Barrafina

When in London, try the… Spanish food? Although this may seem like an interesting choice in a city known for meat pies and curries, Barrafina is absolutely worth the visit. This Spanish tapas restaurant has received a Michelin star for its incredible cooking, and once you visit it’s easy to see why. When I arrived at Barrafina at 4:45 on a Tuesday night, I was greeted by an already-forming line. Barrafina doesn’t take reservations, and it only has bar seating at a counter that winds around the open kitchen, so you need to get there early or be prepared to wait.

I love the open kitchen because you can watch the chefs at work while you eat! We sat at the bar right across from the head chef, so we got to see him finish each dish as it passed through the kitchen.

We started our meal with pan con tomate, a classic Spanish tapa, simply made with a garlicky tomato spread on top of toast. We also tried the fried shrimp, John Dory fish, and the Iberico pork dish. My favorite dish was the Spanish tortilla, another classic tapa made of eggs and potato. For dessert, we had the poached pear with cream, and it was so delicious. I would highly recommend visiting Barrafina (I went to the Soho Dean Street location), and I will certainly be back in the future to try more of the menu.