london bar review

Bar Douro

Picture this: It’s a rainy Sunday afternoon and you are in search of the perfect place for an end-of-week treat that won’t break the bank. We have the perfect place for you! Tucked away in the Southwark Quarter by London Bridge is Bar Douro; a Portuguese bar and restaurant. The restaurant is small, intimate and cosy - ideal for rainy days sipping on a glass of red. There is also an outdoor terrace, which is great in the summer.

The menu has various traditional Portuguese tapas divided into 4 sections: snacks, garden, sea and land. These dishes are meant for sharing and the waitress recommended two to three plates per person. What we loved was that she also gave her recommendations based on what reminded her of home - a great personal touch! There is quite a wide price range, from £5 to £17, so you can choose how much you want to splurge on food. Our favourite dishes were the mushroom pie (a new addition to the menu) and the croquetes de alheira.

Now onto the exciting part - the wine. The extensive cellar list is filled with Portuguese wines organised by colour and then by region. This can naturally be confusing if you are not familiar with Portuguese wine regions, so a handy map is included, which also explains the key characteristics of the grapes. What filled us with even more excitement is that on Sundays, Bar Douro has a selection of wines sold at cellar prices (what they are calling “Festa Sundays”). We tried the Domino Foxtrot 2020, a beautiful light red from the Alentejo region for only £20. This wine was a light-bodied, easy drinking red, with notes of ripe red fruits, and went well with the wide variety of dishes we tried. 

Bar Douro is ideal for: Date night, or dinner with a friend. Due to the smaller space, we wouldn’t recommend large groups (4+)

Ambience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Range: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overall: 9/10

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Words by Hannah van Houweninge.

Christina’s Shoreditch

In the heart of Shoreditch is Christina’s; a luxurious bar on the ground floor of the Mondrian Hotel and with their new cocktail menu, it should be at the top of your “to visit” list!

The bar itself is beautifully decorated and on opening the menu, it’s sure to be love at first sight. The new selection of drinks has been curated by the head bartender, Kevin Price Houghton, and focuses on using smaller producers, most of which are UK based. Kevin has also worked with less traditional ingredients such as alexander seed and rosehip. His goal was to make these unusual ingredients more ‘relatable’ by using them in classic cocktails.

The perfect example of this is the Hogweed Martini; a beautifully smooth cocktail, with the added twist of the hogweed, as well as a pickled radish garnish. If you are in the mood for something slightly sweeter though, the Rosehip Cosmo is also a great choice; especially as it has a tangier fruitiness compared to the ‘normal’ cosmo we are all used to. The cocktails range from £13-£15, so they’re slightly on the pricier side, but worth every penny for their flair and character.

The menu also has a great selection of mocktails (£10 each) for anyone who wants to enjoy something delicious without the alcohol buzz. If you’re in the mood for something warmer though, they offer a large array of coffees, lattes, and teas. The tea company used, Nemi teas is also based locally in London. 

Once drinks are ordered, you might be feeling a bit peckish and Christina’s has various artisanal toasted sandwiches and nibbles to choose from. Prices range from £4-£10 and for any fellow vegetarians out there, the Korean Fried Cauliflower (KFC) is mouth-wateringly delicious!

The bar is calmer during the day and can be used for working lunches if you need to get out of your WFH office set-up. Then from around 6pm onwards, it starts filling up, and the music picks up the pace. Currently, on Thursdays and Fridays, there is also a DJ that starts his/her set at 8:30 pm. What more could you ask for in a bar? It covers all bases.

Christina’s is ideal for: Girl’s night, anniversaries, dates and after work drinks.

Ambience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Value:  ⭐⭐⭐
Range:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overall: 9/10

Words by Hannah van Houweninge

Hannah van Houweninge