I have heard great things about Barrafina a few years ago as an exceptional tapas restaurant. Little I had known in 2018, they have 3 branches in London to date. I took a female friend to this branch last Sunday after a trip from the London Aquarium. We were the 2nd couple to walk in and within half an hour the bar was full up. A good sign so far for a good tapas restaurant. We were sat by the corner bar where we could see all the chefs was cooking, prepping etc (open kitchen) and took great pleasure watching them every move (esp cooking the octopus!). We were greeted pleasantly and were instantly served with sparkling water. We both didn't want any wine and they took the wines glasses away to give us more space at the table. The place was minimalist, simple white wall with well placed Mallorcan photos around; it had a sense of cleaniness too.

We ordered a Stuffed courgette flower. The courgette flower was covered in light tempura batter stuffed with cheese, similar to a garlic Philidelphia cheese. A delicate creamy texture but it was a shame it was only one flower and not two. The second dish was the Classic Tortilla. This dish was not what I expected, it had the firmness of a pancake tortilla but when you sliced it, the eggy mixture runs out like a Sunny-side fried egg. It was runny but light and it was deliciously seasoned. The third dish was recommended by the server. The Iberian Pork Ribs which I thought the price was a bit steep (£15). How wrong I was because it was the highlight; I was impressed and my female friend loved it. The ribs were slow cooked, in a rich meaty jus and garnished with spring onion, a carrot and a slice of butternut squash. The combination of flavour were well balanced and I would happily get a second serving again! The dessert Milhojas had a combination of several layers of puff pastry, a mixture of cream, almond, peach puree dusted with light powdered sugar. This dessert was also recommended and the flavours were not too sweet but well balanced to finish off the meal. We also picked up that in a casual dining experience we don't normally see the head chef there. Every food dish including the desserts had be inspected by the head chef before going out to the diners. This mean that every dish is checked for quality and satisfaction normally reserved for high end restaurants. The service was friendly and they would happily help to translate and explain a few authentic dishes.
I gave it a 5 star rating because I was impressed with the quality and attention to detail to the food, I would like to go back again. The only downside I have is tapas can be expensive so I will have to find an occasion or excuse to come here.