It has been about four months since I moved to Canary Wharf, and I had no idea Barbarella even existed. I had even tried to get reservations at their other branch in London Bridge. Once again, it was my elder sister who discovered this place. I do not really have an excuse for not knowing about it, especially since I use this route almost every day
This is one of the fanciest Italian restaurants I have ever been to, and the vibe of the place was great. Although the restaurant was packed, it was still easy to have meaningful conversations with the people I was dining with. This could be the architectural engineer in me talking, but the acoustic design of the restaurant was spot on. We were looked after extremely well from the moment we entered until the time we left.
Now to the main part: the food. We started with the Spaghettone al Tartufo, which is spaghetti with a creamy truffle sauce, Parmigiano Reggiano foam, and fresh black truffle. I genuinely do not have enough words to explain how good it was. The truffle flavour really stood out and enriched the dish, and it is something I would order every time I visit. We also ordered the Margherita di Bufala, and it is safe to say this was not your typical Margherita pizza. The flavours were excellent.
Finally, the desserts. If you go to an Italian restaurant and do not try their tiramisu, I personally think it is a crime. The Tiramisu was mouth-watering and left me in a complete food coma. Barbarella’s tiramisu has to be the best one I have had so far.
For a restaurant of this stature, I felt the prices were very reasonable and the portion sizes were completely justified. We ordered three mains, one side, and three desserts, and the bill came to around £110 for four people. A funny moment from the visit was that my cousin was feeling a bit upset before we arrived, and the food was so good that it completely changed his mood.
This is the kind of food that reminds you why eating out is worth it
Overall Rating:
Price – ★★★★ (Higher stars mean better value for money)
Aesthetics – ★★★★★
Service – ★★★★★
Taste – ★★★★★
Experience – ★★★★★
