Bar Douro

Taste of Porto

Octopus with sweet potato

Portuguese is one of the most underrated cuisines in the UK, always overshadowed by its Spanish counterpart. However, Portuguese cuisine can be exceptional, with a strong focus in seafood and stew dishes. Located in London Bridge, Bar Douro aims to recreate a slice of authentic Portuguese dining culture. The dishes are split into four sessions, starting from snack, to garden, sea and earth. along with a strong collection of wine. For per person, it is recommended to order 3 plates per person. Having eaten Bar Douro's cooking at Taste of London, it was enough to justify a visit to its actual restaurant, to get an idea what true Portuguese cuisine is all about, before my trip to Porto.

Tomatoes with white port vinaigrette

Smoked mackerel escabeche

The smoked mackerel escabeche was a cool and refreshing dish, I like how the smoky and oily profile of the dish was balanced off with the sourness of the vinegar dressing, very ideal for summer. Less impressive was the salt cod hash, the potato was not as crispy as it could be and was very greasy at the same time, it was also over seasoned so it was extremely salty. The octopus was better, it had a nice charred aroma and very tender, but the sweet potato garnish was a touch too buttery for my liking. The best dish was the presa Iberica with broad beans, cooked perfectly, the meat was very moist and I really enjoy how the kitchen used chorizo as a seasoning to enrich the savouriness of the pork. 

Salt cod hash

Presa Iberica with broad beans & choriço

The meal was a little hit and miss for me, some good dishes, as well as some very average ones. The ideas are great on paper when you look at the menu, but the execution was some way off. The meal came to £50 per person with 1 liter of wine between 2, so I would say the cost is pretty reasonable. Portuguese cuisine is a rarity in London right now so is good to see places like Bar Douro championing such cuisine, just hope the kitchen can deliver better as it is such a charming wine bar.


Food 2.5/5


Average cost without drinks and services:
£25

35B, Arch, 85B Southwark Bridge Rd, London SE1 0NQ

https://www.bardouro.co.uk/