Barrica

Spanish, Tapas·
££££
·
Bronze Award
·

SquareMeal Review of Barrica

Bronze Award

Barrica is the real deal. It looks and feels like a genuine Spanish hangout (classic chequerboard floor, marble-topped bar, hams hanging from the ceiling), it refuses to peddle touristy clichés and it also eschews the flashy gastronomic strokes of the Iberian new wave. Instead, the emphasis is on no-nonsense traditional tapas designed for the everyday Spanish palate. Nibble on zanahorias (Seville spiced carrots), white asparagus and pickled aubergines before taking on the likes of char-grilled squid, braised veal cheeks with Pedro Ximénez, or pork and oxtail albondigas (meatballs). There’s also an enormous selection of artisan cured meats (lomo, cecina, morcilla bellota) and regional cheeses (villarejo, bleu-veined cabrales, semi-soft garrotxa), with basic sherry-pairing suggestions to match. Reports of service are mixed, although the deliberately laid-back attitude often adds to the charm.

Good to know

Average Price
££££ - £30 - £49
Cuisines
Spanish, Tapas
Alfresco And Views
Outside seating
Perfect for
Group dining [8+]
Food Hygiene Rating

Barrica is featured in

Location

62 Goodge Street, London, W1T 4NE

020 7436 9448 020 7436 9448

Website

Opening Times

Mon-Fri 12N-4pm 5.30-11.30pm Sat 12N-11.30pm

Reviews

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16 Reviews 
Food/Drink
Service
Atmosphere
Value

Anon

23 November 2022  
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 5

Try the pulpo, it's a delight! Fab wines, great staff and a wonderful tapas experience.

Alex G

20 January 2020  
Food & Drink 3.5
Service 3.5
Atmosphere 3.5
Value 3.5
Sublime sherry; tasty tapas

We all love Spain, right? It’s the most visited holiday destination by UK tourists. Your ever-sceptical reviewer doubts, however, that little more than a dedicated minority sip sherry while on the Costa Brava or similar. Even fewer will likely do so on their return to the colder climes of the UK. Despite its food-friendly versatility, sherry remains a difficult sell. Wine educators cannot repeat often enough that the drink is naturally dry – about as far from Bristol Cream as it’s possible to imagine.

Gourmand Gunno found himself just before Christmas at Bar Pepito, for a masterclass in sherry and tapas pairing and it was a delight to venture several blocks south of King’s Cross, to Barrica in Fitzrovia for an almost comparably good experience. Both venues share an ethos of trying to create an eating-drinking space that would not feel out of place in Spain. Barrica is a light and spacious as Pepito is dark and cramped (in a good way). In Barrica, take in the chequerboard floor, marbled counter and swinging jamons. When our group of three arrived early on a weekday night, the venue was almost deserted, but even if London is not Madrid in terms of when diners head out, by 8pm almost every table was occupied. And with good reason. Beyond the sherry selection (which extends to around 20, taking in everything from Fino to Pedro), there is a credible wine list and around a dozen competitively priced cocktails.

In terms of the food, don’t necessarily expect boundary-pushing at Barrica; more very solid execution of proven classics. Boquerones (white anchovies) set the scene for what was to come; their salty tang pairing off superbly against a dry Manzanilla-style sherry. The mixed charcuterie board showed some inspired choices and we loved our chilli and garlic-infused prawns, but when it came to the venue’s specials, this was where Barrica really sang. A smoked aubergine and octopus salad was a novel take on two quite basic ingredients, yet the chef managed to combine smoke, salt and spice in each mouthful. With Amontillado sherry, this worked a treat. It got better too. Dish of the night was braised ox cheeks served in a Pedro Ximinez (sweet sherry) reduction. This was comfort-food par excellence; the sort of dish you want almost to sink into. One dining comrade described it as “heaven”; the other as “absolutely stunning” – praise indeed! Paired with Oloroso sherry, it was sublime. Pricing throughout was fair; £7-10 for each drink and a similar amount for the tapas dishes. Sure, the bill will add up, but it’s certainly worth it.

alexei Z

04 May 2017  
Nice gin selections and really good food.

AmyM

30 October 2016  
Food & Drink 1
Service 4
Atmosphere 4
Value 2
Terrible tapas and low value for money
I had eaten twice before in Barrica a few years ago and always left underwhelmed and oddly, without a complete order. My friend suggested we go for a light lunch and so I agreed, as maybe I was previously unlucky. Nope. We ordered tortilla, a staple. Well. It was flat (literally), no thicker than my index finger, dry and had clearly been microwaved. Not to mention that for £4.50 it was the stingiest piece I had ever seen. Considering that three doors down the Salt Yard is serving a beautifully gooey and fresh sharing "whole" tortilla for the same price, I would have been mortified to serve it, if it was me. I pointed this out to the waitress and asked her when it was made and she confirmed that it was that morning and so it had been reheated. That was actually the high point. We ordered red lentils with beetroot, which was entirely flavourless, I don't think it had even seen salt and pepper and at best tepid, again indicating a microwave was involved. The chargrilled leek with goats cheese was inedible. The leek was tough and the cheese sauce was as bad as the Coleman's packet. Even the padron peppers were flacid! The best part of the meal was the rosemary nuts. The bill came to £66 with a cheap end bottle of wine and no tortilla, for the 4 vegetarian dishes, and as someone who quite happily spends that a head without thinking about it, I think for what we got, that's a lot. There are so many good (and average) tapas restaurants in London and even within a stone's throw of Barrica, if this is the standard, I can't see how they will survive. Absolutely terrible.

Anon

22 July 2016  
Food & Drink 3.5
Service 3.5
Atmosphere 3.5
Value 3.5
Tapas in Town
The Tapas choices available and wine selection on offer is sufficient and what you would expect from a Tapas restaurant. All the meat dishes we chose were cooked to perfection, most notably the melt in the mouth steak slices and a wonderfully moist and tasty chicken, lemon and garlic dish. We also had an interesting chickpea and manchego cheese dish which turned up a rich beetroot red colour stained which made the chickpeas look a lot more palatable than their natural colour! We had a very relaxed lunch, catching up and doing a bit of business. So relaxed in fact that we were shocked when we looked at the time and discovered it was past 3.30! The service was nice and leisurely not intrusive, the air conditioning worked a treat which was fab in the mini three days of tropical Summer temperatures we experienced this week. So, if you like Tapas and enjoy trying new places give this a go. There is scaffolding outside so don't walk past it at first like we did.

Sue B

17 March 2016  
Food & Drink 3
Service 4
Atmosphere 4
Value 3
A TASTE OF SPAIN
I've decided that all my restaurant reviews will contain warnings not only whether one can hear what your fellow dinner companions are saying (always a plus on such social occasions I feel) but also able to actually see the menu to read it. You'll be pleased to know that you can hear each other speak in this latest and amiable Spanish tapas restaurant. A party of six, we all had to use our smartphones to read the menu and even when the food came it was dark enough that I didn't know what one of the dishes was even when eating it. The food was OK but not outstanding, the staff were friendly, the atmosphere enjoyable. Was it memorable? Probably not. Nothing compares to The Opera Tavern which is sublime in terms of its Spanish cuisine but I don't think this restaurant is in competition with that in any event. We paid £46/head with drinks. Oh, yes the gin menu is great! That made me happy.

Alana F

12 February 2016  
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 5
Food + Service Delight
Came here for a client lunch, one person had severe food allergies which we alerted the restaurant to prior to arriving. On arrival we were presented with a menu that highlighted the "safe dishes" for our guest, which made the ordering process seamless. There was a large wine list, and the staff were happy to help navigate it for us. Food and service were both impeccable. The atmosphere was warm and friendly. Great for a nice/casual lunch or date night. Very much recommended.

Tim H

16 December 2015  
Food & Drink 5
Service 4
Atmosphere 3.5
Value 4.5
Team night out
Fabulous food, drink and service!

pip L

13 November 2015  
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 3.5
Value 3.5
Barrica
There are 2 tapas bars practically next to each other on Goodfe St - this one is the more interesting of the two - different dishes that you don't normally find - new interesting combinations- all really tasty ! The wine list also has different wines and none of the usual contenders so you are forced to try something new and brilliant. It's trendy clientele, lots of advertising folks with trendy glasses - go !

Renate N

04 September 2015  
Food & Drink 5
Service 3.5
Atmosphere 2.5
Value 4
Nice before the crowds arrive
Excellent food at good prices. Nice, pleasant interior when not too many tables are occupied, but FAR too noisy when full. We were extremely unlucky eating there at luchtime today with a very noisy rowdy table who had no consideration for other customers, but we were told by regulars that it always tends to be loud.
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020 7436 9448 020 7436 9448

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