I’ve titled the post Barrafina as I have photos to illustrate. But gluttons that we are, my husband and I started off our pre-theatre eating at Leong’s Legends in Chinatown, where we ordered stir fried prawn noodles, black pepper prawns with garlic, dry fried green beans with minced pork, steamed rice, and randomly, turnip cake which is a dim sum staple. A complete mishmash of items but we inhaled it all not leaving a single crumb, which elicited a favourable comment from the otherwise severe waitress who presented our bill. I forgot to take photos.
Then on to Kowloon bakery a bit further down Gerrard Street. Picked up a dan tat for husband’s dessert and a couple of BBQ pork buns to take home for our son. Another severe lady insisted we pay in cash, then gave us a hard time for not having a 50 pence coin on us. My husband started asking her to give us a 50 pence discount - lo and behold she managed to find some change. Later, the security guy at the theatres searching our bags found the package of buns and was like “What’s this”? BBQ pork buns. He let them through.
After Leong’s Legends we had some time to kill, so I had a piccolo coffee and canele at Monmouth Coffee Company. Then we wandered around to Adelaide Street and into Barrafina. They were reasonably busy but we got seats at the bar. Small glass of Txakoli for me, then stuffed courgette flowers and prawn croquettes to share. The food was pricey but divine. The courgette flowers were stuffed with goats cheese and drizzled with honey. The prawn croquettes tasted very ‘prawny’ in a good way. The Txakoli was, for me, perfect for a hot summer evening
As we were settling into our seats at the theatre, I couldn’t find my reading glasses which ended up in a slightly weird exchange of messages with my son:
We eat there a minimum of once each time we visit London.
2 Likes
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot, cooking and eating in northwest England)
4
I think I recall klyeoh writing favourably about this place some years back, on one of his trips to the UK. It’s very many years since I’ve been into London’s Chinatown as It’s not really food I’m looking for on trips to the capital. But I am a fan of the Sichuan green beans with pork dish.
I’ve been coming to Leong’s Legends intermittently for over 10 years. It used to be better, with a more tightly curated menu. Now the menu is huge, which makes it difficult to pick out what’s good. It is generally not very full of tourists, which is a positive thing in my eyes.
I come to the capital to meet friends +/- partake of cultural experiences but food is always a big part of my plans, especially in London which has such a huge variety of restaurants.
1 Like
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot, cooking and eating in northwest England)
6
It’s pretty much the only reason we have for a trip to London these days. Going back some years, I used to visit to do research at the Imperial War Museum or the National Archives. For the latter, I used to stay in Brentford or Richmond rather than the central area. But, in the last few years, trips have been just to eat at high end places - Core By Clare Smyth & Claude Bosi. And Rules - which is my all time favourite London restaurant and has been our only trip post-Covid (we went for lunch - there and back in the day).
Many years ago there used to be ‘chowdowns’ in London, attended/organised by Chowhound legends Limster, JFores et al. I don’t think HO has developed a similar level of enthusiast for London dining.
I must try Rules one day before it’s gone - I find those sort of very traditional places a bit intimidating, never quite sure what to order.
1 Like
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot, cooking and eating in northwest England)
8
I can’t think of anywhere else quite like Rules, with its overarching commitment to our traditional foods. And, of course, it’s London’s oldest restaurant so has bags of history going for it.
I followed Harters’ recommendation to visit Rules on a visit to London in 2016. My last visit took place in the fall of 2018, on my last visit to the UK.
I hope to visit again.
I can recommend the Dover sole, the crab salad (somewhat seasonal in Sept), saddle of lamb, and the with bread sauce (seasonal) in the fall.
The sticky toffee puddings and other puddings.
Rules offers some seasonal dish specials, as well as their standard dishes.
I enjoyed Jersey Royals and Wye Valley Asparagus as seasonal sides in May. Game is available in the fall, from their property in the north.
Thanks @Phoenikia ! May I ask, what was the dish with bread sauce at Rules? I think the word got deleted from your post.
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot, cooking and eating in northwest England)
11
I bet the bread sauce will have been with a bird of some sort - probably game as it was in the autumn.
In this house, it appears once a year, on Christmas Day, accompanying the turkey.
We’ve only three weeks till the start of the grouse season and Rules are bound to have it on the menu on, or very shortly after, 12/8. I’d expect to see them serving it with bread sauce.
I go to London a few times a year for work (45 minutes flight), and have been doing this for almost two decades now. This Barrafina branche near Charing Cross is the one I try to visit every time I’m in London, usually solo as it’s one of the best places for solo visits imho.
The first time Barrafina for me was in the week when they opened their very first branche in Soho, maybe 2006? I was working in London at the time, but my direct boss wasn’t, so nobody was watching over me… When I saw a news article about the place - and already a big fan of Spanish type tapas bars - I just had to try it and have been a fan from day one!
Here’s our order from last year. Have gone to the branch on Drury Lane for the last 6 or 7 years. My other two faves in London are Koya and The Barbary.
Pleased to join the chorus singing the praise of Barrafina. We enjoyed the store on Dean Street in SOHO. Perfect people watching seats at the end of the counter.
Thanks everyone for sharing your Barrafina memories. Sounds like it is a solid bet for good eating and atmosphere in London - I’ll be sure to return to try out more of the menu.
