La Barra

The fried chicken at La Barra comes in three sizes, the smallest of which caused O Fortuna from Carmina Burana to play, max volume, in our head the first time we saw it approaching our table. What the largest would do, we do not know. What we do know is that this is likely the best fried chicken we’ve eaten in London. The batter created in the kitchen of this basement Colombian spot in Elephant and Castle is otherworldly-looking: swirled and jagged, with a golden brown crunch that looks like it’s come from another dimension, while the chicken inside remains improbably and perfectly moist. A squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of homemade chilli sauce is preferable, but you don’t even need that. The fact it comes with green plantain chips and a pile of chicharrones and bofes bigger than every portion at every London small plates restaurant put together is almost laughable. Almost. But laughter is a filling activity. And you want to save all the room you can at La Barra for chicken.