Barraka: London’s Best Mediterranean Street Food

I didn’t expect so many of you to love my recent restaurant food review post, but I’m glad you want to see more of, because I’m quite happy to keep the momentum going. Today I’ll be talking about Barraka, a fairly new mediterranean street food joint on Artillery Lane, just a short walk away from the Liverpool Street Station. Open only on weekdays, they cater mainly to people who work in the area, but they keep their doors open until 9 pm, giving you plenty of time to drop by for a quick dinner as well.

They have a pretty simple, straight-forward menu, which is super easy to navigate when you’re in a hurry. Kudos for that! But don’t think this means there isn’t enough choice. I can assure you you’ll have no problem finding something that suits your taste buds. Unless you can’t stand spicy food. They have five main ‘meat’ options. You can choose between chorizo, chicken schnitzel, ribeye, mediterranean chicken and halloumi served in either a baguette, a laffa wrap or a salad bowl. They prepare the meat in front of you and then ask you for your preferred toppings, which include four different sauces (barraka sauce, tahini, chimichurry, chilli mayo) and freshly cut salads (tomato, cabbage, chilli peppers, chopped salad, gherkins, mixed leaf salad, houmous).

I popped in with my housemate on Thursday, after 3 pm to avoid the lunch crowds, and was kindly welcomed by the lovely guys who work there. We decided to have our lunch inside, as there are some tables and chairs set aside, but all food comes nicely wrapped, so you can also take it with you if you wish so.

I ended up going for the chicken schnitzel baguette and did not regret the choice one bit. The baguette was nice and toasty, the veggies were fresh, and the meat was glorious. The chicken breast strips were coated with sesame seeds, panko breadcrumbs and spices, and reminded me of the chicken schitzels I used to eat back home in Slovenia, minus the spicy twist. I could tell the food was freshly prepared, because there was nothing ‘plastic-y’ about it, which is the word I like to use for the food from the likes of McDonald’s and those tasteless grocery store ready-to-eat meals.

My housemate tried out the ribeye baguette and was just as impressed with the freshness of the toppings and the tenderness of the meat. I was offered to try a piece myself, and even though I rarely steer away from white meat, I would be more than happy to demolish Barraka’s beef, prepared with salt and pepper only.

Last but not least, we also had some hand cut chips with fresh chilli to share, which I think was my favourite part of the meal. Not being a huge fan of spicy food, I didn’t touch the fresh chilli, as my mouth was already on fire, but I couldn’t stay away from the chips. The texture was quite soggy, similar to sweet potatoes’, which I didn’t expect (or mind) at all, but boy, did it taste amazing! I’m definitely coming back for these.

As you can probably tell, the portions were very generous. So much so, I had to skip my dinner, because I was still so full by the time evening rolled around. The prices get a thumbs up from me as well. My chicken schnitzel baguette would cost you £5.95, the ribeye baguette £8.75 and the chips only £2.25. A great value for the quantity and quality, I think. Don’t you agree? What would you order if you visited the restaurant? Let me know by voting below! If you’re a Londoner yourself or are visiting London soon, you’ll also be happy to hear the vote will get you a 25% discount on your Barraka order. 🙂

What gets your taste buds going? Vote for your favourite dish to reveal your perk from Barraka. Valid in July 2016 only