place. Modelled on the Barcelona tapas bar Cal Pep, the first branch opened in Soho in 2007, and had the dubious honour of kick-starting the trendy no-reservations
The Independent
The same kitchen expedience seems to capture the sizzle and character of the meatier options far more than refined technique.
Time Out
Barrafina Dean Street is kind of a Big Deal. It’s a homecoming, you see: this space is a replacement for the original Soho Barrafina, which closed in the summer of 2016.
The Nudge
At least, in a roundabout way, that is. See, Barrafina – London’s best Spanish restaurant – actually comes from two English brothers, Sam and Eddie Hart, inspired by the famous Cal Pep tapas restaurant in Barcelona.
- 26-27 Dean St, Soho
- W1D 3LL
- London
- +44 20 7440 1456
- Visit website
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