Arabica Bar & Kitchen (London Bridge)

• Whoever devised it is a clever sod
• Because the format dictates what feels like natural logic these are all small sharing plates
• Doing so can unwittingly tot up the bill and result in a spread in excess of what is reasonable for two people to consume
• The lot we got was very good indeed
• Let me begin with the Lebanese lamb and beef tartare
• The fact that it was just about the best I&rsquo
• I could sit in front of a film with a bucket of this and a wooden paddle and reach the bottom within six minutes (£
• The texture of a well cooked chicken liver is up there with the best the food world has to offer
• The ones here were velvety and tickled by the sweetness from sticky pomegranate molasses
• Mint and dill was better than my dad&rsquo
• The moutabel smoked aubergine with tahini and bejeweled with pomegranate seeds managed to beat the other two in the which dip can&rsquo
• The advice to wrap them in the lettuce leaves and fresh herbs they were served with did lift them
• Garlic and the sweet smokiness of Turkish urfa chilli were very pleasant (£
• Then there was the pide (pronounced pi deh) boat an oval vessel of pillowy rimmed bread transporting spicy beef sausage
• Then there were beef and bone marrow koftas with a defiant love it or get the hell out promise of &ldquo
• Our banquet closed with knafeh a slab of shredded filo pastry cooked in butter and soaked in syrup
• It needed more butter or syrup as filaments of pastry were catching in the Iranian&rsquo
• S throat and was a little dry on my tongue (£
• Then there was a Turkish coffee (with warming undercurrents of cardamom) affogato over halva ice cream which I thought was very clever (£
• The entirety of the remaining menu are things I want to eat more than three times and so I suspect Arabica Bar & Kitchen (London Bridge) will become a regular
• The exciting range of Lebanese 961 beers were sadly not available so we turned to the excellent wine list instead
• The Hummus and Smoked Aubergine dips were a little on the stingy side
• Lamb and Spinach Kibbeh (croquettes) were hard to share for more than one reason
• The standout was the Armenian style Lamachun
• A beautiful flatbread smothered with spiced lamb
• Melt in mouth Levantine cheese pastry with orange blossom honey and crushed pistachio
• A Turkish Coffee was the fitting way to finish
• So I suggest going with a few friends and getting as much as you can
• The quality is definitely high enough to make one forget
• This airy space is right in the heart of Borough Market and was a great location for a weekday lunch
• I imagine it's somewhere that would be painfully popular and busy with the Friday night post work crowds
• I got the impression that the ethos is really more about mezze small plates and sharing plates and the portions
• Not so small that I was hungry but just about small enough to leave you wanting a bit more
• We went for spicy lamb kofte with chilli and roast tomatoes and my choice of sugar cured king prawns which were absolutely divine
• We asked if it came with much on the side and were told that other than a small garnish
• There are no real sides so I was still a little peckish and anyone with a bigger appetite would probably need one or two more plates to feel full
• We had both been eyeing up the Knafeh even before we arrived a baked filo pastry dessert in syrup with pistachio nuts and a central core of cheese a calorie coma but so comforting and moreish
• We complemented this with a rather lighter Mouhalabieh milky pudding
• I'm not entirely sure why I ordered this as I'm not a coffee drinker and this was served black so even with the Turkish delight and the sugar they added
• It was still a little bitter for my tastes but that's purely a personal preference based on the fact that I almost never drink black coffee but the aromas and spices wafting from it were undeniable
• I will definitely be returning and the menu is more than wide enough to be able to order an entirely new batch of items this time (except of course the knafeh
• Nice little place for lunch or a quick snack if you are in the area
• The dishes were decent good quality
• The Wild Mushroom and Truffle Man'ousheh was the highlight for me some of my favourite ingredients tossed together on a soft warm flatbread
• The affogato needs could do with a bit more coffee though
• S Borough Market is Arabica Bar and Kitchen
• First up was Hummus with Lamb Fillet
• This lovely looking plate with tender Lamb Fillet
• The Sujuk Pide with Red Pepper Sauce
• As a Frog leg virgin I was a bit nervous about trying these
• The whole plate was balanced perfectly
• M not saying Frog legs are my new favourite thing
• We finished up with Spinach Fatayeh alongside Sugar Cured King Prawns
• Sumac Onions and Pine Kernels were ok but felt a bit soggy or wet in my mouth
• Not in a way that impacted service and were all very friendly
• My Cocktail of the night was the Rania&rsquo
• I felt they were rationing a bit on the drink
• Set under a high arched ceiling with exposed bricks and an open kitchen for all to see this is a great little venue that they have acquired
• The wine tasted amazing and the food was good but was served in small portions
• I really liked their staff as they were very friendly and attentive
• The ambiance of the restaurant is beautiful with stylish interiors and a gorgeous bar
• The drinks are also quite delectable
• This restaurant has some really warm interiors with some fabulous features
• Pistachio Taouk washed down with a gorgeous cocktail which was so delicious that I can never forget
• A very nice experience and I would recommend you guys to visit this restaurant when you are in that part of the town
• We overheard one of the waiters exclaiming that she was tired and wants to leave
• Arabica Bar & Kitchen (London Bridge) is very spacious and large and it opens right in front of the market
• The food here has always been appealing and appetizing or may be we were lucky that we ordered the best dishes from their menu
• A restaurant which does not have anything exceptional to offer needs to strike all chords with thee customers to be a success
• Even opening hours get anything too far wrong and you'll lose money no matter how noble your intentions and no matter how good the food is coming out of your kitchens
• Though I try and sympathise as much as I can with those with the difficult job of running a successful restaurant
• Let's start with the good news
• The vast menu reads like a dream there are Levantine favourites like fattoush
• Have happily eaten everything on offer but advised to choose 3 dishes each (this seems to be the Thing these days) we ended up with six spread across as many different categories as we could
• The flatbread it came with was straight out of the clay oven and steaming hot
• What you can fault is that this miniscule portion
• Even the flatbread was barely more than saucer sized
• Were admittedly some of the best pickles I've had ever
• It's a bit difficult to describe exactly why they were so successful
• The best pickles are always something of an enigma
• Theme and ran with it even further
• It's not like they were dunked in caviar
• (pan fried with rice and tahini) was really the only dish where the cooking itself could be faulted
• Though the mix of textures was interesting
• While the quail was marked on the menu at £
• When the bill arrived it was down as £
• The marinade was citrussy and summery
• The chicken cooked perfectly with a good crisp skin
• I went with two friend of mine with no prior reservations and although it was empty we were told that we could only stay for 1 hour
• The biggest letdown was their service
• I intend to return with a group and order loads
• The aubergine was an even bigger disappointment I know it is meant to be charred but it genuinely tasted like carcinogens
• My third and final comment (I refuse to waste more of my time on this review due to the costly aftermath of this comment) we were provided with complimentary popcorn on arrival
• Arabica Bar and Kitchen is a restaurant that serves food from the Levant (Mediterranean countries &ndash
• The restaurant is modern and despite the food sometimes being quite similar to the food at your usual Maroush
• The pilaf was the best rice style dish I have eaten and that is not something I would normally get excited about
• I don't normally feel overwhelmed by salad but this was a lot to handle
• The lamb belly is a dish you shouldn't bother trying to share deliciously crispy and well spiced with the fat all flavoursome and moreish
• I love that its just a hop skip and a jump to the best food market in London
• Amongst quite a few mezze and tapas style restaurants is Arabica in London Bridge
• Not sure if this was the style of the service
• Our food order was a little more prompt
• The style and best way to enjoy this food is to order a selection to share
• We started with falafel (chickpeas
• You cannot go wrong with truffle it if is your thing
• Cut and just pick it up with my hands to eat
• Spiced lamb ragu with toasted pine nuts
• The dips all come with the freshest
• The hummus is easily one of the best I've ever had
• The Armenian lahmacun with the well seasoned/spiced lamb mince and pine nuts was the winner though
• Sticky lamb belly and ribs with a pomegranate honey glaze
• S not difficult to see why I was so spoiled for choice
• The restaurant itself is a rather sexy little number and
• Food I would say Arabica Bar & Kitchen (London Bridge) is a 4.5/5 however
• The service is always terrible
• Everything on the menu is lovingly prepared and delicious and it's well worth making a stop here
• Halloumi and falafels to start and these were all perfectly seasoned and fresh
• The halloumi was served with peas and asparagus which I've never had with halloumi before
• I thought this dish was a standout
• Lamb belly and lamp chops and these were equally delicious
• Arabica Bar & Kitchen (London Bridge) is a great choice and I would highly recommend
• Only thing is it's a little pricey than expected but the food was worth it
• The gleaming natural light bouncing off the edges of the exposed brick walls radiates a feeling of warmth that is also echoed through its rustic
• This restaurant does a lot of small servings which means each person is intended to have about three to four dishes each
• Everything was delicious despite being a little pricey
• S right on the edge of Borough Market and is surrounded by lots of other cute restaurants and bars if you fancy sticking around the area afterwards
• This gives you a pretty good idea of the cuisines that Arabica Bar & Kitchen (London Bridge) is aiming for &ndash
• London is a city with plenty of fantastic choices when it comes to international cuisine
• What I especially like about the place is the wonderful exposed brick arch/ceiling
• Every single one of which was bursting with flavours
• Whilst the dishes were tasty and delicious
• The portions were small therefore you might need to order a few more or you can opt for the rest of the market if you're still feeling hungry

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