Bar Kroketa Marylebone

The team behind Tapas Brindisa have opened Bar Kroketa in St Christopher’s Place, and despite its location amid shopping chaos it feels every bit like a relaxed and charming Spanish terrace. Here tapas and the eponymous croquetas are served as small plates, and unlike similar spots we found that the portions were very reasonable for the price. This makes it a great place not only for a light bar snack but for a full and satisfying meal. 

Duck inside from the bustling terrace and you’ll find the restaurant is just as atmospheric: croquetas shuttle from the bar and around the dining room with great speed, whilst exposed brick and ample foliage give the space a laid-back shabby chic feel. Guests can also relax thanks to the highly attentive and friendly staff. 

We kicked things off with a dirty vermouth cocktail and a dry rose, served crisp and cold alongside crisps and olives – a classic Iberian warm up that Bar Kroketa does very well. The menu is split between ‘Kounter’ bar snacks, ‘Kroketas’ and more substantial small plates in the ‘Kitchen’ section like salt cod with potatoes and crispy garlic sauce and an indulgent crab toastie. Surprisingly, we found that the squid ink and chicken croquetas that we tried were not the stand-out dishes of the meal but rather were upstaged by the fabulous bar snacks. 

 The real highlight of these was the chorizo and Guinness popcorn – chorizo chunks fried in a light Guinness batter creating crispy morsels of sumptuous fattiness and flavour. Sweet peach halves and salty anchovies were a perfect seasonal match, married by mild tangy goat's cheese in another exemplary cold snack dish. That said, the mustard in the chicken croquetas brilliantly prevented any stodginess that is all too often a feature of the fried dish.  

For dessert, there was no other option than the chocolate and salted caramel croquetas. Any initial worries of excessive richness were immediately put at ease by the light custardy filling, and we left feeling that Bar Kroketa is a great addition to this part of the city. 

From the team behind Tapas Brindisa, Bar Kroketa Marylebone is bringing both the flavours and dining traditions of Northern Spain to another Central London location at 23 Barrett Street, following the success of their Soho location.

Influenced by the bars and restaurants that are common along the streets of Bilbao, Bar Kroketa's northern Spanish heritage is at the heart of the setting and design of the space. Bar Kroketa rejects stuffiness and formality and instead promotes a casual and carefree dining atmosphere. This environment as well as its central location just off Oxford Street makes it a perfect place to gain some respite after a chaotic day of shopping. Small plates are served in an intimate, energetic, informal bar-side dining environment designed both for grabbing a quick bite or for enjoying a meal at a more leisurely pace. Each dish is priced at just under £10 making it the perfect place to grab a snack (or more) with a casual drink.

As suggested by its namesake, the menu mainly spotlights a wide variety of croquetas but also features a variety of other Spanish bar snacks. These are served tapas-style and range from the familiar with patatas bravas and tortilla to more unconventional fusion snacks like their Guinness and chorizo popcorn. With rotating seasonal fillings, the croquetas introduce diners to the specialties of the region with sheep's cheeses and cured meats that provide diners with a culinary insight into this part of the world.

The menu’s obsession with croquetas even extends to the dessert menu which features chocolate and salted caramel and arroz con leche croquetas as well as ice cream sandwiches. The geographical stamp of the Basque Country continues into the drinks menu which highlights the wines, aperitifs and cocktails not only of the region but of Spain more widely.