Bringing the terra of Portugal to the arches of London Bridge, Bar Douro opens today, 7 November, at Flat Iron Square.
The rustic bar and restaurant draws inspiration from the traditional cerveijarias and tascas of Lisbon and Porto, serving up a contemporary take on Portuguese cuisine alongside expertly sourced regional wines.
The mastermind behind Bar Douro is Max Graham, who spent his childhood in Porto and the past few years running sold-out Portuguese pop-ups in the UK. His family’s business, Churchill's Port, has been producing wine in the Douro Valley for over two centuries.
Graham went on to create 8-month pop up Churchill’s Port House in Soho (2013), followed by a series of sold out supper clubs including Pop Brixton (January 2016), Carousel (February 2016) and Soho Farmhouse (August 2016).
Summer 2016 saw a three-month residency in Porto with Bar Douro’s head chef, Tiago Santos (formerly of Boa Nova Casa da Cha, Ricardo Costa at The Yeatman Hotel and Largo do Paço at Casa da Calcada).
Graham and Santos spent the past year travelling around Portugal, discovering local culinary secrets and sourcing the finest Portuguese produce.
The small-plates menu runs from Petiscos (snacks) including croquetes de alheira (croquettes with smoked sausage) and bolinhos de bacalhao (salt cod fritters) to small plates such as piri piri chicken wings, octopus with sweet potato and Bisaro pork ribs with ruby port glaze, through to sharing dishes such as cataplana (fish stew) and roast suckling pig with homemade crisps.
Puddings include everyone’s favourite custard tarts, pastel de nata, served with cinnamon ice cream. There will also be daily specials, cheese and charcuterie.
The carefully curated Portuguese wine list is as important as the small plates served alongside it. Exploring key wine growing regions and highlighting the huge range of native grape varieties that Portugal has to offer, Graham is working closely with independent winemakers importing a selection of wines not currently available in the UK.
A neat house selection, available by the 125ml glass or 500ml carafe, will be complemented by a ‘cellar list’ of fine wines, plus daily blackboard specials and regular tastings will be held in a 12-seater private dining room on the mezzanine.
Architectural designer Steph Gallia and branding agency Studio 91 have created a modern look with traditional influences. Guests sit at a pair of marble-topped counters accommodating up to 30, with views of the busy open kitchen at one end and Flat Iron Square through floor-to-ceiling windows at the other.
Bar Douro is open 7 days a week, 12 noon until 12 midnight.