I was invited to Barcelos the week it opened up in Kolkata but regretfully due to work commitments could not go. Since then it was on my wishlist and a few days back after watching a movie at Acropolis Mall we finally made it to dinner there.

I had heard mixed reviews from my friends who had eaten there but as always I visited with an open mind. To start with a bit about Barcelos … it’s a three decade old International Chain that specializes in Portuguese Peri Peri Grilled Chicken. They started operations in Pretoria (South Africa) and have since spread out globally across sixteen countries. They have four kinds of Peri Peri Sauce – three with progressive degrees of heat and a lemon Peri Peri which was my preference as I can’t have too much spice.

We walked in and I loved the décor …. Its warm and comforting and the staff are quite welcoming. We like our wings and that was what we ordered a four piece portion of Chicken Wings in the Tangy Lemon Peri Peri Sauce. They arrived fairly quickly on a well presented platter and we tucked in. I personally like my Chicken well done with a little extra char but to be fair I had not specified that. The wings were juicy and large and I think most people would have liked them. Next time I will remember to ask for my chicken to be a bit more well-done. We also ordered one of their Molecular Cocktails the Kiwi Kooler which I really enjoyed and yes the “molecular special effects “certainly added to the oomph factor.

For our Main Course I ordered up one of their Signature dishes Grilled Himalayan Trout with a side of Mashed Potatoes. The fish was lovely, fresh and perfectly cooked and the mashed potatoes were great and paired beautifully with the fish. We also ordered a Chicken Burger with Regular Fries. The good part about the burger was its size and the quality of the chicken patty …. Regretfully however it was a bit under seasoned but what I did not like was just way too much mayo in the burger. The bread was also a little dry which surprised me, the fries however were delicious. Portion sizes are generous and presentation is simple and highlights the dish.

We were looking forward to the Tiramisu for dessert but to our bad luck it was not available so we settled for the Tooty Fruity Sundae. Great presentation and generous amounts of ice-cream but it certainly needs more fruit in it and greater variety of fruit would add to the taste.

One dish I missed out on and will try on my next visit will be the Chicken Liver with Garlic Roll and the Tiramisu.

For those of you who like Peri Peri …. the Tangy Lemon , Mild Peri , Veri Peri and Supa Peri Sauces are calling out to you.