Brat

Basque-inspired cuisine 

Whole turbot

If you ask me what is my favorite type of cuisine, Spanish would be high on the list and food from the Basque Country, the northern part of Spain is what I consider the temple of high-quality cooking. From rustic pintxo bars to high-end fine dining restaurants, I just got nothing but love for Basque cuisine. Brat by Tomos Parry is a Basque-inspired restaurant opened in early 2018, and it has already gathered plenty of love from the food critics, and judging from the menu online, it does appear plenty of the items can be related to Basque and I was interested how does it compare to the real deal.

Red mullet

Cockles and liver sauce

I was in love with the spider crab dish, it was almost like a crab paste with tones of umami tastes with a mixture of crunchy texture and lovely bitter tone from the cabbage and fennel, it was sensational. Brat's signature dish is the whole wild turbot and it was served by Tomos himself, the fish was lightly seasoned with an inviting smoky aroma, it was so moist and every mouthful put a big smile on my face, this is whole fish cooking at such a high level. The low point on the day was the tomatoes side, it lacked the impactful fruity taste that I was expecting, which mostly has to do with sourcing of the tomatoes, it just doesn't even come to close the same version you would find in any pintxo bars in Northern Spain.

Tomatoes

Spider crab

All in all, put the whole Basque comparison aside, Bart is still a great restaurant and it stands out in London with its open fire cooking and informal approach. I am a fan of the decor with an open kitchen and bar integrated as part of the dining room, it was a joy watching the chefs prepping and cooking the food right in front of you. The atmosphere of Brat was brilliant on the night when I visited, it was buzzing and busy, but the kitchen was calm and the service was very warming. It is easy to understand why Brat is fast becoming one of the most talked about restaurant in London.


Food 3.5/5

What I paid: 
£66 per person with wine

Average cost without drinks and services:
£45

https://www.bratrestaurant.com/