Greatest locations to eat and drink in London Bridge
Oma, Borough Market – for Greek small plates
With a powerful portfolio that already consists of acclaimed eating places Smokestak and Manteca, David Carter has furthered his London restaurant empire and opened the doorways to Oma and its extra informal sibling Agora in London’s Borough Market. Cut up throughout two flooring (Oma upstairs and Agora downstairs), the eating places draw inspiration from the full of life road markets and eating places of Athens and the broader Mediterranean, with décor and meals and beverage choices that channel its relaxed but refined vitality.
We despatched our professional reviewer KS Tong to attempt it out, listed here are his ideas: “The menu at Oma begins with a sneaky hero within the type of the wood-fired laffa flatbreads and açma verde (akin to a bagel twisted with wild garlic). These are made on-site within the basement bakery with wild-farmed British grains beneath the route of Eyal Schwartz (the previous head baker at cult favorite bakery E5 Bakehouse) to go together with a collection of home spreads, together with a salt cod XO labneh that was pure heaven. I might’ve simply simply stopped right here, through a couple of samples from the 23-page-strong wine listing that includes 450-plus predominantly Greek producers, and left content material. However to overlook the crudo menu could be legal (the title Oma attracts from the Greek phrase for ‘uncooked’ in spite of everything) – and yellowfin tuna with zesty clementine ponzu and crispy garlic definitely delivered. Small plates of lobster bisque börek and spanakopita gratin, and skewers of dry-aged Cornish lamb chop (from famend high-quality, high-welfare provider The Cornwall Challenge) have been a sensory slam dunk, every thoughtfully curated and purposefully executed. However the true centrepieces are the larger clay pots, and the oxtail giouvetsi served with bone marrow and beef fats pangrattato was a worthy dish – wealthy, heavy and a hanging distinction to the remainder of the menu, which is far more energizing and lighter. It’s the proper dish to set you up for dessert, the place the sticky date pudding is to not be missed and pairs properly with an Oma negroni.” oma.london
Hacha, Tower Bridge Highway – for cocktails
Contained in the Bermonds Locke Resort in London Bridge, Hacha’s latest spot gives a laid-back escape with a fusion of Southern Californian cool and trendy Mexican aptitude. Co-founded by the famend Deano Moncrieffe, an professional in agave spirits, the bar presents a stellar cocktail listing, together with the award-winning Mirror Margarita, named the seventh finest cocktail on the planet and a six-time gold medal winner.
For one thing a little bit totally different, attempt the Hibiscus Bramble, a combination of Ocho blanco tequila, blackberry, purple wine, hibiscus, honey and peach bitters. This candy and bitter masterpiece would not get overshadowed by the sturdy flavoured sharing choices.Don’t miss the quesadillas, the place you possibly can decide your favorite filling – birria, pastor, tinga or calabacitas – or indulge within the slow-cooked birria de res tacos. Tender, smoky beef in a wealthy chilli broth, paired with consommé, guarantees a flavour-packed chunk you received’t overlook. hachabar.com
Applebee’s, Borough Market – for seafood
Applebee’s, a family-run Borough Market establishment for 25 years, has not too long ago relaunched with a brand new design and menu showcasing seasonal, sustainable British seafood. In summer season, bag a desk within the exterior space on the entrance for watching the bustle of the market go by, whereas, inside, the open kitchen and bar all down one aspect of the winding room add to the buzzy environment. Check out the fridge holding that day’s catch and watch cooks cooking over the tall barbecue grills.
Kick off with cocktails – a fragile rhubarb bitter had an nearly creamy texture. The drinks listing features a good vary of wines by the glass, together with attention-grabbing English bottles. For those who can resist the opening snacks (crab croquettes, oysters, taramasalata), head straight to starters. Scallops are served within the shells with three totally different butters to tour by means of – lemony garlic, spicy sobrassada and salmon roe. A wedge of brown crab rarebit is tacky and filling, topped with samphire and shrimp.
The mains showcase basic fish cookery paired with a variety of culinary influences – grilled monkfish tail with chorizo jam, hake with beurre blanc, entire stuffed sea bream with spiced potatoes and curry sauce. A skillet of fish pie is smooth and comforting. Whereas Applebee’s could also be predominantly all concerning the fish, be sure to save room for dessert – the sticky toffee pavlova with heat toffee sauce served tableside is to not be missed. applebeesfish.com
Lolo, Bermondsey – for all-day European
olive favorite José Pizarro has opened an all-dayer subsequent to his tiny tapas bar José on Bermondsey Road, including a couple of British and French components to the menu. Breakfast on baked eggs with chorizo, croissants or kouign-amann. Snack on devilled eggs with anchovy, ham and cheese bikinis (bite-size sandwiches) with a cava, albariño or sherry, or attempt extra substantial British cheeseboard or pork stew with mash. The room is heat and welcoming in pink tones, and with a surprising British artwork together with items by Tracey Emin and Norman Ackroyd. josepizarro.com
AGORA, Bedale Road – for a style of a Greek taverna
Agora means ‘market’ in Greek, which displays the informal, buzzy model of David Carter’s ground-floor restaurant beneath his scorching opening OMA. Punters can take in Borough Market’s buzz at window perches or sit contained in the modern house that gives a layer of Greek taverna heat because of the handmade rotisserie’s open flames.
Order a frozen margarita or paloma pepped up with lemongrass syrup whereas perusing the Mediterranean meals menu. Flame-grilled bread, brushed with garlic butter, is ideal dipping materials for fermented chilli erzu-topped tahini and silky hummus laden with scorching crisp shards. The flatbread twist on a spanakopita is a must-order, it is graviera cheese layered with buttery, dill-flecked spinach and completed with grated parmesan and paprika crisps. Sardines are served merely with za’atar and a squeeze of lemon, whereas mushrooms skewers are given umami therapy with spring onion, soy and mirin. Turkish chilli and crispy capers add texture to braised fava beans and a crunchy cucumber and radish salad is brightened with sumac and lemon French dressing. Rotisserie stars embody chicharron-style pork stomach served with vibrant inexperienced herb, cornichon and pickled chilli sauce. There’s just one dessert – a tiramisu that holds its personal paired with a plum and mezcal margarita. agora.london
9 Lives, Holyrood Road – for cocktails
This vibrant subterranean bar brings loads of tiki-inspired enjoyable and on-point cocktails to London Bridge, simply minutes from the station. Hip interiors of rattan lampshades, lush hanging crops and upcycled bamboo furnishings, are paired with pulsing beats and feel-good vibes.
The cocktail menu from award-winning bartender William Campbell-Rowntree (ex-Artesian Guards bar) stays true to 9 Lives’ Tropicalifornication roots with Don Julio Blanco tequila, Gray Goose vodka and fino sherry, blended with an array of sunshine flavours together with watermelon, hibiscus and kiwi. To assist pique your curiosity and inform your choice, every cocktail is expounded with three key tasting notes. The Interior Metropolis 75 – a twist on the basic French 75 and topped up with crémant – is “velvet, floral and stylish”, whereas sipping on their Plum ‘n’ Bass, you possibly can anticipate to take pleasure in a “spherical, ripe and fiery” cocktail made with Martell VS cognac, plum, lemon and ginger beer. No- and low-alcohol choices can be found, in addition to taco and bar meals pairings for among the serves. For those who get hungry, impeccably made guacamole and flavoured-packed seasonal seafood tacos – together with a vegan no-fish Baja – can be found to order from Tigre Tacos’ now everlasting kitchen. ninelivesbar.com
Akara, London Bridge – for West African fine-dining
Akoko’s extra informal off-shoot lies in Borough Yards’s refurbed railway arches. Mild pours into the modern house, the place vibrant paintings is framed by whitewashed enclaves set into brick partitions. Proprietor Aji Akokomi places the highlight on the namesake akara dish. This crisp, fluffy black-eyed bean fritter is full of barbecue celeriac or prawns, served elegantly on a stone dice. Snacks embody fried rooster nuggets with sosu kaani sauce and springy rice pancakes, with a hibiscus-flecked black-eyed bean hummus. Spiced coconut rice, a dish originating in southern Nigeria’s Efik communities, is served in a pot with a picket spoon to scoop onto the aspect of mains. Slices of 24-hour slow-cooked brief rib are topped with a Nigerian peanut-based sauce, and cabbage is cooked over charcoal till meltingly smooth, then served with a vibrant Ghanaian abunu abunu (inexperienced inexperienced) sauce. Desserts maintain their very own – coconut and lime sorbet is creamy and zingy, whereas chocolate mousse is elevated with banana caramel and feuilleutine wafer crackers. A Ghanaian pineapple and keenness fruit spirit is mixed with rum, hibiscus and citrus for a tropical rum punch, whereas cacao-infused Campari and date vermouth lend richness to the negroni. akaralondon.co.uk
Elliot’s, Borough Market – for bistro vibes
Since opening in 2011 within the buzzing environment of Borough Market, Elliot’s has focussed on working with small-scale producers for each its drinks and produce, a lot of it sourced from the market itself. The bar adopted an all-natural or low-intervention wine listing early on and has labored with Grasp of Wine Isabelle Legeron on its wine listing.
All of the wine producers share the identical conscious method to wine-making as chef-owner Brett Redman does to cooking easy dishes akin to grilled candy and bitter squash with chicory and Tunworth cheese, or cauliflower caponata and flaked almonds. Elliot’s additionally makes its personal smooth drinks and seasonal infused spirits. elliots.london/borough-market
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Trivet, Bermondsey – for top of the range dishes and wine in a casual setting
Chef Jonny Lake, sommelier Isa Bal and staff at the moment maintain two Michelin-stars for Trivet. It’s the mixture of artistic, fantastically cooked dishes and unstuffy atmosphere that makes this neighbourhood restaurant so successful. The likes of langoustine pici pasta, grilled sweetbread with smoked Maitake mushrooms and braised and roasted celeriac precede seasonally rotating desserts. A 450-plus wine listing orders international locations based mostly on once they began making wine. trivetrestaurant.co.uk
Santo Remedio, Tooley Road – for vibrant Mexican cooking
This full of life Mexican restaurant bursts with color and enjoyable vibes, from the uplifting Latin beats bouncing off partitions papered with tropical patterns to the multicoloured damaged tiles creating a focus within the mezcal and tequila bottle-lined bar. Go basic and order a zippy margarita, or be adventurous and take a look at the fragile hibiscus or smozy mezcal varieties, the latter full with zingy chilli salt around the rim.
Begin with guacamole topped with fried krickets (assume crispy onions greater than critters!) and a citrusy tuna tartare on crunchy tostadas, completed with creamy chipotle mayo. Subsequent, order a one of many slow-cooked, bone-in sharing dishes for the desk (fall-apart lamb barbacoa, brief ribs slathered in an intense mole negro sauce, or entire grilled mackerel with pineapple) to shovel into smooth, handmade corn tortillas together with refried black beans, crunchy slaw and jalapeño potato salad. santoremedio.co.uk
Padella, Borough Market – for pasta
Padella’s brief menu options eight handmade, recent pasta dishes, impressed by the best hits which have made Padella’s sister restaurant Trullo in Highbury some of the achieved and revered neighbourhood eating places in London. With a laidback environment and affordable costs, Padella is the proper place to flee the vacationers at Borough Market (though phrase has acquired out concerning the wonderful pasta right here, so anticipate to queue).
Showcasing basic Italian strategies, the straightforward menu is constructed round slow-cooked sauces and ragus from the homeowners’ travels round Italy. Conventional pici cacio e pepe, a easy, but brilliantly executed dish of parmesan, lemon and black pepper is an instance of how assured the staff are of their merchandise. Made with out egg, for a barely doughier texture, the pasta acts as a magnet to the sauce. We beloved it a lot we requested them for the recipe, attempt it right here.
Padella’s signature dish although, is pappardelle with eight-hour Dexter shin beef ragu, and it’s straightforward to see why. The wealthy and succulent flavour of the gradual cooked, fall-apart beef mixed with the juicy recent tomatoes and simply the correct quantity of garlic makes the sauce the true hero right here.
With conventional Italian flavours on the coronary heart of the menu, from Dexter beef carpaccio to bruschetta with baked borlotti beans, there’s lots to please. Burrata followers received’t be dissatisfied – the Italian basic is sourced by artisan provider L’Emporio effective meals and easily drizzled with Tuscan Chiarentana property olive oil.
End off with an espresso, the one espresso Padella serve, or add a shot of grappa or sambuca for a caffe corretto, in true Italian model. padella.co/
Mallow – for elevated plant-based eating
From the staff behind Mildreds comes one other absolutely vegan restaurant in London Bridge. Seasonal and sustainable components are the threads that brings the menu collectively, which attracts from a range of influences throughout the globe.
The Style of Mallow tasting menu is front-loaded with small plates which shine brightest, beginning with a flatbread with tempered curry leaf oil to dunk right into a smoky candy potato pepper mojo and creamy white bean and confit garlic hummus. Fragrant pickled seasonal greens and a charred fennel and citrus salad add welcome stability and crunch. These are adopted by revolutionary root chop croquettes and a charcoal brioche, whereas the primary to share is a creamy tomato and potato masala with a crisp pakora, dhal tarka and fluffy pea-studded pilau rice. The chocolate cherry truffles full the meal when all you possibly can handle is one final chunk.
Take a break between programs to benefit from the heat low lighting and cosy velvet cushioned chairs. The in depth drinks menu consists of cocktails made with Mallow’s personal gin, such because the dry vermouth and chilli martini, in addition to beers made in collaboration with UnBarred Brewery and Harbour Brewing Co. You received’t miss the booze with a non-alcoholic and totally pleasant citrussy and purple chilli-spiced pineapple martini. mallowlondon.com
Bar Douro, Flat Iron Sq. – for Portuguese small plates
This wine bar/restaurant fuses conventional Portuguese cervejaria interiors with authentic industrial options from the London Bridge railway arches – fairly blue and white tiles line the marble-topped bar that gives the one barrier between diners and the small open kitchen, whereas uncovered aluminium piping within the curved railway arch roof turns into a part of the ornament. A mezzanine stage cleverly makes use of the house on the prime of the arch’s curve to showcases the proprietor Max’s spectacular Portuguese wine assortment.
Max speaks with nice information and enthusiasm about wines from Alentejo, Lisbon and The Douro Valley, together with lesser-known Portuguese winemaking areas that he goals to placed on the map.
Small plates at Bar Douro are true to Portuguese traditions, with a couple of of chef Tiago’s trendy twists – tender grilled octopus tentacle was served with candy potato as it’s in tabernas throughout Tavira within the Algarve (attempt our Portuguese fish stew for a style of this type of cooking), bitter grelos (turnip tops) have been sautéed with wafer-thin slices of fried garlic, and suckling acorn-fed Bisaro pig was cooked sous-vide then pressed and served, true to custom, with selfmade crisps. One other standout dish was a fragile combine of untamed mushrooms (king oyster, Portobello, shiitake) served with roast chestnuts on a silky chestnut purée and topped with a fragile tempura spinach leaf.
Save room for pudding. We had a preview of a brilliant gentle olive oil cake, superbly offered with jewel-like items of quince and swirls of whipped requesón (a Portuguese ricotta-like cheese). However, go all out with baba de camelo, a bowl of thick, creamy dulce de leche mousse embellished with wafer skinny items of darkish chocolate, or hold it conventional with gooey heat pastel de nata and flippantly spiced cinnamon ice cream. bardouro.co.uk
Bancone, Borough Yards – for elegant pasta
Standard pasta joint Bancone opened its third restaurant in buzzy Borough Yards. It is a buzzy, full of life restaurant with a small however effectively executed menu and an amazing collection of drinks. The renovated railway arch permits plenty of gentle to shine by means of onto diners, whereas the open kitchen and bar add a well-known however unobtrusive clatter of pasta tossing and cocktail shaking to the excitement. Kick off with a negroni – basic, white or floral orange blossom. There’s something for everybody – good vary of antipasti to begin, the creamy burrata and confit tomatoes are wealthy and luxurious. The crispy fried oysters are wonderful however a small portion for £16. The silk handkerchief pasta is probably the most celebrated dish right here and for purpose. Salty, umami, completely al dente pasta with the crunch of walnuts is a particular winner. The mafalde with ‘nduja was effectively seasoned and a beneficiant portion, however the pasta was maybe a contact undercooked. New on the menu is the borlotti bean ravioli with rooster butter – it’s stunning to have a look at and is a tasty plate of pasta. Come to Bancone for a dependable and speedy meal with environment friendly and well mannered service – get a seat by the kitchen when you take pleasure in watching the kitchen at work. bancone.co.uk
Casse Croûte, Bermondsey Road – for French bistro vibes
You will be fortunate to bag a desk at this tiny French bistro on foodie Bermondsey Road. From the second of calling as much as ebook, you are greeted with French allure and a pleasant “Bonsoir”. Bookings are scribbled throughout white paper covers to save lots of the gingham desk cloths beneath from crumbs and butter. Which the cooks at Casse Croûte do not maintain again on. A complete sole comes drizzled within the stuff, lamb shoulder with slow-cooked ratatouille has a beneficiant serving to, and the mash is whipped up with extra butter than potato, simply how we prefer it.
In true neighbourhood bistro model, a brief menu of French classics is chalked up on the black board. The collection of three starters could function refreshing salades nicoise, chunky sport terrines and silky salmon rillettes. Mains are easy but effectively executed, specializing in the classics – bavette with creamy gratin dauphinois potatoes, hake on a mattress of fennel, roast rooster with crunchy inexperienced beans – whereas the indulgent, cream-heavy desserts are value leaving room for. Strive mille feuille, crêpes suzette, apple tart, and opulent chocolate fondant.
Nestle in to a purple leather-based banquette, sink a carafe of French wine, and provides an in-the-know nod of appreciation to your neighbour (you might be touching shoulders, in spite of everything). cassecroute.co.uk
José Tapas Bar, Bermondsey Road – for tapas
A chic, if tiny, tapas bar the place compulsive ham croquetas are creamy and stuffed with jamón, this was the primary of chef José Pizarro’s rising steady of Spanish eating places. Discover a nook to burrow in and luxuriate in a glass of sherry and a sport of padron pepper roulette (who will discover a spicy one?), together with some patatas bravas and tortilla for good measure. The blackboard menu’s each day choice would possibly embody wealthy, boozy chorizo al vino, crisp child rooster and potatoes with punchy Romesco sauce, and recent pisto with delicate duck egg. Puddings are wonderful – attempt the creamy rice pudding or the wealthy, velvety chocolate pot that’s given a savoury end with olive oil and sea salt. josepizarro.com
The place The Pancakes Are, Flat Iron Sq. – for brunch
This can be a pancake home with critical model. A custom-built oak bar and kitchen space together with picket tables and seats based mostly on retro Dutch faculty chairs give the house a relaxing Scandi really feel. The railway arch is warmed up with a complete wall of white felt lower outs and ceiling planters that brim with greenery to intermingle with trendy gentle installations.
Because it says on the tin, this clear and shiny spot specialises in stacks of buttermilk pancakes. The place The Pancakes Are takes delight in its sourcing of components, with excessive welfare eggs from Kent, natural flour and 100% pure maple syrup, hand-tapped in Quebec, Canada (plus, it’s full of minerals and antioxidants). Strive the favored savoury dish discovered throughout the part titled ‘Dutch infants’ – an American interpretation of a seventeenth century German oven-baked pancake recipe, it is a Yorkshire pudding-esque pancake layered with asparagus, goat’s and cheddar cheese, embellished with roast thyme and rosemary sprigs with a aspect salad of fennel, rocket and kale. wherethepancakesare.com
Vinegar Yard, London Bridge – for al fresco consuming and road meals
This amalgamation of consuming terraces, bars and street-food vehicles is a good al fresco hangout and handily positioned proper subsequent to London Bridge station. There’s a big inside space in winter (plus coated canopies and heaters outside), and in summer season the massive buzzy terrace is a suntrap for teams of associates and after-work hangouts.
Take your decide from a number of bars and several other totally different road meals stalls – whether or not you fancy a completely stacked burger, slice of pizza or Indian or Asian-inspired snacks. vinegaryard.london
Bala Baya, The Outdated Union Yard Arches – for Center Jap meals
Tucked down The Outdated Union Yard Arches, in a brick-exposed railway arch, Bala Baya is a Tel Aviv-inspired restaurant in Southwark. It’s the primary solo enterprise from Eran Tibi, who lower his enamel at Ottolenghi. Like Eran, who had us ‘sampling’ bitter orange vodka photographs on a college night time, it’s full of life and energetic. balabaya.co.uk
Shangri-La at The Shard – for a special day with metropolis views
If The Shard had toes, they’d tickle Borough Market, from the place the splendidly high-rise lodge sources a lot of its produce. Preliminary impressions of predominant restaurant, TING (on stage 35), are magnificent: the carry doorways open onto a spectacular and uninterrupted panorama of London, dominated at first by St Paul’s Cathedral. Low tables and armchairs are sensibly organized to absorb as a lot of the view as attainable.
The meals lives as much as the view: Dorset crab, cucumber, mango, ardour fruit and tomato to begin; natural lamb loin with sake, soy, Erengi mushroom, apple and shiso to observe. Sommelier Anne Lomas is unstuffy and approachable regardless of the glam environment. The bottom ground’s Lang sells yuzu cheesecake to eat in or take away.
Don’t depart with out visiting Gong, the very best bar in London; and with a pool, too. Strive The Huge Smoke, a gin, sherry and vermouth cocktail served in a dramatic, smoked-at-table martini glass.
TING at Shangri-La additionally does a fabulously unique twist on afternoon tea. For those who take pleasure in Asian meals, and would favor to gaze throughout a glowing metropolis relatively than a Victorian eating room, then you possibly can’t get a lot better.Diners have the selection of a standard afternoon tea or an ‘Asian-inspired’ afternoon tea… the latter reigns supreme, with fats, moreish steamed prawn dumplings and delicate crab smooth rolls rather than finger sandwiches. Service is spot on – after loudly complimenting our dumplings, we have been shortly offered with one other piping scorching batch to take pleasure in. shangri-la.com/london/shangrila/
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