Barbican Kitchen in City of London, Westminster

There are actually two different establishments called "Barbican Kitchen" - one located in Plymouth and another in London at the Barbican Centre. ## Plymouth Barbican Kitchen The Plymouth Barbican Kitchen is housed in the world-famous Plymouth Gin Distillery and was established in 2006 by the Tanner Brothers, Chris and James[1]. This restaurant focuses on delivering fresh local food at realistic prices, taking full advantage of the superb larder in the Westcountry with menus showcasing stunning local meats, vegetables, and top-quality fish from their network of suppliers[1]. The Michelin Guide describes it as an informal eatery offering brasserie menus with a good choice of simply cooked dishes, with classic comfort food to the fore and good vegetarian options[5]. **Opening Hours:** - **Lunch Service:** Friday & Saturday, 12pm - 2pm - **Dinner Service:** Tuesday to Friday starting at 6pm, Saturday starting at 5pm[1] The restaurant has wheelchair access via lift to the lower section, with all toilets on the ground floor[1]. They add a discretionary 12.5% service charge for tables of 6 or more guests and offer private dining for 15-24 guests[1]. ## London Barbican Kitchen The London Barbican Kitchen is located on the ground floor of the Barbican Centre and is operated by Benugo[3]. This establishment offers a bright and welcoming space where fresh, delicious food is served all day[3]. Every salad, sandwich, and hot food item is made on-site, with cakes made either on-site or in their London bakery[2]. **Opening Hours:** - **Monday:** 9:00 - 21:50 - **Tuesday-Sunday:** 9:00 - 21:00[3] **Menu and Offerings:** The menu includes barista-made coffee, pastries, toasted sandwiches, build-your-own salads, hand-stretched pizzas, hot specials, street food, and various cakes and pastries[3]. In the evening, they offer wine, beer, and tapas/mezze dishes perfect for sharing or pre-show dining[3]. **Family-Friendly Features:** Children under 10 can enjoy a complimentary meal from the kids' menu with every adult meal over £10 purchased[3]. The venue offers facilities including baby change, disabled access, accessible toilets, free Wi-Fi, and outdoor seating on the Lakeside Terrace[3]. **Membership Benefits:** Barbican members receive 10% off their bill, while Young Barbican Members (aged 14-25) get 20% off[2]. The restaurant takes allergen awareness seriously, with trained allergen champions on-site to help customers with specific dietary requirements[2]. **Customer Experience:** Reviews are mixed for the London location, with some praising the location and atmosphere while others criticize the food quality and service system[4]. The venue attracts a diverse crowd including students from local schools and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, as well as theatre-goers and tourists[4]. Citations: [1] The Barbican Kitchen: Home https://barbicankitchen.com [2] Barbican Kitchen https://www.barbican.org.uk/your-visit/eat-drink/barbican-kitchen [3] Barbican Centre | Family friendly | Benugo https://www.benugo.com/sites/cafes/barbican-bar-kitchen/ [4] BARBICAN KITCHEN, London - 2025 Reviews & Information https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186338-d1077061-Reviews-Barbican_Kitchen-London_England.html [5] Barbican Kitchen – Plymouth - a MICHELIN Guide Restaurant https://guide.michelin.com/gb/en/plymouth-region/plymouth/restaurant/barbican-kitchen [6] Barbican Kitchen + correction to recent Kiss Me, Kate review https://silvertraveladvisor.com/reviews/barbican-kitchen-correction-to-recent-kiss-me-kate-review/

Great outdoor seating on a sunny day, and the frozen Palomas are a game changer for summer. Will be back...

Quite disappointed with my pork chop. It looks nice but it was hard, dry and quite tasteless. Self service.

Profoundly upsetting experience. I had a tea and some snack in the cafe while working on my laptop (like many other visitors). Shortly after my tray was taken away, a guy approached and told me I should leave because the place is only for customers.To my remark that I'm a customer and just finished my tea he said that it's only for an hour stay and I should go (no such rule is stated anywhere in the cafe area). The place was half empty, and clearly I was no hindrance to the other customers. Rude for no reason.

Horrible service. Bald manager guy was so rude.

Hey Guys today I went to Barbican kitchen I can say that I had a very good time the , the food was so nice and the service was outstanding I can say I’ve been looked after and there’s that lady Serena the team manager she is very friendly, the venue is wonderful , the deco is amazing i, is such a nice place to relax and enjoy I 100 recommend this venue Thanks a lot guys for everything

Got the “Nourish bowl” from the salad bar. It was £10.50. No more explanation needed.

The portion of food is too small for the amount you pay. They say salad bowl but it’s on a small plate with little amount of food. Very disappointed.

14GBP for a salad 'bowl'! Outrageous.

The staff does not know their wine. That is not a problem: wines are all vinegar. Never a glass of wine has been so long to be drank. The prices are excessive, and there is absolutely no effort from the staff to make up for this.

Great food options and a good place to spend an afternoon working.

Plant based milk alternatives are free! Many vegan options, such as the delicious vegan raspberry filled croissant and four types of cakes.

Vinimos aquí pre-show en un almuerzo de sábado para conocer a un amigo. No estoy seguro de lo que esperaba, pero el lugar estaba muy ocupado. Mi marido tenía el pollo, que se veía y era encantador. Él tenía dos lados, pero ambos eran zanahorias, ya que no podía entender lo que dijo la funcionaria cuando me dijo los otros lados. Tenía la pasta que debería y podría haber estado más caliente. No pensé que los precios de los alimentos fueran malos para Londres. Sin embargo, mi marido tenía un pastel de queso y pensé que era muy caro, además de que solo pagas y es autoservicio. En general estaba bien y volvería a usar, pero personalmente no tendría pastel, demasiado caro.

There is no running water in the ladies' toilet!!!!!!!!!! Disgusting!

If you're looking for good food, excellent service or a quiet atmosphere then you should give the Barbican Kitchen a miss. It's forte is providing quick cafeteria style food to people who need to be somewhere else in the near future. This isn't to say that it's terrible. You've got a reasonable salad bar, sandwiches and a small selection of hot food. It's rather hard to get the food and pay for it because there are multiple queues but eventually you work it out. The food itself isn't terrible and in parts it can be quite good. However it's pretty functional if not transactional. You want nourishment and the Barbican Kitchen provides it. On the upside you can sit outside by the flowing water and that's very pleasant.

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.

Buscando algo de comer antes del show, pensamos que esto sería ideal. Aunque la comida de mi esposa estaba perfectamente bien, la mía era horrible, de poco sabor, y mal cocinada. Como lugar era incómodo, frío, duro me recordó a una sala de cenas de la escuela. Poco tiempo, no me quejé de mi comida, pero si alguna vez vuelvo a visitar la barbacana, evitaría este lugar.

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

Calidad inferior y precios extorsivos injustificables. El chocolate caliente que me dieron estaba frío de nuevo, solo la mitad de la taza llena y sabía a leche, sin sabor a chocolate en absoluto hasta el punto de ser insultante. Tuve que levantarme 3 veces para arreglar su desastre, incluyendo que me dieran un tenedor sucio con comida todavía en él. Esta es la segunda vez que experimento este nivel ofensivo de calidad y servicio y no volveré. Qué vergüenza en la barbacana por permitir tan terrible contratista explotador. "Benugo" se están llevando el mick y explotando a clientes vulnerables, que serán personas discapacitadas, personas neurodiversas y personas de la tercera edad. Una verdadera pena.

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

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

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.

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!

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.

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

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.

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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!!

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.

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.

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 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

Everything is good. Good service.food quality excellent.

A largely miserable experience. Best avoided.

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

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.

Food tastes really bad, but staff were nice

Seem to struggle with lunchtime crowds

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