The Barbary Reviews Summary

Food Quality

Pros:

• "The dips and the bread were phenomenal."
• "The Moroccan cigars were excellent to start."
• "The Black Salmon Dukkah has a nice crust and then just melts on your mouth."
• "Every dish here is packed with flavour and prepared to total perfection."
• "The cauliflower was an excellent vegetarian choice."
• "The food, the cauliflower, the Naan and miscellaneous dips, the flaming lamb...all amazing."
• "The Pata Negra Neck was cooked to perfection and was well balanced with what seemed like a pomegranate sauce and garlic."

Cons:

• "Wasn’t very well received on arrival, food was slightly different from the previous visits."
• "We ordered the cauliflower and were told this was a menu highlight. It also missed the mark."
• "Cigar borek was alike, it was well cooked however the ingredients reminded me a cheap fast food mix."
• "The lamb was just a skewer with a lot of fat on it, really hard to chew."
• "Sadly not all the food was great, and what was great was possibly overpriced."
• "The octopus was pretty bad and tasteless."
• "The food was very disappointing. We ordered the hummus, Nan and spinach borani."

Service

Pros:

• "He explained the menu very well and gave us great recommendations."
• "Waiting staff were super knowledge, attentive and fast!"
• "The staff was top notch. Great service and a cool chef."
• "The service was very personal and friendly."
• "Service was amazing. Would return next time I'm in the neighbourhood."
• "The staff are nice and friendly. Daniel, the chef is very talented and you can taste his love for the food."
• "The staff were also super knowledgeable and friendly."

Cons:

• "The wine offering is seriously mediocre, and in some cases just plain bad."
• "Only complaint is that the bar counter seating was very uncomfortable, especially if you are tall."
• "The staff are a bit pretentious as well."
• "Service has dropped considerably and the prices risen significantly."
• "Not entirely sure I can recommend the restaurant. They only have counter-style seating, which coupled with a rather dismissive service, made the experience a bit less special."
• "The service wasn't great."
• "Not a fan of the brunette waitress with northern accent who made me feel very rushed."

Ambiance and Seating

Pros:

• "The ambiance is rocking."
• "Like the vibe there. The setting is very causal."
• "A great restaurant with good service and amazing food. A very similar experience to the Palomar."
• "The restaurant is set up like a horseshoe bar around the kitchen. Diners watch their food being prepared in front of them."
• "Bar seating is quite possibly the best option for 2 friends or even a date."
• "The seating is bar-style around the open kitchen so if you like a lively atmosphere this is perfect."
• "The atmosphere is cozy and intimate, and the service is top-notch."

Cons:

• "Space is quite small as you sit around the bar, so ideally not considered for a group but its super cute and intimate."
• "You will be literally bumping elbows with the neighbors."
• "It is also annoying having the walk-in people waiting for tables right behind you."
• "The seating was also uncomfortable."
• "The stools themselves are high, don't move or spin and are so close the to bar that if you are tall it is too uncomfortable with your knees jammed against the bar."
• "The restaurant is extremely cramped and loud."
• "Especially when you consider you're sitting quite uncomfortably at the bar. There is no table seating."

Price and Value

Pros:

• "Worth it if you like the small plates concept going on in London but now it's too often found in other places which are more affordable."
• "Well worth the price, it’s been a while since I had such a great restaurant experience."
• "Service was amazing. Would return next time I'm in the neighbourhood."
• "Delicious food at a very reasonable price point for the location."
• "It’s really reasonably priced and I was really satisfied when I left here."
• "Reasonable prices."
• "A little on the pricey side, but worth it in my opinion."

Cons:

• "Good food but the quantity is small for the pricing."
• "The food was very good but I think most of the cost is paying for the experience and location."
• "Overall I have a hard time justifying the high price."
• "The food was good but felt overpriced for what we got."
• "The price was also very high for what it was."
• "Portions are tiny and feel it's drastically overpriced."
• "All in all pretty overpriced."