Please note, Butifarra is now closed. Time Out Food & Drink Editors, July 2017.
Squished between Soho’s all-day buffets and grubby, perennially packed pubs is Butifarra, a casual all-day café specialising in the eponymous South American snack. In truth, they specialise in just a few things; the brief menu only includes food that they make very well indeed.
A ‘butifarra’ is a Peruvian ham sandwich. They’re traditionally made with slices of spiced ‘jamón del país’ and a sort of red onion relish called ‘salsa criolla’. Here, you’ll choose from hot options beef short rib and roast pork or from a few cold-cut combinations, each of which is topped with a generous spread of sweet potato mayonnaise, fresh lettuce and that sharp, crisp red onion. Soft bread, quality fillings, a gentle crunch; everything you want in a filled roll. It even comes with crisps. They do corn bread just as well; a chicken and chorizo arepa from the all-day brunch menu is essentially a delicious, squidgy club sarnie.
Weirdly, though, given the name, it’s Butifarra’s ceviche you should visit for. Perfectly fresh, not too sharp and very affordable at £6 a portion, it’s an unpretentious taste of Peru that the owners are clearly very proud of. It’s a shame they’re not as bothered about pudding, but do pick up a crumbly little ‘alfajor’ biscuit, if only for the dulce de leche filling.
There’s no booze on the menu but for £5 corkage you can bring a bottle of wine, making it a bargain dinner spot, especially in spenny Soho. Whatever time of day you visit you’ll be well fed and warmly greeted by the eager-to-please staff. Comforting, cheap, delicious and interesting: this Butifarra ain’t your usual ham sandwich.