Here's how everything turns up at your door. Anything that needs to be reheated can be just chucked in the oven.
What is the Barbary next door?
It's the at-home version of the Barbary, a Levantine restaurant in Covent Garden from the same people as The Palomar and Evelyn's Table. The restaurant focuses on cuisine from the Barbary Coast, from North Africa to Jerusalem. We've been big fans of The Barbary since it opened, and since we're not allowed to sit up at the counter at the time of writing, we were very keen to try out their delivery service
Why "next door"?
Mainly because they are opening an evening wine bar next to The Barbary (where Jacob the Angel is during the day), which will be the in-person element of Barbary Next Door. This was imminent pre-lockdown but has been delayed until things open up again.
The dips, pita chips and wonderfully fluffy Kubaneh Bread (dipping bread from Yemen). Put that in the oven for five minutes and it's perfect with all those dips. That said - the chips baked in za’atar also do the trick.
So what kind of delivery service is it?
It's a very simple heat-at-home set-up. At most, you might need to put something in the oven for about 20 minutes, but all the containers are oven proof - so it's really not too much of a stretch. Plus like us, you'll likely kick off with chips and dips - so you can have something on the table quickly. Everything should last 1-2 days easily (and the dips longer) so you can easily order well ahead.
And what did Hot Dinners have?
We roamed around as much of the menu as we could - here's how that turned out:
We went for three dips (circa £3-£4 each) - all top class. At the front is their hummus, back left is the Ikra (smoked cod's roe) and back right is the Aubergine Moutabal - which is completely infused with a rich smokey flavour. There's so much more to choose from, including labneh, muhammara, chopped chicken liver and more. Frankly, you could create quite the cold banquet with what's on offer.
The Bourekas (£3.75 for two) - pocket pastry filled with mushroom and goat’s cheese. These keep very well in the fridge (we actually heated them for lunch the next day).
Moroccan Chicken Tagine - organic free-range chicken thighs spiced and simmered with seasonal vegetables, served with cured lemon paste (£12) - match this with their couscous (£3) which was ten times better than any couscous we've made at home.
One of the signature dishes at The Barbary - the Cauliflower Jaffa - brined, steamed and roasted cauliflower served with GLC sauce (£6.50) and blimey, we forgot how hot that sauce was. Great for spicing up the meal.
Yes we had to have the potato latkes (£4).
Another favourite at The Barbary is the haskcake. This is their at-home version - the Hashpot, which they describe as a pistachio crème diplomat (£7.50). A must order (although the chocolate tahini slice is a good bet too).
Overall thoughts?
This was one of those dinners where we had very high expectations that were easily met. A comforting home meal (with the potential for plenty of dips left over for the next day). An easy recommendation while we wait for the wine bar itself to open.
More about The Barbary Next Door
Delivery range: Up to five miles from the restaurant.
How to order: Visit their website for links.
Find out more: Follow them on Instagram @barbarylondon
Hot Dinners were sent this delivery as a gift by The Barbary. Prices correct at time of publication.
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