Aug 5, 2025 - Food and Drink

At St. Pete's BarBouni, try the cod liver

Kathryn Varn

Plates with toasted bread slices and a dish containing pâté, garnishes including onions, parsley, lemon, a brown sauce, and a dollop of butter on a white table. — The cod liver is in the left tin, just to the right of the bread. Photo: Kathryn Varn/Axios

Love it or hate it, tinned fish is trendy.

Why it matters: St. Pete's answer to the craze is BarBouni, a seafood and raw bar attached to Mediterranean restaurant Baba with an extensive tinned fish menu.

I am not a tinned fish person. It's a mental block. Sue me.

Yes, but: My boyfriend Winston wanted to check out BarBouni for his birthday last week, and who am I to deny a man his canned seafood?

Zoom in: A friend recommended he try the cod liver, so we ordered that tin ($14) along with some scallops in sauce and codfish in olive oil with chickpeas.

Our server suggested spreading the liver on toast, which only made it grosser to me, but the birthday boy loved it.
He even got me to try some, and I have to admit: It was good! Rich, mild and buttery. Plus, it's packed with vitamins and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

The bottom line: Tinned fish lovers, this is your dish. And to my fellow haters: You just might surprise yourself.

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At St. Pete's BarBouni, try the cod liver

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