6 Poland Street,
Soho,
London,
W1F 8PS
(020) 3230 1002
The ViewLondon Review
Barrio Central brings a little bit of East LA and downtown Madrid to London, W1. If you love rum cocktails and Latino grooves, this welcome addition to Soho beckons.
The Venue
From whichever end of this little street you arrive, you notice something different in the air. There’s a buzz and it’s centred around the steps of Barrio Central. As the door occasionally opens and closes, out wafts the smell of good times. It’s an intoxicating mix of the sight of people enjoying the cocktails, the scent of Latin food and the sound of music inspired by the true flavours of Spain and Latin America.
Following on from the success of Barrio North in Islington, Barrio Central – literally translating to central neighbourhood – brings not only the bar format of its N1 hermano, it also makes full use of its two floors, with a ground level bar and a club space downstairs. The layout and design of Barrio Central is true to its Latin origins. It’s long and narrow with a bar to one side and, at the end, there’s a great little mock-up of an American-style porch – complete with white picket fence – which you can reserve for groups of up to twelve. Recycling is definitely a theme of the decor and with open brickwork and floorboards highlighted by kitschy flashes of Hispanic memorabilia the place has quite an edgy, urban American feel to it. Downstairs there’s more of the same in the club area. Complete with a small DJ-stage area, it’s decorated in bright Caribbean hues, with a mish-mash of misshapen tiles on the walls and a great little cabana-cum-shack in the corner, again reservable for small groups. There’s another bar down here for those who relocate to enjoy the salsa and samba-inspired sets or the regular live bands. Be warned, it does get hot down here.
The Atmosphere
Barrio Central is a lot of fun. You’ll find all kinds of people enjoying the buzz here and really appreciating the effort that’s obviously gone into bringing this together. That said, there’s absolutely nothing contrived in what’s on offer here, unlike a few of the other franchised offerings creeping into this extension of Soho.
The Music
From Tuesday to Thursday there’s live music on offer and on Friday and Saturdays there’s more of a leaning towards DJ sets but you will also find the occasional live act. Latin music dominates at Barrio Central but it’s not overwhelming or at all cheesy. And the original stuff you’re going to hear here will certainly be punctuated by the odd RnB track deemed worthy of some airtime.
The Food
During the week a lunchtime menu offers a limited selection of pinchos and more substantial mains, but, at weekends, you are best off doing things the Latin way by trying some of the amazing pinchos (skewered tapas). Some of the best are patatas bravas (fried chunks of potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce, marinated prawns served with a chilli and tomatillo (spicy green tomato sauce), and the spicy jerk-style chicken served with finely chopped tomato, onion and chilli. All of these cost in the region of £4-£5.
The Drink
An original menu, based on a seven-inch single cover, guides you on a liquor-based journey through Latin America. You’ll find your usual mojitos and margaritas here but go for something new like a Hispanolia Spell (£8) with rum from Dominican Republic topped off with champers. Or, you can literally blow your head off with a Gunpowder (£8.50), which is based on one of Cuba’s oldest cocktail recipes. Some drinks do what they say on the tin: the No Brainer, a signature cocktail for 2 (£20) served in a ceramic Mexican Luchador (wrestler’s) mask, is made with tequila, rum and guava juice, a luscious combination that means selecting it is a no-brainer!
A top tip for those who enjoy a rare tipple is to start your night by ordering any of the pinchos and toast your night with the hard-to-find El Dorado 15 year rum from French Guyana (£10 for a double measure).
The Last Word
A night at Barrio Central is a hugely enjoyable one. Not only is everyone made to feel really welcome, but the combination of tasty pinchos, Latin music, inventive cocktails and cool design is one that will make you feel that this is one neighbourhood you’re right at home in.
Barrio Central has been reviewed by 23 users