Jamie Oliver’s Barbecoa at New Change Passage specialises in flame cooked meat, specifically steak, using Texas pit smokers, fire pits, Robata grills and wood-fired ovens. Although I don’t eat very much meat my younger son loves it, and as it was his birthday and he works right by St Paul’s I decided to take him there.
In such a businessy district of London there was no surprise that it was full of business account diners, and as the restaurant is designed with a great deal of glass and hard floors – very noisy. However, a lot of the seating is based on open booths so although you’re surrounded by people and noise you still have your own space.
The view is extraordinary, the food is very good indeed, from the burrata and fennel salad and beef carpaccio with pickled wild mushrooms to the pulled pork with cornbread and beans, which we both had to follow. Having spent quite a time in Texas I’m very familiar with this dish, and this was some of the best I’ve had anywhere. I can’t vouch for the cornbread as my son ate mine, however the speed at which it disappeared says something.
On to the dessert – when we were there they offered a taster plate of six of their desserts for £5. I gather that this was absolutely wonderful….I only got to taste the creme fraiche panna cotta which was creamily delicious.
The service was extremely friendly and efficient, the food delicious, the ambiance modern and noisy, the prices high but not extortionate – although we weren’t drinking. If you do I suspect the sky’s the limit.
Book ahead if you want to go to Barbecoa:
20 New Change Passage, London EC4M 9AG
Tel 0203 005 8555
Nearest Tube Station is St Paul’s on the Central Line
