Downstairs at Barbarella - still very vibrant and with an impressive central chandelier, but positively dialed back compared to the upstairs look.
What can you tell us about Barbarella?
Simply put, it's the new restaurant from Big Mamma Group, the Italian restaurant chain that originated in France and is behind London openings like Gloria, Circolo Popolare and Jacuzzi. If you've been to any of their restaurants, you'll know that they don't do things by halves and that the restaurants (and some of the dishes) are exercises in maximalism. No design can be too over-the-top and in some dishes, big is very much the operative word.
Barbarella is all that again, this time in Canary Wharf, and yes, the design is certainly something to behold.
Where is it?
This one is on the waterfront in Canary Wharf, an area which has been through a sea change on the restaurant front in the past two to three years, with big players like Hawksmoor, Fallow (as Roe), Kricket and more opening over here.
Barbarella has taken over what was an All Bar One and in the process has added an extra floor. If you're heading there by tube, go for the Jubilee Canary Wharf station and it's about a minute's walk from the station (it's about 10 minutes to the Elizabeth line)
Here's where you'll find Barbarella - that neon's much easier to spot at night.
Where should we go for a drink first?
There is some space by the bar at Barbarella, from what we could see, but it's primarily about dining here. As for nearby, it's a short walk to the Canary Wharf outpost of Soma (from the people behind Kricket) and right now we'd say that's your best bet for a cocktail in this area. We'll get back to Barbarella's cocktails in a bit.
And inside, where should we sit?
As you may have seen at some of Big Mamma's other restaurants (Jacuzzi is a good example), the difference between the look of two dining rooms in the same restaurant can be quite dramatic, and that's once again the case here. Both floors look impressive with a massive chandelier dominating the ground floor, but it's the first-floor dining room where they've really gone to town.
Literally seeing double on the first floor of Barbarella
Upstairs, you not only have a ceiling that's completely mirrored, but the tables are mirrored too. It's quite the design statement and we'd say that this is the room you'd want to go for, although we can understand why some would look at this space and just say "no, thank you".
Either way, if there are only two of you, go for one of the tables by the window, particularly upstairs, as you get a decent view of the water.
Onto the food then, what can we expect?
Again, if you've been to Big Mamma before, you probably know the drill by now. You can expect an Italian menu, albeit one which features its fair share of fairly luxe touches - caviar, truffle and the like - but at a much more reasonable price than you might think for that kind of excess. Portions are generous; from our experience, the food has always been decent at Big Mamma restaurants, with certain dishes being particularly good. That's the case here, and our first dish was firmly in the great category:
Pepper Tatin - A tatin of caramelised peppers served with an indulgent Parmigiano Reggiano cream (£14). New to the menu and an unexpected savoury turn (with a little sweetness) on a Tarte Tatin that just works.
Crunchy layered potatoes topped with tangy beef tartare and fresh black truffle (£24) - we could have done with a little crispiness, but we were also impressed by the sheer height of the truffle shavings.
Another thing that Big Mamma does well is that there's often a little bit of table theatre. In previous restaurants, it's been pasta tossed in Pecorino cheese wheels, while here it's about their metre-long truffle spaghetti, brought to you and served tableside while the waiter shows you that the spaghetti is indeed very, very long.
The man serving did a much better job of showcasing the length - it's about double this.
And here's the result - Spaghettone al Tartufo (Ultra-long home-made spaghetti with creamy truffle sauce, Parmigiano Reggiano foam and fresh black truffle, £24 per person).
Also new to this menu are their Roman-style crispy pizzas:
Ricotta, sautéed mushrooms, prosciutto cotto, mozzarella fior di latte, stracciatella (£19.50) - Yes, that table is underlit which made photography a little challenging. This pizza has a thinner, crispier crust than you might be used to at other Big Mamma restaurants.
In addition to the above, you will find plenty of their hits from other locations like lobster linguini, the signature pesto-filled burrata, vitello-tonnato croquettes, tempura shrimp cocktail and more. We've tried all of those and can recommend them if you're new to the Big Mamma experience.
What about desserts?
Desserts are always a big deal at their restaurants. Even if you've never been to one, you've probably seen their huge lemon meringue pie on social (and it's well worth ordering if you haven't tried it yet). We can easily recommend the following. Both are big enough to share (particularly the second one).
Salted caramel chocolate tart with crispy coffee praline, served on a plate of whipped cream (£11). We loved this, particularly for the dish of whipped cream it's served in, and also that it wasn't crème fraiche, our bête noire when it comes to cream with dessert.
As for the following, the knife is there simply for scale. Yes, it's really earning that XL name.
XL Creme Brulee with a hazelnut praline base (£14) - no we didn't use the knife but it was the handiest thing to show how big this is. It's not very deep admittedly but had a perfectly crispy-but-not-too-crispy top.
How about drinks?
Cocktails are always worth a look at Big Mamma, coming in at £13-14 and we do like the illustrations that tell us what we're getting (assuming we stray away from a negroni or a martini). There's a strong no-alcohol offering here (right at the front of the menu too). Wines are predominantly Italian, starting at £31 for a Grillo, which is a pretty good starting point these days.
Amaro Mio - Amaro Montenegro, red pepper cordial, Wild Turkey bourbon, lemon juice (£14) - we always appreciate a cocktail that comes with its own ice bucket.
Overall thoughts
If you've been to a Big Mamma restaurant before, you'll know pretty much what to expect here. If you love them, you'll love this, but if they haven't won you over, this isn't going to either. We enjoyed our meal - it's not going to be up there with some of London's best Italian restaurants, but it offers a lot at reasonable prices, and there are some great mad touches throughout. The style is bonkers, but we've always liked that in their restaurants, frankly. Ultimately, if you want decent Italian dining in a pretty spectacular room with a great vibe, this does the job. It'll do very well in Canary Wharf.
More about Barbarella
Where is it? YY Building, 30 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HX
How to book: Book online
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @bigmamma.uk
Hot Dinners dined as guests of Barbarella. Prices correct at time of publication.
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