Barrafina Adelaide Street opened on July 7, 2014, as the third restaurant in the group, owned by Eton-educated brothers Sam and Eddie Hart. In case you’re wondering, they specialize in pleasure – served as tapas – an obsession they developed during trips to Barcelona, dining at the famed Cal Pep, a restaurant that resonates with me too. This two-floor corner site features a long marble-top bar on the ground floor, perfect for slow grazing and private dining. Like its sister locations, there’s no booking system – just 29 coveted stools encircling the open kitchen, where all the action unfolds. Whilst the Dean Street site is the big brother with the Michelin Star and serves up much loved dishes like the melting octopus with capers, oh and Drury Lane has the ludicrously delectable crab bun, Adelaide Street is home to the josper grill. So expect audacious dishes like milk fed lamb’s kidneys and Iberican pork ribs scorced over hot coal.
Pimientos de Padrón (£6.25) is a prime example of Barrafina’s noble duty; taking the simple and making it sing. Blistered, salted, and utterly addictive, they prove that when done right, the basics can be downright revelatory – a masterclass in simplicity.
The same goes for the pan con tomate £3.80, that’s crushed tomatoes with Maldon sea salt on garlic smeared sour dough. It’s a triumph of how a minimal ingredient count can make such a profound impact.
Morcilla croquetas £6.80 are panko armoured snacks filled with a rue slapped up with Spanish blood sausage – what’s there not to like?
In the same panko-armored vein, the cuttlefish croquetas (£7.50) land with a crunch, giving way to a silky, ink-black roux studded with hunks of braised cuttlefish. It’s as dark as the night – lights out. Every bite is deep, rich, and heavy with umami.
The Fennel and Comice pear salad (£8) brings crunch and bite, but it’s not exactly setting the stage for a showstopper – especially for a dish flirting with double digits.
Octopus ‘al fiera’ (£14.50) is almost there. Give our eight-legged friend a little more low-and-slow love and a bigger portion, and I’d be a very happy patron.
Tortilla gambas ajetes and setas £9.50 – that will be one of Barrafina’s famed omelettes that ooze golden liquid as soon as it gets sliced. It’s anchored down with sweet prawns, forest mushrooms and meltingly sweet onions, making it a moment to swoon over eggs.
Having had ox tongue before at the original Frith Street site, ordering it here was a no-brainer. This version (£9.50) comes with a dark, mirror-like jus that shines iridescent under the lights. My issue? The tongue itself was surprisingly bland – almost as if it had been slow-cooked in nothing but tap water. The sauce felt like an afterthought, trying to compensate. The two didn’t quite come together. As for the potatoes… tepid and completely out of place. A real crying shame really.
Finally, the Iberian pork ribs (£15) – a dish that’s widely acclaimed at this site. With their sheer size, you might mistake them for beef short ribs. The sauce is lip-smacking, and the meat slides effortlessly off the bone, but it was a bad day at the office – they were served cold. We were too polite to send them back.
Verdict
When did I go? Feb 2018
The damage: Expect to pay £55/65 per head with a negroni
The good: There are plenty of little edibles I’d be keen to chase here, like the ever-changing croquetas and the tortillas. But you can’t go wrong with the padrón peppers or the pan con tomate – they’re classic for a reason.
The bad: While Barrafina Adelaide Street does deliver a few nice moments, there are some misfires. The cuttlefish croquetas and the tortilla both show promise with their creative touches, the execution of some of the other dishes don’t quite hit the heights. The ox tongue, unfortunately, lacked the depth I was looking for, while the Iberian pork ribs were cooked on a glacier, despite their reputation. They attend to the essentials well, like the padrón peppers and pan con tomate, but consistency remains an issue. With a little more attention to detail, Barrafina Adelaide could be a truly indulgent place to eat – but for now, better meals can be had at Barrafina Drury Lane and Barrafina Dean St.
Rating: 3/5
Would I go again? I’ve not been back since.
Address: 10 Adelaide St, Charing Cross, London WC2N 4HZ
Web: https://www.barrafina.co.uk/restaurants/adelaide-street
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