What happens when London’s contemporary cool collides with Madrid’s flamboyant flair?
CORD and Barrafina are about to show you — on a plate. For one night only, on 29th January, Fleet Street will briefly become a crossroads for British precision and Spanish soul, as CORD invites Barrafina’s chefs into its kitchen for a collaboration that promises culinary fireworks – and not all of them from the stoves.
Antonio Gonzalez Milla and Francisco Jose “Paco” Torrico are the twin engines behind Barrafina’s London kitchens, each with a distinct, sometimes mischievous, energy. Antonio, raised in Andalucía where hospitality was basically a family pastime, glides between front and back of house with the easy charm of someone who’s always at home in a kitchen — his cooking as generous and lively as he is.
Paco, formally trained in Madrid and steeped in classical technique, brings a calm, considered authority to the counter, balancing expressiveness with a deep respect for tradition. Put them together and it’s not so much a clash as a mutual nod; the kind that says, yes, we’re going to enjoy this – and so are the guests.
The menu itself reads like a Catalonian culinary odyssey: artichoke and truffle raviolo, sherry-cured monkfish carpaccio, braised Iberian pork cheeks, and finishing with a Black Forest dessert that’s both playful and dangerously indulgent; a line-up that promises to be a display of Spanish swagger with just enough British understatement to stop it feeling like a full-blown fiesta.
This is an evening for serious food lovers — the kind who recognise a good thing even when it’s fleeting, who appreciate the subtle thrill of two celebrated kitchens under one roof. One night, two kitchens, a handful of courses, and tables that will disappear faster than you can say “olé!”
The dinner begins at 6.30pm at CORD, 85 Fleet Street, priced at £85 per person, plus service charge. For bookings, please visit www.cordrestaurant.co.uk.
