Favourite's First - The Barbary Review
Where best to start my first post than my current favourite restaurant in London, The Barbary.
Sister to the more well-known The Palomar (one of GQ's best restaurants of 2016), The Barbary brings diners food from the Barbary Coast; think Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya.
The Location
Located in the photographer's honey-trap, Neal's Yard, you'd be forgiven for walking past the entrance to TimeOut's current Number One restaurant in London, which is given away only by a small gold plaque to the left of the door. Neal's Yard is cementing itself as a foodie hotspot, with Homeslice, Native and 26 Grains all vying for attention from the brightly coloured buildings, not to mention The Barbary's new coffee spot, Jacob the Angel, but, The Barbary sets itself apart with the food on offer.
The Space
Stepping through the door you're greeted by a U shaped counter with 24 bar stools wrapped around the The Barbary's chefs grilling, barbecuing and plating up Moorish small plates. If you're a fellow foodie, this adds an extra treat to the trip as you can watch how each dish is prepared and plated.
The atmosphere is relaxed and casual, with the chefs interacting with guests and, if you're lucky, handing out little tasters of whatever they're preparing, similar to the bar-seating at The Palomar. It easily suits as a date location as well, with the low light, bar stools for side-by-side dining and stunning food. Just make sure you're willing to wait as there's a No Reservation policy (aside from at 12 or 5pm when you can book), but believe me, it's worth it.
The Food
We went for a lunchtime visit to avoid the queues and were seated at the "kitchen-bar" and immediately started the tough task of choosing what to order.
The menu is broken up into three sections; Baking and Grinding (breads, dips and pickles), A-La-Esh (Land, Sea and Earth small plates) and Heaven (you can figure that out).
We started with Baking and Grinding, which seems a good a place as any to start.
I've heard great things about their Naan, which you'll see the chefs preparing in the Tandoor oven, but having had the Bagel on a previous visit, I couldn't resist ordering it again. Served warm, golden and covered in sesame seeds alongside a pouch of Za'atar (a Middle Eastern spice mix of thyme, sumac and sesame seeds) to sprinkle over, it gives a sign of what you're in for when the bread is this good. Designed to rip and share, adding any of the dips makes a great start to the meal.
We then moved onto the mezze style small plates, going for the Capsicum Haloumi, Aubergine Sharabik and Lamb Cutlet Zuzu. Prices range from £7 - £20 per dish so you can be as lavish or thrifty as you like.
The Haloumi (£8.5), char-grilled and served over roasted red peppers with lashings of olive oil, had the salty taste and rich texture you expect from the cheese, and the peppers and olive oil balanced the dish well. The oil, infused with the sweetness from the red pepper, also served as a great dip for the bagel.
Next up the Aubergine Sharabik (£10), and also a side-note... One thing I feel doesn't get enough credit in restaurants is the sauces, and The Barbary excels on this front.
The Aubergine, pictured below, is served alongside tahini, a sesame seed paste and lemon juice "dip", widely used in Middle Eastern food. The sweet, creamy sauce pairs well with the smokey, roasted aubergine and is another area where the Bagel or Naan comes in use. By this point, we were already onto our second order of bread to avoid missing out on the leftover tahini!
Last up was the Lamb Cutlet Zuzu, served with some theatrics...
Presented with a burning mint sprig, the aroma from the mint paired perfectly with the juicy lamb cutlet. And again, the sauce! A mixture of olive oil, yoghurt and mint was moreish, just a shame we'd finished the Bagel by that point! At £18.5 for two lamb cutlets, not the most cost-friendly choice, but worth it for the flavours and sauce.
The Heaven section had some tantalising options, but we were just too full by this point.
For those that have space, they do serve my favourite Middle Eastern dessert, Knafeh - a Middle Eastern "Cheesecake" made with Kataifi pastry, Ackawi cheese ( similar to Ricotta/Mozzarella), baked until the pastry is crispy, the cheese is gooey, soaked in syrupy rose water and finished with crushed pistachio. Be warned, it's not a light dessert but a must-try if you haven't had it before (picture below from a previous visit as pictures are always better).
Verdict
Cost - ££/£££ (out of ££££)
All the flavours at The Barbary were on point, balancing out the grilled food in a very relaxed atmosophere. The Barbary can be a quick lunch stop or an evening date if you get yourself a table. You can't go wrong with any of the options on the menu, which changes regularly, just make sure you have enough bread to clear the plates and save room for dessert! I keep going back just for the Bagel and Knafeh alone so imagine what the rest of the food is like.
The only "downsides" are there's only 24 seats, with a "No Reservations" policy, so more likely than not you'll have a short wait for lunch and longer if you're trying for dinner at a peak time. Some of the dishes are a bit pricey for the portion size, but definitely do not let that stop you as you're waiting and paying for some of the best food in London right now!
16 Neal's Yard London WC2H 9DP