Barbican Kitchen in City of London, Westminster

Cold food served under the banner of ‘hot food’.. below average quality, decent service but generic interior design

I visited here before seeing a show at the Barbican. The setup is very confusing and the customer service was awful. I ordered a mozzarella and tomato flatbread which was served in a bowl making it very difficult to cut. The employee at both the coffee bar and sandwich bar were completely disinterested and not welcoming. I was informed that there was a problem with the coffee creamer but I was given my coffee anyway without an offer to remake it or to have something different. I will not be visiting here again

Great atmosphere. Horrible coffee, ordered a flat white but it tastes more plain than an americano.

matcha latte was basically just a glass of milk, food was very disappointing and overpriced.

Unorganized. Chaotic service. Ordinary food. Dire coffee. The Barbican is entirely let down by this place.

Terribly noisy, disorganized and the food wasn't up to the Benugo usual standard. Pizza is ok but the chilli corn fritters and side of veg were really disappointing. We won't bother with it again. The staff were miserable too. Could be so much better.

Good place to have a coffee or a beer. On a sunny day it is very pleasant to be on the terrace.

Awful cappuccino. Burnt and without milk. Really crappy. Nice people but horrible coffee.

So very disappointed ! Awful! One would expect better from carrying the Barbican name, this supposed to be a great place to eat and instead it’s a mess. Very confusing set up and not great price. The only thing that saved from despair was a smoothie prepared by a nice employee.

I had a disappointing experience at this café. I bought only one scone, but the staff accidentally charged me for two. When I pointed it out, they just told me to leave without offering any solution. This is ridiculous and completely unprofessional. Plus, the outside area is poorly maintained, with trash everywhere, and if you sit outdoors, pigeons might attack your meal.

Disgusting cold food What a waste of money My army canteen was better

One of the nicest and most convivial places in London to eat! Great food and chill vibes

They use Freshways Milk - it's disgusting and just check out reviews of that company on Trustpilot where lots of reviewers says the same. Change your supplier.

Loved the food. Sadly I couldn't pay cash.

Really bad, overpriced dinner The cakes are good, but very overpriced. Fish was full of bones, pasta was dried out and hard, had zero sauce or flavor. Veg was oily. Love the barbican but the good was pretty awful

Really poor quality lunch today. No salads available (why?) so forced to go for a so called bagel (reality: low quality roll with a hole in it) filled very reluctantly with slivers of smoked salmon and a tiny smudge of cream cheese. Tasteless. And lemon drizzle cake withe heavy consistency of wholemeal bread that clearly has had no contact with lemons. Staff are painfully slow. All round a bad place for lunch.

If you love the Barbican you'll love the kitchen, excellent food & very relaxed and relaxing vibe

Cold food to a point that froze your teeth and the whole place was goddamn freezing.

The worst breakfast of my life. The food is simply inedible.

Estaba muy decepcionado con la comida en Barbican Kitchen esta vez. Solía disfrutar de la calidad y variedad cuando solía visitarlo hace unos años, pero esta visita fue un fracaso. A pesar de que llegamos antes de la actuación de la noche, apenas había elección. La mayoría de las opciones en los dos primeros mostradores se habían ido o parecían poco apetecibles. No había sándwiches disponibles. La comida caliente en el tercer mostrador me recordó a las cenas escolares, y no encontré nada que quisiera comer. Terminamos con un pan plano de jamón y queso que era demasiado salado y no muy sabroso. Tampoco parecía una opción saludable. También parecía que no había suficiente personal, lo que hizo que el servicio fuera lento. ¡Necesitan mejorar urgentemente!

Food and coffee are good, overall superb atmosphere! And don't forget to check out Barbican estate!

Beef and vegetables were not thoroughly cooked; beef was hard and chewy, and carrots were hard to the core, inedible that even the blunt knives were no good. The atmosphere was quite nice in such a brutalist architectural setting. Hot kitchen immediate improvement was required.

The burger bar is excellent. Lovely venue with pleasant and accommodating staff. Found us a table even though they were fully booked.

Esta fue mi primera visita a la cocina barbacana y fue casi tan malo como podría ser. En primer lugar, el método de compra de cualquier alimento es tan complicado – usted tiene que pagar por adelantado por lo que desea en un mostrador, luego ir y hacer cola en otro mostrador y entregar su boleto y luego se le da su comida para llevar a una mesa. No era fácil encontrar un lugar para sentarse y el lugar era increíblemente ruidoso y sin carácter. Finalmente encontré un lugar para sentarme solo para descubrir que la comida era apenas tibia, a pesar de que se anuncia como "comida caliente". Pedí kedgeree que estaba casi frío, y lados de verduras verdes donde el brócoli casi no se cocinaba y tuve la mayor dificultad para cortar a través de los tallos! El cargo era de £ 15 por lo que venden esencialmente como "comida callejera", que creo que es muy caro para lo que es. Me quejé y pedí que me devolvieran el dinero, que me dieron sin dudarlo, pero también sin ninguna forma de disculpa. Si quieres comer bien en la barbacana, puedo recomendar calurosamente la cervecería en el nivel 2, que es excelente.

A very cleverly organised and efficient casual dining canteen. Located in the heart of the Barbican and with very little other food options, this venue could easily become complacent with its captive audience. But it's good to report that this is not the case. There is a good selection of healthy cold salad options, freshly baked pizza, and more substantial hot meals. All ready for serving from their multiple counters. It's a great place to meet before or after a show and enjoy a meal at a very reasonable price. It was cold and bitter on my visit, so we sat inside. There is a large terrace outside which must be a great place to sit and enjoy a meal or drink during the summer months.

I had lunch in Benugo / Barbican a couple of times recently. Please be aware their cooked food seems to be stuffed with preservatives which will give you digestive issues for days.

Decent cantine before exploring the Barbican.

Ordered street food, Mac & Cheese that they could not sell before 5pm, so I had to wait for 5min to order it and 13min later they had their first serveing for this food, so being late with such an easy dish??? Taste is so and so could have a little bit more salt in my opinion. But the place is very lively/noicy.

Great views but the usual motorway service station food from Benugo. Noise means it's only bearable for me outside. Many people working with laptops who aren't eating so not much space inside.

I got my worst matcha latte in my whole life😂 wasn’t sure if they tried to insult me or what, but the staff had really big smile and greeted me warmly so my agreeable personality stopped me being mean, but whoever wants to order matcha latte there be mindful….

Edit: even better now - the place has been spruced up beautifully. The glass lamp shades Joe sparkle and the tables are so much more logically organised. The loveliest space to eat in London. Food is excellent too and very good value. Oh and the coffee is great.

I had an amazing dining experience at barbican kitchen. The vegetarian pizza was absolutely delicious the crust was perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside .I also have to mention the pizza chef not only was he incredibly skilled and tidy.

Be careful where you sit because it can be very draughty with the doors to outside opening frequently. Hot food left a lot to be desired. Firstly the server walked off midway through dishing up my meal with mo explanation, dolloped a huge pile of mash in the bowl dumped a pie on top and then piled a load of COLD red cabbage salad on top. I wanted a hot meal not covered in chilled matter. Wouldn't bother next time. Overpriced and uninspiring.

A canteen style option at the Barbican centre. This is situated on the ground floor. It has a number of options. Generally healthy and prepared food. Good quality and reasonable prices. Staff friendly and service very good. Plenty of seating and free condiments. Great views over the small lake outside. Highly recommend this for quick service 👌

I visited Barbican kitchen today and trust me you wouldn't regret. Their Chai Latte was the best i ever had . We also ordered cakes and pecan slice was v fresh and delish. Also pizza was pretty decent. Staff is super polite, decent, efficient and friendly. I will recommend to my client , family and friends. I will post review on my tiktok channel too. Irum Rashid Solicitor at London Law Chambers

The tories are gentrifying school dinners, truly surrounded by the worst ppl I have ever met between trendy middle agers narrowly avoiding a mid life crisis by becoming artsy and spending all their time here to the waiting to be discovered fashion students who will ultimately just become staff here

Barbican - sort your F&B out. It's all so mediocre and overpriced. I don't mind a casual cafe but the pie I ordered (cauli and chickpea) was the size of a single mince pie and then they had conveniently sold out of all the wine except for one which costs £10 a glass which is crazy.

Nice vegan pre-concert meal. Efficient service meant we had plenty of time

Yesterday’s pastry and a tea , £6.50. No thanks

Noisy. Lively. Relaxed. Good value food.

Tristemente bajaron cuesta abajo. Mejor evitarlo. Pruebe el mercado callejero cercano. No sé qué es peor, el repugnante papel de la comida o la actitud desinteresada del personal!

Vibey, lovely food, good prices. The staff are lovely, the food is great!

Very busy & hectic! Nice staff & a variety of things to eat.

Just bought a pain au chocolate - it was a dry leftover from the previous day. For the price this is unacceptable.

Decent food for quick pre theatre meal. Interesting fare. Horrible and noisy space. Need something to deaden the noise

Great place to grab a bite when visiting the Barbican with plenty of choice of hot and cold food. Good choice of hot and cold drinks in this family friendly eatery.

Excellent fresh hot food and lovely hot drinks. Less crowded on a weekday. Lovely surroundings amongst the brutalist architecture of the Barbican

Good atmosphere in Barbican. Went there on a sunny autumn afternoon and enjoyed a lot. Salmon was great, as were the cakes.

Food is good but some staff seem very frustrated when asked simple questions about the menu. No Brown Sugar!!! It tastes very different for some people.

Nice options, good prices and fast service, perfect for a meal before the shows. The place is beautifully decorated and feels friendly and chill. Staff are really nice

Great place if you want to work whether it is alone or with other people. The atmosphere is very warm, great location, good view and everyone is friendly. It can get a bit loud but you get used to it. Perfect if you want to have a snack or drink with friends, it does get crowded around dinner time. Their hot chocolate hustles hit the right spot, perfect.

I’m surprised that a cafe with such high prices has so few gluten free options.

Handy place to have something to eat before a performance, but in terms of atmosphere it is more like a canteen or cafeteria than a restaurant.

The way of getting your food at lunch is a little confusing. Cold salad buffet get and pay for in one place. Hot food pre-pay and pick up. But it was worth it, the hot food looked great and the falafel salad I created was delicious. Bottled alcohol served too.

Das Essen ist für ein Selbstbedienungsrestaurant sehr gut. Es gibt drei bis vier warme Gerichte zur Auswahl. Das Ambiente ist das einer Mensa. Die Preise sind sehr günstig.

Great atmosphere and nice pizza. Enjoyed stopping over here for a quick lunch. Depending on the time of your visit, seats may be limited but staff are accommodating.

Met an employee named Ayan who was very friendly. Drinks are overpriced.

Seriously overpriced and pretty terrible service. I bought an iced americano and it was £4+! I initially sat outside but the weather took a turn and came inside and finished my coffee. I then sat back outside when the sun came out and a member of staff stormed outside and told me to move as the space was only for customers. I explained that I’d already bought a coffee and she said that you’re only allowed to sit there for half an hour within buying something?! How ridiculous

Love this place, especially in sunny days. All the plants and sunshine with the Barbican view from window is so nice that reminds you London is such a magical city.

An error with my order this morning was dealt with swiftly and generously. The food is more or less reasonably priced, I'm giving 5 stars for the atmosphere and general experience.

Customer engagement was not good. Flatbread sandwich (mozzarella, pesto & tomato) not appetizing and then placed on bland lettuce, which caused lettuce to wilt as flatbread hot and wet. Overall really disappointing for the cost!!

This restaurant is not worth the cost. The food is both unappetizing and overpriced. I ordered two Margherita pizzas, a salad, and three drinks, which totaled £47. While I wouldn’t have minded the price if the food had been good, one of the pizzas arrived cold. The service was disappointing, with clear communication issues among the staff, who seemed inexperienced and uncoordinated. The manager appeared exhausted and irritable, which suggests broader management issues. Overall, a highly unsatisfactory experience.

The food and service are way below from what you would expect in London. My family felt discusted and sick after trying the food. No one finished their meal so we left right away.

The place is lovely but the coffee is shocking and very overpriced. This was also after multiple conversations trying to communicate a very average order (1 americano + 1 oat vanilla latte). The vanilla syrup tasted exactly like perfume and we also noticed mice walking around the shop!

I do enjoy coming here and it's a beautiful spot by the water. The coffee is good and the food. Only thing I would really really appreciate is, is if the baked goods could have covers, even clear cloches.

Been coming to Barbican for many years since it's my favorite spot in the city. The atmosphere is fantastic both at the kitchen and other places. In all these years, I've always witnessed the same issue in Barbican Kitchen; tables are cleaned very seldom so you need to bring your own wipes. Food is also quite expensive for what you get.

It's canteen style service which is why 3 stars but the atmosphere is great. Food is good but a bit on pricey side

Lovely place to sit and refresh

I looove working at the Barbican Kitchen - the coffee is always amazing and the staff are so friendly. Niko, the barista always remembers my order everytime and he's always helpful! This cafe is a little gem in London!

£9.5 for that🫢 Portions are super inconsistent.

The food is so minimal…. They give you a handful, such a rip off. :(

Small portion sizes of chicken, asked for more chicken was told “no thats the portion size” when it was half of what was displayed. Liars and cheats

A bit confusing for a first time, but having done it once, we have the hang of the ordering.

As good as it ever was.... Just good food, served by good people, well priced and very tasty, good menu options too

Coffee is good. Healthy and tasty food / lunch options from stalls. Many seats available

A largely miserable experience. Best avoided.

Can’t believe the low level of food or the poor customer service. Awful experience, eat upstairs.

Everything is good. Good service.food quality excellent.

Canteen style but choice good and tasty for a plate of food

Food was all dried out and old by late afternoon. I imagine better earlier in the day.

Seem to struggle with lunchtime crowds

Food tastes really bad, but staff were nice

I love the Barbican Kitchen! I wish it were possible to tip the staff, they are so friendly and kind!

Excellent place for coffee and a great variety of cakes.

Busy cafe/restaurant. Not cheap but serves a variety of snacks and meals. Slice of cake was £5, and bagel with smoked salmon and cream cheese was the same. Hot food obviously more expensive. Easy place to go when visiting the Barbican. Slow coffee service and batistas were quite sloppy (literally) making coffee

Great pizza deal for a good price. What makes it all better is the atmosphere, dine in or take out, incredible spaces outside to sit and eat too!

Very quick service and a decent number of choices.

Wow how can you make the food taste so much of nothing🥲

We had a lovely evening in this beautiful place thanks to Santiago and Alina that took care of us! Robyn&Adele

Basil Smash x2 thank you. The nachos were a good attempt with room for improvement. The chicken satay nuggets were lovely. With the setting and people, it was an experience indeed.

Very nice place. Menu for hot meals was not good.

Food very much canteen over priced & overcooked. Waffles like bricks today!

Bueno para comida rápida pre-teatro. Buena calidad, precio razonable. Un poco ruidoso, pero no está destinado a un lugar relajante para comer. Recomiendo para una comida rápida y sencilla. Pasteles de pescado generosos y llenos de sabor

It's a canteen. Nice surroundings in Barbican with ponds and fountains

Convenient location but otherwise an overpriced canteen, food quality similar to school meals. Staff seem very stressed/angry.

I'm a Barbican fan anyway, but the salads are well priced and generous, and we had no problem finding a seat at lunchtime despite there being a graduation ceremony in the hall the same day. No bins though, so hard to clear away yourself.

Two staff members were very unpleasant and unhelpful! One staff member talked down to me assuming that I hadn’t understood the answer to a question I had asked, which I had. The food provided was also not great considering the price customers are paying.

Awful coffee and potentially the worst matcha I’ve ever had for £5. Joke

Sloppy canteen. They intentionally tried to charge me £30 for 2 fish and vegetables cost 12.5x2, too little servings. Not recommended

The place has a great vibe. Food and drinks are good considering the pricing. I have been here twice. In busy moments (lunch/pre performance) service is really struggling with the amount of people. It is not understaffed but rather a management issue. The self service process is shaped really inefficient ( requiring everyone to wait at the counter till their order is ready, clogging up everything). This visibly leads to frustration with both customers and staff who are unnecessary put under pressure. It is a pity that this unnecessary ruins what would otherwise be a fine experience. Please just consider the buzzer system.