BARABBA

A sure favorite amongst chef’s in town, Barabba welcome mere mortals, too, of course, and they are treated with the same signature cocktail of respect and playful jovial attitude as the industry locals. But what makes Barabba a favorite for everyone from local chef’s to Eater and Bon Appetit?

Barabba - Dinner with attitude

Now, there is a simple question: Ask for the Attitudine menu as they call it here – the 12 course tasting menu - and attitude is exactly what you will get! A 12 serving trip through the best the kitchen has to offer at a mind-bogglingly reasonable DKK 550 (EUR 75) price tag. To the tune of Blondie, Billy Idol and other pop-punk classics blaring from the speakers, pans banging in the steaming, hectic open kitchen while plate after plate, glass after glass hits the table. By God, yes, contemporary Italian attitude is exactly what you will get from the hands of restaurant manager Ricardo Marcon and his motley crew of culinary magicians.

Things begin mercifully in one iteration of the ever-changing menu with a selection of snacks showcasing familiar Italian flavors in unfamiliar appearances: Subtly sweet, brightly tasting, lightly pickled cucumber with a lactic tang of dried yogurt. Watermelon marinated in Campari for a seriously bitter, surprisingly refreshing punch. And, best of all, a bright green, herbal and floral basil sorbet served with tomatoes and olive oil.

A masterful display of craftmanship

Three perfect examples of bread sorcery soon follow, stepping up the pace as they do: Fluffy, slightly chewy and perfectly crusted sourdough, crispy flatbread with wild fennel and a perfect focaccia loaf featuring dried tomatoes and tangy capers. All served with nothing but a small bowl of the best olive oil as to not distract from the craftmanship.

Bread at Barabba is by no means the simplest thing on the menu. Au contraire, it is perhaps the most complicated. The simple combination of water, yeast, salt and flour seems suddenly less simple when you understand that you also have to factor things like temperature and humidity of the surroundings into the equation along with air pressure and a host of other things. Not all simple things in life come easily, but the bread game at Barabba is marvelous. Michelin-level marvelous.

Italian/Asian fusion – Why not?

As bread gives way to more dishes, it dawns on the diner that there are things in this life you do not realize until you visit the culinary juxtaposition that is Barabba. Such as the fact that there is room for fusion in the modern, Italian kitchen.

A combination of Southern European and Eastern Asian flavors is something few would have probably considered. Not until a silky and rich tartare of seared tuna belly hits the table - topped with a lightly cured, creamy egg yolk and nested in a refreshing green tomato broth with julienne of raw, crisp daikon on top to break the richness.

To most, Italian cuisine embody a dogmatic approach to cooking. An artform you do not mess with. Yet, at Barabba, it seems so natural, so perfectly called for that you cease to wonder. Even as tuna belly gives way to perfectly grilled, tender octopus served with bitter radicchio leaves and a seriously punchy Kimchi, a wonderful Korean mix of fermented vegetables and fiery chili. It once again seems a completely natural combination until your mind picks up on the supposedly conflicting elements and starts to spin.

The servings are all very Italian in character, visual identity and attitude, and then again, they really are not. The experience is amusing and wonderful, and it showcases quite well what the kitchen at Barabba strives to achieve. There is an aura of playfulness and general fuck-off attitude towards traditional Italian cooking. And it is wonderful.

Barabba - The Bandit Crew

The name Barabba derives from the ancient Aramaic name for Barabbas, the prisoner whom Pontius Pilate chose to be freed while keeping Jesus imprisoned. The term has since taken on the meaning of outcast, bandit or naughty person in several languages around the world and is – according to charismatic restaurant manager, Ricardo, a term that fits the place quite well.

Taking in the cacophonic symphony of noise from the kitchen, loud music, undogmatic servings and tongue-in-cheek service unfolding around you, you can only agree: These are indeed the bandits of the Copenhagen dining scene, but what a wonderful bunch of bandits they are! Commandeered, of course, by Ricardo Marcon. A master of reading people, the buzzcut, larger than life and heavily tattooed man is the sort of person gives the average diner the space and respect they need, while focusing his larger than lfe being on those who can take it. It is the sort of jovial assault you have to be in the mood for, but if you are, it will probably be amongst the more memorable, alternative service experiences of your life.

House-made Pasta perfection

Here is another juxtaposition about Barabba, though. Despite the experimental and playful nature of the menu, it is still very much an Italian establishment at heart. At Barabba, however playful the content, the menu is still built up in true Italian fashion: Aperitivio, Antipasti, Primi, Pasta, Secondi, Dolce. Some things you apparently do not mess with.

And thank God for that. The pasta at Barabba is to die for. Take, for example, cold tagliolini pasta topped with little briny umami bombs of raw, red mazara prawns– a particular delicious species of prawns found only in the waters of South-west Sicily, known for their deep red color and exquisite taste.

Served with emulsions of tomato and basil on the side, it presents one of the most attractive serving to leave the kitchen at Barabba and perhaps the most flavorful, too, with the perfectly cooked cold pasta acting as a neutral, smooth, textural backdrop to the intensely sweet and incredibly rare treat that is raw mazara prawns.

Or how about a signature treat? A three-ingredient masterpiece a sheerly provocative and nearly vulgar display of power and attitude in the shape of spaghetti drenched in butter and topped with a generous amount of Caviar. Rich, creamy, buttery, briny. So simple yet so refined and an absolute decadent treat to eat.

Finally, more spaghetti, served in a rich umami-laced sauce, topped with homemade goat’s milk ricotta. “It this another Asian crossover?” The mind starts to venture. Notes of hoisin sauce, soy and Chinese black vinegar come to mind. “What,” demands restaurant manager Ricardo, “it’s courgette! We char courgettes and then reduce them to a jus… What’s wrong with you people?” Who could have known? The superb intensity created by reducing charred courgette apparently creates a flavor bomb akin in flavor to many natural flavor enhancers such as soy sauce or hoisin with a hint of a charred note on the back palate. Fantastic!

Barabba - When food becomes sin

What could possibly be done to top perfectly plated, perfectly presented, perfectly cooked pasta dishes as a main course? Well, how about a veritable carnival of sins? Grilled pigeon served rare, almost bloody, to enhance the game flavors, placed on a bed of sautéed cardonchelli mushrooms, brocollini and surrounded by a blood-red sauce splattered in pools around the plate to finish the morbidly alluring visual.

Tearing into the pigeon requires some amount of force and a bit of chewing, but rewards your inner carnivore with a deeply satisfying, fully overpowering sensation of smoke and fire from the grill, rich meaty game notes, a metallic touch of blood and a curious, subtle sweetness. In its vulgarity, it is not a dish for everybody, but if you do not push a few boundaries along the way, how can you continue to reinvent?

Barabba - The price paradox

 Eventually, after some three hours, the whirlwind dies down about as abruptly it picked up. A bill is presented. Along with a forceful pour of Grappa and petit fours (mini lemon tarts and passion fruit jelly with habanero). A rather modest bill at that, considering the menu spans 12 servings and there is plenty drink to be had. And suddenly, it is as if the world comes back to life as the all-consuming hedonistic three-hour bubble that was the tasting menu bursts and allows input from the outside world.

Breaking the Barabba experience into a few words, one might describe the experience as absurdly well-priced food full of attitude. Food that is unconventional, undogmatic, uncontrollable. Crafted with love, curiosity and a pinch of Italian temper.

Add to this high-intensity service with good old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll attitude plus a slur of reasonably priced natural wines available by glass and bottle, and you have yourself a bit of a price paradox on your hands:

How can something this unique and tantalizing come at such a reasonable price? A full 12 serving tasting menu at this Bib Gourmand house of sins will set you back a mere 550 DKK (EUR 75). And we are talking everything from bread over pasta to ricotta cheese made in house from scratch, mind you. It is unfathomable, and amongst those things in life that are perhaps not for us foodies to understand, but certainly for us to appreciate.

Barabba provide one of the best contemporary Italian dining experiences in Copenhagen while staying fresh, unique, fun, and unconventional. It is where chefs go eat and it is where you should go, too.

BARABBA

Price range: Mid-range

Cuisine: Contemporary Italian

Where to go: Store Kongensgade 34, 1234 Copenhagen K

What to expect: Italian food like you have never seen it before. Undogmatic approaches to classic Italian flavors served with a smile and tongue-in-cheek attitude in a loud, buzzing no-nonsense setting.

What the vibe is like: Loud, fast paced and seemingly gritty at first glance but homey and warm.

What to order: Pasta, pasta and more pasta! Try the lunch card ragù or go all out with the evening tasting menu. Pair it with whatever restaurant manager and sommelier Ricardo Marcon suggests from the natural wine menu.