Helen Jackson could be unwell!

To round off Friday evening and bring back memories of our recent trip to Barcelona, we decided to try Barrafina on Frith Street West http://www.barrafina.co.uk/. As there is a no booking policy, and only a few outside tables, I thought an early start appropriate only to find its evening session didn’t begin until 5pm. As I’d planned on meeting RM there, I hopped over the road to Bertorelli www.bertorelli.co.uk/frith-street.asp, where a very pleasant young girl said I’d be more than welcome to have just a drink at their outdoor tables for two. Whilst RM was battling the tourists on Oxford Street, I plumped for an Italian Pinot Grigio Cuvée Rosé Brut (£25) which suitably refreshed a rather hot RM on arrival. Being across the road from Barrafina, it was the perfect place to keep an eye on what was happening. It started filling quickly at 5pm and when there was one outside table left, RM skipped across the road, leaving me to pick up the bill, only to be beaten by a younger model! However, his next choice, of stools inside and at the end of the bar were perfect: we could see what was happening outside; we had no one to one side or brushing past us on their way to their loo; and as the evening wore on, no one standing in a queue behind us waiting for one of the 23 precious stools. A bottle of Sauvignon Blanc was ordered and then the tapas rolled: we started with ham croquetas which were absolutely exquisite, crunchy on the outside with soft, with silky potato with lots of chopped ham in the centre. We moved through toast with Al-i-oli, two types of jamon, an individual tortilla which oozed eggy juices from the middle and finished with grilled chorizo with watercress and potato which was a fitting end, as it was the spiciest of the meats. Our bottle of chilled tap water was constantly refreshed and our waiter attentive and knowledgeable (for example he told us you should never eat tortilla in Spain after 3pm - unfortunately I can't remember why!). Our bill was £68 with service, but I suspect if you’d been tempted by the fresh fish daily specials, it would have bumped up the bill considerably. On the basis that I work nearby and it was such a fabulous experience, I said to RM that I could easily become a regular customer to which he responded, book a stool and become ‘Helen Jackson is unwell’. Jeffrey would approve!