Barrafina Drury Lane to temporarily become specialist Spanish seafood restaurant

The Covent Garden venue will showcase the best of Spanish and British waters cooked using classic Spanish methods (Mariscos is the Spanish word or seafood).

Barrafina’s executive head chef Angel Zapata Martin is working closely with suppliers and in some cases directly with fishermen to secure sustainable, hard to come-by catch, daily, for a menu that changes in accordance with what comes in.

The idea for Barrafina Mariscos developed as a consequence of social distancing and creative thinking about how to turn the challenge of fewer covers and physically distanced chefs into an opportunity for doing something 'special and ambitious'. 

Because of the removal of some of Barrafina’s traditional red leather bar stools to allow for more space between guests, there will now be just 16 covers on the ground floor around the counter.

Downstairs, the private dining room will be used as another dining room with a further 16 covers. It will still be possible to book the space privately. 

Working with Zapata Martin at Barrafina Mariscos will be head chef Urko Gochi (formerly Barrafina Coal Drops Yard and Sabor).

Angel, Gochi and team will be using ingredients such as Galician oysters, Mediterranean espardenyes (sea cucumbers), pargo (Northern red snapper), San Alfonsino, besugo (red sea bream) almeja de Carril (Galician clams), berberechos Gallegos (Galician cockles), Langostino de Sanlucar (large greenish-brown prawns) from Cadiz, Mediterranean spiny lobster, red scorpion fish, Percebes (goose barnacles - which will just be in season for opening), erizo de mar (sea urchin) and Mediterranean grouper.

There will be a few meat and vegetarian options for non-fish eaters, using ingredients such as Galician dairy cow steaks and ceps.

“We’re emerging from a situation that has been challenging, but we’ve taken the circumstances and created an opportunity I’m so proud of and excited by,” says Zapata Martin. “Working with exceptional Spanish and British fishermen and suppliers, we’re looking forward to creating super special dishes and a new Barrafina experience for our guests.”

As with Barrafinas Adelaide Street, Dean Street and Coal Drops Yard, Barrafina Mariscos will take bookings via the Barrafina website, through Resy. Two seats will also be held back for walk-ins every day.

Bookings will go live on September 10 at 1pm for 8 October onwards.