One of London's favorite Spanish tapas bars, modeled after the tiny Cal Pep tapas spot in Barcelona, has only a few raised bar stools within the open-counter kitchen south of Trafalgar Square. Lunchtime lines form from noon daily for a top-quality succession of impeccably sourced small plates, ranging from giant Spanish carabineros red prawns and Iberian pork cheeks to black squid ink risotto with cuttlefish. There's a thoughtful selection of Spanish reds, whites, sherries, and sparkling white cava, and be sure to leave room for noted desserts like the almond-based Santiago tart.

The queues are endless and fans clamour for somewhere to perch at Barrafina’s gleaming L-shaped marble counter, but patience is amply rewarded at this no-bookings tapas star – flawless cooking is a given. Your money might go further in Spain, but who cares when the chefs can dole out dazzlers such as oozing tortillas and milk-fed lamb kidneys to go with picks from a knockout Spanish wine list. Also check out Barrafina’s branches at Dean Street, Drury Lane, King’s Cross and Borough Yards.

This recently opened tapas bar is owned by brothers Sam and Eddie Hart, who are making a splash on the London restaurant scene. The pair take a dim view of bookings, so it’s first come first served, and Barrafina’s central location means it’s sometimes tricky to get a table. Once you’re inside, it’s worth the wait, with a great selection of Mallorcan and Catalan dishes including a mean coca Mallorquina (Mallorcan pizza) and a wine list filled with Spanish favourites.

Every dish has earned its place on the menu at Barrafina, a cult tapas bar with an ever-present line, from the crisp-skinned chicken in Romesco sauce to the molten, magnificent tortilla. The best way to order is to watch the chefs at work, and get whatever’s looking good. The convivial vibe makes solo dining an extra attractive prospect, but it’s also a great place to take a date (so you can share more plates).

It’s hard to walk around London without seeing a Barrafina these days (there are now five branches in total), but this site on Soho’s Dean Street is the original. It was founded by brothers Sam and Eddie Hart, whose love of all things Spanish is thanks to their Mallorcan-born mother. They don’t take bookings here, yet the wait is well worth it for the blackboard of specials including fresh fish of the day.

Barrafina has dependably delivered exquisite Spanish cuisine to our tables for years now, treating our taste buds to a variety of tapas dishes. Whether you're favourites are the ham croquettes - or your prefer to order from that coveted specials board, feast as though you're in Spain before or after your show. The smaller space means seating is limited and in demand, so book early.

While it might be considered everyday eats in Spain, here people queue up for ages to get their hands on this thing. It looks simple on the outside but inside is a treat, like a Kinder Surprise… only with eggs, potato, and cheese.

The same happened in Barcelona: lots of serviceable tapas; nothing as good as those at Barrafina, Sabor or José Pizarro. Unless I wanted to join the queue for Cal Pep.

The restaurant that has come to define modern Spanish food in London, Barrafina has been shaking up the restaurant scene in the city since 2007. The first walk-in-only restaurant to win a Michelin star in London, the dynasty includes five locations around town, while still managing to maintain the same level of quality as if there were just the one. The menu contains all the classics – unctuous jamón and cheese croquettes, jammy tortilla, moreish pluma iberica – but the daily specials are where things really come to life, pushing the boundaries and utilising hyper-seasonal ingredients in delicious tapas.

For the first time since opening in 2007, Barrafina are also accepting reservations, while holding back a small number of tables for walk-ins. The Coal Drops Yard and Dean Street sites have already opened, with Adelaide Street and Drury Lane set to follow later this month. For the foreseeable future, the restaurants’ a la carte menus will be slightly shorter to allow for more distancing between chefs in the kitchen, but classics such as milk-fed lambs’ kidneys, arroz de marisco and milhojas will remain available alongside daily specials.

Once upon a time, going for lunch – specifically, turning up at noon – was a clever tactic for guaranteeing a seat at Barrafina. Right now, all its restaurants, including Dean Street’s newly relaunched original, are taking bookings, so it’s less of a strategic move and more about the fact that eating dazzling Spanish food feels right when the sun is at its highest. Perch up at the counter, order a glass of Fino, and buckle up for small plates of Mallorcan specialities that are – whisper it – better than on the island itself.

With fans from Spider Man (Andrew Garfield) to rapper Professor Green and cronut-inventing pastry chef Dominique Ansel, Barrafina is a London institution for tapas. Now with four outposts, you can find its Michelin starred original site on Soho’s Dean Street and the newest, biggest restaurant at Coal Drops Yard, Kings Cross. Kick off with a banderilla (a cocktail stick with an olive, anchovy, quail egg and pickled chilli) with a glass of sherry while you take in the rest of the offerings.

First off is Barrafina, a gorgeous chain of Spanish restaurants with open kitchens, marble-topped bars, stylish red leather stools and exceptional food. There's five locations across London and though each may have its slight menu differentiation, it's pretty clear otherwise that Barrafina has a strong identity that's helped it stand out amongst its competitors. The menu is packed with a wonderful range of tapas with vegetarian and vegan options available too.

We strongly recommend early arrival to Barrafina, which frequently attracts long queues thanks to both its fame and the great tastes on the menu. If you do find yourself in a queue, then this is probably one of the better ones to experience – with staff contentedly serving you snacks and refreshments as you wait. There’s lots to choose from once you get inside, including tortillas and small plates which have a distinctive flair of their very own.

Barrafina is London's own Catalonia, with a selection of tapas plates that are among the best in the city and a lively atmosphere to match. If you can, try to grab a seat at the bar that overlooks the kitchen, where waiters are on hand to guide you through the menu and make recommendations. A trip to Barrafina would not be complete without trying the classic tortilla that’s packed with potato and caramelised onion, with a runny, creamy centre.

Home to five locations spread across the city, the restaurant boasts an intimate number of red leather stools and a marble-topped bar, allowing guests to peek into kitchen life and watch the chefs at work. The restaurant specialises in modern Spanish tapas, filled with favourites including prawn and piquillo pepper tortilla; cured monkfish; chicken thigh with romesco; and patatas bravísimas. where: Various Locationswebsite: www.barrafina.co.uk

It's virtually impossible to avoid an hour-long queue (the seats barely hit the double digits), and you're likely to be elbow-to-elbow with strangers. But once you've got your first glass tinto, Barrafina's exquisite spirit becomes increasingly exposed. Dishes like octopus with capers (at £9.80) and chicken thigh with Romesco sauce (£7.5) are profound in their simplicity, bringing out the simple, clean, startlingly robust flavors.

The food is easy-to-share, and perfect for when you’re in the mood for variety. Here, you’ll find a bustling bar scene and classic tapas favorites like fluffy tortillas, pan con tomate (tomato spread on toast), ham croquetas, patatas bravisimas, and a great selection of dried meats and Spanish cheeses. What to get: Ham Croquetas, Arroz Negro (Squid Ink Rice), Stuffed Courgette Flowers, Iberico Ham, and the Tuna Adobo

Dotted across London like culinary landmarks, Barrafina’s five locations each capture the essence of modern Spanish dining. The story began in Soho’s Dean Street (still charmingly walk-in only), before spreading its wings to Covent Garden’s Adelaide Street and Drury Lane, then northward to Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross. Their newest addition brings that signature Barrafina magic south of the river to Borough Yards.

On opening, Barrafina – named in part for co-founder Nieves Barragan Mohacho – stunned London with its scintillating small plates, Spanish-style enthusiasm for counter dining, and “no reservations” policy. Thirteen years later, there are four Barrafina bars serving enduringly good food, including signature jamon croquetas, oozing tortillas and a squid ink arroz negro. The Soho spot has long held a Michelin star.

Probably the hottest tapas bar in London of late, you really can’t miss a meal at Barrafina if you’re looking for London’s best restaurants. Pretty much everything they serve up is worth ordering, but you won’t be able to squeeze it all in with just one sitting. Not surprisingly then, people seem to return to this place, or their numerous other London locations, time and time again.

Barrafina is one of my favourite tapas spots and easily up there as one of the best restaurants in London if you love Basque and Spanish dishes. Perched in three spots (Drury Lane, Dean Street and Adelaide Street), it’s a delicious treat of a place to gorge. Now, although you can’t reserve a table here, arrive just before the midday crowd and I guarantee your wait won’t be too long.

The tapas restaurant menu has banderilla, chipirones, mojama, prawn and piquillo pepper, milk-fed lamb kidneys, Iberian pork, dry-aged sirloin, Ajo Blanco, chargrilled artichokes, cured monkfish, gambas Rojas, grilled squid, chicken thigh and romesco. The seafood dishes are Arroz negro, quail escabeche, braised oxtail, classic tortilla, quail escabeche, lamb kidneys, and pancetta.

Best for: Some of London’s most authentic Spanish cooking in Borough YardsAddress: 2 Dirty Lane, London, SE1 9PA. It’s official: Barrafina has ditched its no reservations policy, so you can (finally) book a table without the dreaded fear of arriving to a snaking queue. Leading the charge for serving proper Spanish cuisine in London, and a whole heap of other things besides.

The Michelin-starred Soho location of this Spanish tapas restaurant has a plenty of counter seating in its light, bright dining room. Get stuck into a selection of picky bits such as pan con tomate, ham croquetas and padron peppers, or for a heftier large plate such as red prawns, or grilled octopus with a side salad or two. Address: 26-27 Dean Street, Soho W1D 3LL

There are four Barrafinas in London; the original site is on Soho’s Dean Street, there are two in Covent Garden, and a fourth in King’s Cross. Each restaurant maintains the standard of high-quality tapas which Barrafina has been the flagbearer of for a very long time. You can’t go wrong with the classics but exploring the daily specials menu is highly recommended.

Enjoy some of the best tapas in town at one of Barrafina’s excellent restaurants in Soho, Covent Garden, Drury Lane and Coal Drops Yard. Take a seat at the marble-top counter and watch as the chefs prepare expertly executed dishes in the open kitchen. Favourites include ham croquetas, classic tortillas and delicious seafood, from razor clams to grilled squid.

It’s the first tapas restaurant to obtain a Michelin star in London and one where you can watch the shareable Spanish food being made. With an open kitchen and a marble-topped bar, watch chefs at work while sipping on one of the finest Spanish cavas, sherries, or wines. A daily changing specials menu means you’ll never get bored of Barrafina’s exquisite tapas.

Barrafina restaurants are a group of Spanish, tapas bars, operated by brothers Sam and Eddie Hart. It is not just one of the best spots for Spanish delicacy seekers; it’s among the best that we have been to. Due to the central location of Barrafina (in Soho), it can be difficult to get a table due to its popularity, so allow some wait time just in case..

Arguably London’s most prodigious, wild, atmospheric, jovial Spanish restaurants. If you want to argue with us. Head chef Antonio Gonzales Milla’s menu of authentic Catalan tapas goes hand-in-hand with the hospitality nous of the Hart Brothers (also behind Quo Vadis and the El Pastor restaurants) in marble-lined, mostly counter dining-only settings.

The Coal Drops Yard branch of Barrafina is the biggest one in the group, with gorgeous counter seating plus some small tables if you want a little more privacy. They’ve got a mix of new dishes and Barrafina classics (like their famously oozy tortillas) at this location, but be sure to check out the daily specials as well because these can be magic.

Barrafina is a relaxed tapas counter in Soho that welcomes walk-ins, so you can drop by anytime. Its open setup makes it easy to chat with others at the bar, and the portions are sized so you won’t feel pressured to order too much. It consistently draws praise for its fresh and innovative approach, adding to its casual charm.

If you like Spanish tapas bars or anything related to Spain, then you have to visit Barrafina. There are three Barrafinas in London, though. The original one is located on Soho’s Dean Street, the other two are on Drury Lane in Covent Garden and on Adelaide Street.

We got countless votes for Barrafina, and honestly, we’re not surprised. This gorgeous Spanish restaurant brings you authentic tapas, an ever-changing selection of specials and a drinks menu filled with the finest Spanish sherries, Cavas, and wines.

The private dining room at Barrafina Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross can accommodate 8 – 22 seated guests or up to 30 guests for standing drinks receptions.

Their offer is simple—authentic tapas—but even Spanish guests claim that tapas at Barrafina are even better than what they’re used to eating back home.