Baraca, 129 Charminster Road, Bournemouth (From Bournemouth Echo)

Baraca, 129 Charminster Road, Bournemouth

11:18am Monday 16th June 2008

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MY decision to eat at Baraca had been largely based on the good things I'd heard about the restaurant. Indeed, one of my friends was so impressed when he went, that he was beginning to sound like he'd got a job in their PR department.

Another reason why I was drawn to Baraca was because of its rather appetising Mediterranean menu. And with the weather feeling particularly Mediterranean, it seemed like an apt choice.

From the outside Baraca is inviting. It looks lived in, cosy, like somewhere you could expect a warm welcome. And when my girlfriend and I walked in, these initial impressions were confirmed.

The restaurant had a warm and relaxed vibe - it really did feel like we were in Spanish time - although the friendly waitresses weren't, as they made sure that the gap between us sitting down and sipping on a drink was minimal.

For starters we ordered marinated olives, which were accompanied by olive oil with balsamic vinaigrette and a breadbasket - a perfect match with the house red that was sitting on our table.

For main course neither of us could resist the temptation of Kulbasti - a chargrilled fillet of lamb, marinated in herbs and served with rice and fried vegetables. And we were both glad we didn't.

The lamb was soft and tender yet it had that crunchy texture and delicious charred taste on the outside. Meanwhile the fried vegetables struck the perfect balance between being too soft and undercooked, while the rice complemented the meat and vegetables very well.

The bill came to just shy of £30, which for two mains, a starter and rather a lot of house red is a great price for the quality of food and drink.

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