Barrafina Borough Yards

• Where? Borough Yards, 2 Dirty Lane, London Bridge, London, SE1 9DG
• How Much? £££
• Booking ahead? Yes, available
• Cuisine? Spanish
• Multiple locations? Yes and menu varies
• Vegetarian options? Limited
• Vegan options? Limited
• Gluten free options? Yes

Known for it’s delicious food and romantic atmosphere, we decided that Barrafina would make for the perfect galentines location this year. It’s no surprise that much of the Barrafina family was fully booked for February 14th, but luckily we managed to steal a spot at the Borough Yards branch.

Barrafina is located on the cusp of Borough Yards, a quiet spot perfect for date night or an evening with family. The restaurant is small and reminiscent of 70’s diner style American design, with a smaller, more intimate space towards the back of the building. There is seating around the kitchen, where you can watch chefs toss and season dishes right under your nose. Whilst the restaurant is small, it has a nice buzz. Nothing too overwhelming, just a lovely chilled out atmosphere and modest crowd chime.

The Food

Good tapas is difficult to come by in London, so I was excited to put Barrafinas small plates to the test. After seeing raving reviews online, my expectations were high, particularly as I am often disappointed by London’s range of tapas locations. It is recommended to share a few plates between a small group or pair, but don’t worry if you under order as you can always order more!

1. Pan con Tomate £7

8/10 – Starting off strong with my favourite dish of the evening. The thickest, fluffiest bread smothered in a layer of tart tomato and virgin olive oil. The crusted craters of bread soaked up all of the delicious flavour and left you wanting more after every mouthwatering bite. Would highly recommend.

2. Pimientos de Padrón £8.50

6/10 – Firstly, £8 for padron peppers is unheard of, so naturally, I was expecting a top tier padron experience. They were nice, but honestly, I’ve tasted padrons equally as nice for half the price. They were under seasoned if anything and nothing special.

3. Torreznos £8

6/10 – This was my first time trying Torreznos so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. The fat melted like butter and the flavour was divine, but the texture was too crunchy for my liking. I felt like I was going to lose a tooth with every bite! The highlight of this dish for me was the salad, which was incredibly fresh and had a brilliant bitter bite.

4. Spanish Olives £5

4/10 – Mixed reviews for the olives. I personally prefer my olives a little firmer. These were incredibly soft and tasted like they came from a tin. Wouldn’t order again.

5. Ham Croquetas £8

9/10 – I didn’t try these myself, but my friends claim that these were the highlight of the meal and have assured me that a 9/10 is an honest review, critical if anything.

6. Chipirones £15

7/10 – I love baby squid and will order it whenever it is on the menu! These were lovely, the batter was light, the squid were tender and the sauce was tasty. Can’t say the flavours blew me away, but they were nice nonetheless.

7. Gambas Rojas £20

7/10 – I would happily swim in this sauce. It was so delicious that we had to order more bread to soak it all up. Admittedly an expensive dish, but one of the most flavoursome.

8. Baby Gem, Anchovies and Pancetta £12

7/10 – One of my favourite dishes of the evening. We ordered a lot of rich and oil heavy plates, so it was nice to break it up with something fresh and crisp. A regally deconstructed Caesar salad, with perfectly brittle pancetta and flakey, salty anchovies…what’s not to love?

Overall, I was impressed by my overall experience at Barrafina. Admittedly, I was expecting to love it a little bit more, but was I disappointed? Not at all.

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