Barrica is a relaxed Spanish tapas restaurant in Fitzrovia. I love tapas… I really do, especially when eating out alone. Shiima was busy for our usual Saturday night dinner so I snatched the opportunity for some tapas. I wanted to go somewhere new, and the two tapas restaurants at the top of my list where Copita and Barrica, which happen to be sister restaurants. I chose Barrica because I could reserve a table and I’ve been craving arraz negro since our dinner at Barrafina King X.

The vibe in Barrica is really relaxed and the service has a family feel to it – everything is done with a smile.

The food

I didn’t bother with “bar food” or any vegetarian dishes, I just went straight in for seafood and meat 😁.

Fish

The prawns were huge, fresh, and succulent, and the spice kick from the garlic and chilli was just right. Easily one of the best prawn dishes I’ve had.

The arraz negro was incredibly rich and delicious. It was everything I was craving and more. It was also the perfect portion size, as otherwise it might’ve too much for me.

I actually had no intention to order the scallops until I saw it on the table beside me and wanted some of that. It definitely didn’t disappointed. Perfect balance from the fresh and meaty scallops, the salty bacon, and parsley oil.

Meat

The ham croquettes were delicious. It was much more cheese than ham, but the cheese was runny and delicious.

The presa iberica was absolutely scrumptious. I didn’t want it to finish. It didn’t need any sauce either, all the flavour was packed in the tender slices of pork 👌🏾.

After the presa I thought nothing could get better, but then the braised lamb shoulder arrived and it was even more tender and delicious. Every piece was steeped with flavour and just melted in the mouth. The pear marmalade wasn’t bad either, but a tad too sweet for me.

Dessert

I thought I was going to melt after the first spoonful. It was so rich and sweet. Both the cream and the soft bread. The salted caramel ice cream was good too. Overall, an ace dessert.

Verdict

Simply, I loved Barrica. It’s incredibly laidback, both the vibe of the restaurant and the friendly service, and the food is fabulous. I recommend for a very casual date, or for awesome tapas with friends, family or colleagues. Or alone, like me 😁. Barrica is also very fairly priced.

Cuisine: Spanish Tapas
Dress Code: Casual
Star Dish: Braised Lamb Shoulder
Price: £20-£30pp
Rating: 5 out of 5

Barrica
62 Goodge Street,
London W1T 4NE
Reserve at Bookatable
Or call 020 7436 9448