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Visitors to Goodge Street (number 62) in the West End are invited to
try a true tapas bar experience following the opening of Barrica.
With the look and feel of an authentic Spanish tapas bar, Barrica is
a venue where people can feel just as comfortable having a coffee, a
beer, a glass of sherry or a sit down meal with wine.
Barrica is creating waves in the West End, primarily due to its range
of sherries, wines and varied, rustic Spanish tapas dishes. The bar
boasts over 20 different sherries, from Fino, Manzanilla to Palo
Cortado and the luscious Pedro Ximenez. The extensive wine list
includes over 25 varieties of grape from over 25 separate
Denominacions of Origin (wine regions) across Spain. Barrica's
signature wines range from the immensely good value Villa Anita
Viura/Chardonnay from Tarragona to the juicy Losada Mencia from
Bierzo. Red wines are kept in a bespoke temperature-controlled
cabinet behind the bar, keeping all bottles at 16 degrees Celsius,
for optimum enjoyment.
To accompany a drink at the bar, customers are able to choose from
light snacks including olives, almonds, cheeses, home-pickled
vegetables and cured Iberico pork products such as the beautiful
jamon iberico cebo and bellota from Revisan, imported exclusively by
Barrica from Guijuelo in Salamanca. Barrica's tapas menu offers a
wide selection of dishes, starting from just £1, many of which
are cooked on its charcoal grill.
Barrica's kitchen is run by ex-Moro chef, James Knight who is
supported by the experienced Basque-country sous-chef, Eusebio
Martin. The floor staff are mostly Spanish, including Manager David
Garcia who hails from Madrid. Barrica is the brainchild of Tim Luther
who has spent nearly three years researching and planning the opening
- with much of that time spent in Spain. Luther's background is in
the wine trade having spent the last seven years working for Albion
Wine Shippers in London where he developed his love of Spanish wines.
Commenting on the opening of Barrica, Luther said: "We wanted to
create a genuine tapas bar that would not feel out of place if it
were on a busy street in Barcelona. We don't call ourselves a
restaurant as the Barrica experience is as much about enjoying a beer
at the bar with friends as it is about sampling the tapas dishes with
our extensive sherry and wine list. We have made a feature of our
range of sherries as there's no better way to complement the
different dishes on offer at Barrica. Whether it's a glass of Fino to
accompany some almonds and olives, an Amontillado with some
charcoal-grilled quail or a sweet Pedro Ximenez to enjoy with cheese
or dessert, there's a sherry for every palate."
The bar's decor creates an atmosphere of traditional Spain but with a
modern design that gives the venue a contemporary edge. Combining
white marble tops with dark wood and a tiled floor, Barrica provides
a relaxed and comfortable environment with a range of seating
including bar stools, high tables and a softer feel at the back of
the bar.
During the festive season, Barrica is offering set menus from £20
per head, which will include a range of tapas dishes giving visitors
a truly Iberian take on Christmas. Luther continued: "We want
our customers to create their own Spanish Christmas at Barrica and
welcome them to phone our head-chef, James, to create a bespoke
offering for their party - whether it be a roast meat dish, paella or
whole baked fish.
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