BARRAFINA

I've been hearing a lot about Barrafina recently so when I happened to find myself on Frith Street one Sunday I was determined to try it out. On this particular Sunday I was with oldest friend Sophinna (oldest not in age but in length-of-time-knowing and who would kill me if she wasn't mentioned) - it was one of those deceptively cold numbers which in classic British style we chose to ignore and opted to sit outside under a well-placed heater.

I realised when we found it that I must have been unwittingly walking past Barrafina quite often but had somehow never been inclined to go in. Perhaps it was the stooled interior – a lot of filled stools does tend to put me off at first sight - I'm only little and it's tough to get up on those things. Plus, they're not exactly comfortable.

Anyway, the first thing to happen upon being seated outside was being told to move our table and chairs closer to the restaurant window because the council weren’t keen on the tables being there. Good.  Surely don't put them there!? Following that we were told that the restaurant was too busy so they could only serve para picar (or 'nibbles' for the uninitiated) for the next 30 minutes. Fine. But from then on, every time we wanted to order, the waiter would dismissively shout "one minute!" or "one second!" and then scurry inside. It became almost hurtful when he gave the table next to us the specials menu, completely failing to acknowledge us or our pleas.

The menu is a little bit weird. Not the food they're selling, just the language -  it was neither consistently in Spanish nor English. Perhaps written by an Englishman who knew a few Spanish words and thought that would do? I'm not sure it makes much difference... it's just rather peculiar!

Service and menu writing aside, the food when it finally came was DELICIOUS. The best croquettes I've ever had in this town. My mouth is salivating at the mere memory of those little morsels. The tortilla alone is worth returning for - so yolky and well seasoned. Everything we ordered - which was a lot (Sophinna interprets sharing plates as an opportunity to order as much as she possibly can) was amazing. It was authentic and the kind of food that really makes you smile. 

I must admit we did order too much... I wasn't convinced we'd make it through those final plates and it was only on the merit of everything that had come before that greed won out.

crazily creamy croquetas

"pan con tomate", we also had "bread with alioli" (see what I mean about the menu?)

chorizo, always a winner

these prawns were flavour sensations

gooey tortilla - so cool you get your own freshly made little number

more goo

asparagus a joy to see on any menu when the season arrives, and it has!!

beef - rich, a bit overwhelming after all the food we'd devoured

grilled quail with alioli

For a moment with the sun shining down on us in our puffer jackets we could almost have been in Spain. Then the bill came. Not Spanish prices, but the sad fact is that we were not in Spain and if you consider that Bar Italia across the road charges £7.50 for a take-away panino, a £90 bill for two people to eat glutinously was not unpredictable. Definitely worth a visit if you're up for splashing a bit of cash and aren't in a hurry.

http://www.barrafina.co.uk

54 Frith Street

W1D  4SL

SPUNTINO

My chief lover took me to Polpo and I loved it. Buzzing atmosphere, quirky with easily executed, delicious food made for a very happy time. So, when I found out it was a chain I was a bit amazed. In fact, I'm not sure I'm over it yet.

A foodie friend from America came to visit from across the pond and, curious about meeting Polpo's relatives, we chose Spuntino in Soho for lunch. At about 1pm Spuntino is the kind of place you could easily miss if you didn't know it was there. It's the real life equivalent to the easily overlooked Leaky Cauldron from Harry Potter! Thankfully I was led by a highly observant crew, each armed with iPhones and all was well. Note: It's easily spotted after 6.30pm thanks to the queue of people clamoring for a place.

Let's talk about the decor. Gloriously dingy with New York speakeasy dinge-factor 30. In keeping with this vintage vibe they haven't even got a phone! (And no reservations as a result.) Make sure you can grab a corner for groups larger than two - the at-the-bar dining experience can stifle easy conversation - no-one wants a creaky neck after lunch. At this juncture I must warn you of the bar stools. No problem for youthful limbs but I shan't be bringing granny.

Having a quick glance at the menu I noted to my friends that this seemed like a tapas style sharing joint. The American half of our party refused to believe me (fools), so we Europeans braved on, sharing to our hearts and stomachs content.We were right by the way.

The food here is intelligent, simple and tasty. I could happily eat my way through their menu....

Fennel encrusted aubergine chips! Pungent. Yum.

Mouth watering pulled pork slider.

Buttermilk chicken wings.

My favourite!!! Truffled egg toast. Break into the middle an yolk oozes!!

Beetroot, anchovy and soft boiled egg salad. Sublime.

Roast cauliflower, chermoula and smoked almonds.

This has swiftly become a favoured haunt thanks to their delicious food and reasonable prices. I've been twice now (within a few weeks), eaten indulgently and not spent more than £15 either time! Fan bloody tastic. Get yourself there.



Spuntino
www.spuntino.co.uk

61 Rupert Street W1D 7PW

DEHESA - referring to a grassy haven in Spain's Extremadura

Ever since a friend who worked in the kitchens of Dehesa introduced me to it I've been a major fan, though in the last year my visits have dwindled somewhat. So when I walked by it on my way to Nopi it was like bumping into an old friend but walking straight on without properly inquiring after each others health - devastating for all parties involved. This tragedy, however, was the catalyst that strengthened my resolve to return and at first opportunity I was dining once more at this familiar favourite.

Dehesa, sister restaurant to The Salt Yard and Opera Tavern (neither of which I've yet been to), is a Spanish/Italian charcuterie and tapas restaurant with a difference. The difference is that it doesn't stick to the traditional world of Spanish cuisine - though a loving nod is certainly made - they branch off, whisking the lucky taster into new, uncharted terrain of tapas dishes. Although the menu doesn't seem to have evolved too much since I've frequented it, this does make for a lovely cozy familiarity with the place. To be honest, I'd be furious if I returned and the deep fried courgette flowers (stuffed with goats cheese and slathered in honey) had been replaced by anything else, ever.

I've never booked, and been happy for them to take my name and number and call me when a table is ready - but the popularity of the place means it can be a long wait. Still, I've always found that a drink at one of the nearby bars and pubs does the trick!

Our journey started with these unbelievably delicious courgette flowers.

Pork belly, beautifully cooked sitting on rosemary scented cannellini beans.

This was a new one from the last time I'd been, lamb chops with lambs tongue, girolles and a mint alioli.

Malfatti with sage butter, trompette and parmesan

Hake with chorizo mash, clams and cider sauce

Salt cod crequetas with romesco sauce, crisp and creamy delicious!

We didn't have dessert. We were both quite full and had just enough room to have another plate of those to-die-for courgette flowers. Stuffed to the brim and with a bottle of wine this came to just about £30 per head. I'm sure I'm biased - I love this food, but I think that's pretty reasonable for such delights!



www.dehesa.co.uk/

25 Ganton St  London W1F 9BP

020 7494 4170

CIGALA

Lambs Conduit Street harbours many gems. One of the lesser shining is the LA Fitness which I have avoided staunchly since a traumatic spin class two days after joining, now quite some time ago. As I crawled into my cab home I remembered how fondly and enthusiastically a friend had recommended a restaurant but steps away from the scene. I was determined that if my limbs were ever strong again, I would return to taste.

Tonight was the very night! As Jenny and I sheepishly passed our neglected gym/torture chamber, eyes averted, we anticipated a meal that would melt our guilt clean away.

No Such Luck. Cigala is a trendy tapas restaurant with a great wine list. Let me say, we loved our carafe - nothing house wine-y about that! The meal was a slightly different tale. It was perfectly acceptable and it is true to say we left merry and full but there was something amiss. It just wasn't particularly special, I suppose. There was nothing overwhelming, unusual or distinct about it - mainly we dreaded our bill. Our fellow diners seemed to be holding business meetings and I have no doubt that this would be a perfect venue for one. However, our search for sensory pleasure was left wanting (the hot waiter helped - a bit.) Having said that, the place was buzzing even as we left at 10.30pm so they must be doing something right. Perhaps we just made the wrong choices...

A rather salty Tortilla - and I love salt, so imagine!

Tomato on Toast(!)

Beetroot, orange, carrot and bean salad

 Tuna and anchovy salad

The highlight of the evening: Hake sandwiched between aubergines and deep fried

If you do go, say hi to the waiter from us! More me... Jenny wasn't that into him.

DEVILLED LIVERS

People can be very squeamish about liver. Hopefully if you try this recipe you will be convinced to liver little.

'What the hell is devilling?'  First seen in eighteeth-century cookery books, it means to cook in a fiery hot sauce...something to do with the devil and the heat in hell.

These are anything but hellish, nor are they particularly spicy, simply because I prefer the sweet to the spicy on this one. However you can change that by adding cayenne pepper if you'd like. For me this is a fatty and naughty favourite.

I first had it as a starter in a restaurant in Cardiff. It was rich and creamy and to be honest a little bit orgasmic. A memorable taste! Having said that, I'd rather serve it among some other little dishes; a meal for sharing, more a tapas-like affair than a starter. Watch out though, while they're rich they're also very moreish.

Ingredients
150g chicken livers, sinew removed
Half an onion thinly sliced
2 nobs of butter
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
Tbsp whole grain mustard
Tbsp sugar
5 Tbsps double cream
1 Tbsps madiera
A pinch of smoked paprika
A pinch of cayenne pepper (optional, add at the same time as the paprika)
Brioche, thickly sliced
A handful of chopped parsley
Salt and Black pepper to season 

To the hob
Soften the onions in the butter on a low heat. Once they have become transparent and squidgy turn the heat up and add the madiera and the sugar and smoked paprika, until the onions have become nice and sticky. Set the onions aside and brown the livers for about a minute on each side. Return the onions to the pan and add the garlic, the mustard and the double cream. Boil for 1 minute and set aside. Add a pinch of salt and some black pepper to season.

Fry the brioche in the butter til lightly browned and crisp on both sides. Top the brioche with the onion and liver mix and grill it until a caramelised colour appears on the livers.

Serve
Serve immediately with some chopped parsley to garnish