The Barbary is a fantastical restaurant with all seats centered around the open kitchen. The food was amazing. Every thing is made to share, and small plates means you can order tons of different things to try. I went with two others and we decided not to ask any questions or google any of the dish names. We went in blind and ordered about 8-9 plates, including dessert and wine. Highly recommend. One of the best restaurants I've been to in recent memory. read more

Love this hole in the wall place in Neals Yard. Great for a night out. We waited in queue since the restaurant is small and only has bar seating. Service was impeccable! All the dishes were delicious and portioned in small plates. We ordered the baba ganoush, Jerusalem bagel, tabbouleh, lamb chops, Jaffa cauliflower, and octopus. I could have that Jerusalem bagel everyday! Fun place to mingle but seating is first come first serve basis. Worth it! read more

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After being rejected by a wine bar near by, we stumbled upon this colloquial hole-in-the-wall resturaunt. But after an absolutely delectable dinner, I'd say this is a must for anyone in Soho. The Port Sa'id with poached octopus and a garlic herb oil finish literally melts in your mouth. Their salads are exquisite -- the Essaraourian tomato salad on a bed of tahini is to die for. And don't forget about your slow cooked lamb mechoi: marinated, braised, then cooked in a 130C oven for 12 hours. The chicken and apricot tagine was simply the most succulent bite of chicken this side of the pond. Well I'll stop my rambling now. Get your --insert colloquial word for booty-- to this small establishment as quickly as possible. read more

Food was so good, so flavorful! The cauliflower was out of this world! Also loved the Salmon Dukkah. All seating seems to be around the main bar. read more

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The Barbary is amazing. I love the food at Machneyuda, and was excited to try another of the chef's restaurants on a trip to London. Waiting for seats was a tad annoying, but we ordered glasses of wine and posted up in a corner, so it honestly wasn't bad. We waited about 45 min in total, at 6pm on a Saturday, which was fine. Service was friendly and efficient, and it was fun to watch all of the food being made in front of you as you eat. The food was all incredible -- the naan and jerusalem bagel were great, as were all the dips we ordered for them. Lamb cutlet, cauliflower and halloumi were our remaining favorites. Highly recommend! read more

One of London's hottest middle eastern resto and lived up to the hype and consensus among critics and consumers. This place doesn't take reservations and is hidden away. Almost feels like it doesn't want to be found. Cannot make reservations here and place only has seating around the kitchen bar. Food, service, value, and ambience all great. Repeat: yes read more

The food was great and Niles service even better. He gave us the guided tour through the menu highlights

Super tiny place so make sure you either make reservations or bring your patience. Us stupid Americans got lost on the way and were a few minutes late, but they sat us down anyway. Skip the naan and hummus and just go to the pretzel and the babaganoush. We had both, but the babaganoush was great. The cauliflower was well made and seasoned perfectly. We would recommend the lamb. But the star of the night was the dessert. We were going to order something else, but since you are literally watching the cooks/chef make everything, something else caught our eye. The knafeh was one of the more interesting but amazing desserts we've had in our extensive travels. read more

Excellent naan, wonderful dips and grilled meats. They have this hashcake and taal misu that is exceptional, maybe the most memorable dessert I've had in London. read more

I wanted to eat at The Barbary a second day in a row it was that great. The highlights were the Jerusalem Bagel and the Monkfish Chermoula. The Monkfish was grilled perfectly. We weren't really bothered by the short wait to be seated. We had a drink at the side bar during our wait and you can also order bites of food as well. I'm guessing there is a line as soon as they open at 5:00 to be seated, so timing wise, that first seating isn't probably finished until 5:45 or so. read more

Great place - came here on a recommendation from the Bib Gourmand, and really did love the food. It's a small place, so expect quite a bit of a wait. Loved the brocollini and the lamb - had a phenomenal dessert as well, and waited with some halloumi fries. A really interesting mix of flavours that I hadn't experienced before. Great food. No complaints from me :-) read more

Really nice meal. Food is on point mostly. Tiny place with great atmosphere. Get there early or be ready to wait a bit. Highlights - Baba Ganoush, Chicken liver pate, Naan, Pluma Iberico was amazing (hard to go wrong), Jerusalem bagel. Only drawback was the monkfish. Very strong flavors on this dish, took over the whole dish. Couldn't taste the fish or fennel, only spice. read more

Popped in, as the locals might say, on a Monday night to find a tiny but rustic and warm space. A horseshoe shaped bar with seating for 24 left room for perhaps ten diners to queue and await their turn. This we did, having "Morrocan Cigars", which were delicious sticks of fried phyllo dough filled with hake, monkfish and cod. A good start. We were seated and ordered a chicken entree and a monkfish entree, as well as some naan bread, a smoky baba ganoush and a spicy assortment of spreads. It could not have been better. Indeed, it is by far the tastiest dining I have discovered in London. If you like The Barbary, you might try "Sarma", in Somerville Massachusetts. The two explore similar flavor spectra, but I'd give the Barbary the edge for achieving more through a smaller menu. read more

Great food and friendly wait staff. Love the open kitchen and bar like seating. You got go watch everything being made in front of you. This is a tapas place so you order multiple dishes which is great because you get a taste of everything. Reservations can be made via their website but only for 12pm and 5pm. I showed up at 5pm on a Wednesday as a walk in and was able to be seated right away. It filled up quick after. Prob around 530 all seats were filled. This was a few min walk from the Palace Theaters where I was watching part 1 and part 2 of Harry potter. Great intermission dinner and was completely satisfied. Love their homemade nan the best witht theie various choices of dippings. Would so come back here when I get the chance. read more

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The bartender at Palomar suggested this sister eatery. As single diner, staff at both are great resources. My advice at The Barbary is - order what you've never heard of or can't pronounce. Then reap the reward of your adventure! read more

Damn food at the Barbary is as good as it gets!!! Not fancy food, just honest to god fine delicious mouth watering food . Chef Asaf Granit making the best of Israeli signature dishes . I highly recommend the Jerusalem bagel , Ikra , Masbaha, baba ganosh and schog if you love spicy - from the first dishes. The crown Jewel from the meat dishes is the pata negra - pork neck steak - tender and flavorful. To sum up great place worth the wait ! read more

I was so excited for this meal, and it lived up to the hype! We had the naan with muharrama, harissa, and zhug; the harissa is insanely spicy, but if you can handle it, it's worth a try. I personally loved the other too more. We also tried the octopus and chicken dishes, both of which were delicious. The chicken to me was the better of the two as it was so tender and flavorful. We also got the cauliflower, which is one of their signature dishes. It's a must get! For dessert, we had the barbarian kisses and the hashcake. You MUST get the hashcake. If you've ever heard of or had milk bar's crack pie, this is it's much, much cooler and tastier cousin. Best dessert I had in London. I also have to say our waiter was INCREDIBLE, sharing knowledge and recommendations and making the most hilarious jokes. He really made the experience above and beyond for us, so thank you! read more

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Such a great little spot! Seating is limited (just a handful of stools around the bar) and no reservations, but the staff is very nice and it's very pleasant to stand and wait with a glass of wine with your friends before being seated. The food is delicious! Definitely get the fattoush, the pumpkin dipping spread, the naan, the haloumi fries and do NOT leave before you get dessert. The Knafeh was AMAZING. This would be a great date spot or a catch-up with a friend. They prepare the food right in front of you which is a fun element. I wouldn't go with more than 3 people though - with the seating it would be difficult to talk to a large group. read more

Palomar is the better of the two sister restaurants but the menus and flavours are different and Barbary is awesome so plenty of reasons to go to both. The flavours are fresh and bright. The staff is friendly and informative. They make the meal fun. We had most of the things on the menu. All good. I would say explore. read more

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Wow! Barbary was so fun and great food! We came as a couple on our first night in London before going to Matilda (2 blocks away!). Its a horseshoe shaped stainless steel bar for almost every table. The restaurant is small and very lively because of the cooking and waitstaff in the middle. There is a live grill with flames going the whole time. My wife loved her wine (montepulciano) which was very reasonably priced. We had the bone-in lamb, spinach, falafel, babaganoush, among others. Can't recommend this place more, especially before a show. Very cool place and not your typical pre-show restaurant. read more

Unique menu and cool u shape counter concept. Great spot to dine alone or small group. Make sure to have the octopus. The naan and pata negra are also yummy. I am going back to try other dishes. Since they do t make reservations, be prepared to wait for a while before seating at the counter stools. read more

The food and the service was really great. The food is very tasty and different. We liked all the options that we ordered, although everything was new to us. I recommend arriving early for dinner, especially on the weekend. No later than 6 pm to get a table more quickly, otherwise the wait can be around 1.5h. But it is still fun, although a bit too overcrowded in a small space for my taste. I will definitely go back! read more

Oh man this was fantastic! Every single course was so memorable. I could definitely return here regularly and be amazed and astonished.

In all my travels, this place holds the award for top 5 restaurants I have ever been to. So good we went 3 of the 5 nights we were I. London. Open kitchen concept, small, very friendly, creative epic food, and really just all around wonderful... even the prices are fair! Note though... they are BUSY all the time. Getting a table is not easy, especially if you have a larger group. It's worth every penny though if you can get in! read more

Phenomenal. Food, staff and ambiance were exceptional. A must if tour in the 7 Dials area.

Overpriced and Rude. First, the food they serve is very good. I liked the chickpeas, eggplant, and künefe (dessert). However, it is very overpriced. One of their staff was extremely rude to me. After I paid my bill, I wanted to use the bathroom, She stopped me at the back of the restaurant and asked where I am heading (perhaps thinking I'm a bum who breached the greeter/security at the front door). I expresses my desire to use the bathroom but she would not budge. I explained I just finished my dinner here. Her response: "Did you really now, which table?" I should mention there are no tables at this place, everyone sits around the bar, facing the cooking area. I pulled the receipt out of my pocket and finally she let me in with not much shame. I don't know what made her believe I don't belong there, my Mediterranean complexion, or slight beard, but then they serve food from my country, not to my people apparently. After paying 50 pounds, this was very insulting. If I wanted to pay loads of money to get insulted, I would go to a French restaurant :) read more

Excellent flavors! This place created magic in my mouth. Everything was great. The beets were my favorite. The cauliflower is a must. The salmon was also delicious - it's on the sweet side so if you don't like that maybe not for you. The hospitality was also great. Our host was so friendly and helpful with the menu. I felt like I escaped to a different place. There are only 24 or so seats so it's intimate which I liked. Go here! read more

The Barbary is hands down, one of the best middle eastern foods I've ever had... in my entire life. My boyfriend is middle eastern, and never has he tasted such well done lamb. The food was soooo exquisite, that I forgot to take pictures. It's a small little area, with a minimum wait of 15 minutes for 2 people. Their chefs do an impeccable job at seasoning EVERYTHING. It's all sharing portions- 4/5 dishes is about enough for 2 people. Trust me when I say, you'll be FLOORED with how amazing the textures and flavors this place has to offer. Bravo! read more

First visit today and really didn't know what to expect. First thing to say is the place is tiny. One U-shaped bar to sit at. Worked well as we were 3 ladies but might be more difficult to chat if in a group. Very welcoming and everyone we encountered was extremely friendly. Atmosphere is smart but relaxed. Food was absolutely delicious. We ate Pata Negra pork (the best!), octopus and lamb all cooked over charcoal, wonderful flat breads and various dips. A super balance of flavours and spicing. Looking forward to trying it again. read more

We snagged a 5:00 PM reservation a few weeks ahead of time. Well worth it! Tiny but powerful, with the kitchen is right in the center of the seating area so you can watch the magic. One of the most amazing meals I've ever had the pleasure of eating and definitely my best in London for sure. Staff was stellar and I even was treated to a little complimentary shot (it was my birthday). My server (I have a bad memory I apologize) was from Greece and he was awesome. Close to the theater since we were headed there afterwards. I will dreaming of this place until next time London! Thank you to the staff for making it such a memorable night. read more

To say that I can't get a meal like this in San Francisco would probably get my license revoked, but it's oh so depressingly true. Even something as simple as a bagel dipped in perfectly spiced harissa and schug tells me this place is special. The space is small without feeling exclusive and is oh so devastatingly stylish. I'm heading to its sister restaurant, Palomar, in a few days and can't wait! read more

With a group of friends, we went to the Barbary to try very tasty North African tapas. Although you can't make any bookings, we got a booking within an hour. We started with a deliciously crisp Naan e Barbari, then Zhug, Harrissa, Burnt & Pickled Chilli, pillowy Jerusalem Bagel, Msabacha Chickpeas and lush Baba Ghanoush. The Goat Goulash was good, as was the Chicken Abu Kalmash. The Octopus Mashawsha was amazing and the Cauliflower Jaffa Style while the Capsicum Haloumi and Broccoli & Black Tahini were good. Never had mozarella and goats cheese for dessert but it seemed to work. The 2015 Albarino was very fruity as was the Chignin read more

Best meal I had in London and probably one of my favorite meals of all time. Ambiance was terrific, service was not just excellent, but they somehow manage to make you feel like your are at lively dinner party and the host has made a special meal just for you. It's so nice to be wowed and surprised like that again - thank you chefs of The Barbary. read more

Worst customer service ever. I walked in at 5 to noon and was told to wait outside, as they didn't open until 12, and unfortunately tripped on their stairs and sprained my ankle as I walked out again.. When they let me in my friend was late so they wouldn't seat me until she got there. I said I had just sprained my ankle and could I just sit down and wait until she got there and I was told I couldn't that they didn't allow that and was told to stand and wait in the corner. My friend texted and said she was running 15 mins late. After 10 mins another waiter asks me if I am alright and by now my foot is really painful. I tell him that I am in pain and that could I please sit down until my friend gets there and he says no, rules are rules. To top it all off when my friend gets there the same waiter is also rude to her. We felt so badly treated that we left without eating there and walked over to The Ivy nearby instead, who even though they were fully booked found us a table and were absolutely lovely. read more

Positively 5 stars! What do you look for in a great restaurant? * You feel welcome * Top quality food, beautifully prepared, beautifully presented. * Quick, incredibly pleasant, and well-informed service (thank you Sandra!) * Surprising combinations of tastes and textures - ginger and fennel ice cream! * Memorable experience - in this case, watching the ballet of 5 chefs in the open kitchen * Thinking about it the next day, and wishing The Barbary existed near where you live The Barbary - an excellent restaurant that provides an extra special experience. Bonus: Neal's Yard is located inn a very quaint courtyard with several walk-in massage practitioners. The whole neighborhood is pleasant to stroll. read more

Fantastic food. Not cheap, but a fair price for such high quality in central London. Service was friendly and knowledgeable but perhaps overestimated the amount of food I needed. They don't take reservations but FYI I got there at noon on a weekday and there were plenty of seats. By the time I left at 1pm, there was a short wait to get in. read more

Can't go wrong with Palomar and Barbary! Delicious food, great service, awesome atmosphere. Can't wait to go back!

Great meal with an adventuresome menu. Only 24 seats around an open horseshoe shaped kitchen. I was a single and walked right in at 8. Expect to wait but great food. read more

So rude waitress first I ask her if she have sitting for two she told that she will have after one hour and a half and left with out talking my answer. I asked her college if I can use the toilet she said yes and while I am going to the toilet the first waitress came and told me you cant use the toilet because its only for our costumers I told her I just asked you for a table she said no you cant. It was a very horrible experience I don't think it's a good place to chill. read more

After reading the reviews here and on Time Out we decided to give the Barbary a try & we were not disappointed. We went on a Sunday evening over a bank holiday weekend so we didn't have to wait for long. While waiting we enjoyed some delicious wine, olives, and fried halloumi. The fried halloumi was out of this world. Seating is all around the counter, not super comfortable but definitely cool to see everyone working the kitchen. We were seated by the door so we had a nice breeze coming through thankfully. We started with the Jerusalem bagel and baba ghanoush. Next we had lamb and octopus, and then finished with the knafeh. The knafeh was different (in a really great way) than any other dessert I've ever had. Each course of our meal was more delicious than the next. The service was friendly and our server gave us great recommendations. After living in Europe for two years, our meal here was an absolute stand out. I will definitely be here every time I'm visiting London. read more