June 2021 - Food

Barrafina King’s Cross

This Barrafina outpost is on the top floor of Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross has – in a Barrafina first – a few tables for four inside and some decent space for outdoor dining (every other restaurant has been counter seating only). The signature long dining counter, bustling open kitchen and menu packed with flavour all remain.

Food-wise, the classic dishes continue to shine. Like the tortilla: a perfectly eggy, oniony, round potato dish that looked delightfully like a giant Ritz cracker on the outside, but was gooey and delicious on the inside. Or the must-order crispy morcilla croquetas filled with rich, Spanish-style blood pudding, and the green salad: four heads of baby gem lettuce topped with aromatic diced onion and a super-fresh vinaigrette. Be warned, though: some dishes (like the gambas rojas a la sal – salt-baked prawns) are small for the prices, so the bill will creep up quickly.

Barrafina isn’t doing anything particularly new here, but this, its fourth branch, is just as great as the others. In London, that kind of consistency counts for a helluva lot.