Flat Iron Square's Portuguese gem will have you booking a flight to Lisbon so you can have more of this scrumptious food.
Occupying a railway arch on Flat Iron Square, Bar Douro has brought authentic Portuguese food to London with décor and service to match the high quality of the food that is lacking in most Portuguese restaurants across the city. The proof is that a second restaurant in the City of London to accommodate the large demand of diners has recently opened its doors.
It is Friday, February 14th, Valentine’s Day, so it is full of people – a quick search online will advise you to book a table so as not to be disappointed. The atmosphere is busy and loud as if you have stepped foot into a tasca – a typical Portuguese restaurant serving house wine and small plates – in the centre of Lisbon, only fancier. That is exactly the concept of Bar Douro, good wine and petiscos – small plates to be shared. Note that, because they are meant to be shared, plates might come at different times as the chefs never prepare one portion of each plate but always a few to be distributed.
The menu is divided into four main sections: snacks, garden, sea and land and so, we decided to choose a plate from each section. The smoked Portuguese sausage croquettes are the first to arrive only a few minutes after we order and are served beautifully on an azulejo tile, a symbol of the country’s art. The garlic punched potatoes from the ‘garden’ section are really a comforting plate that, after trying tirelessly to recreate at home, I have to give them the proper credit they deserve. Moving on to the sea, the bacalhau à brás – salt cod hash –, a staple in most Portuguese households but difficult to make in the UK without the proper ingredients, – is wonderfully moist and fishy as a good bacalhau à brás should be. Finally, in the ‘land’ section, the prego – hanger steak with confit egg – is perhaps a bit pretentious in its presentation, a yolk (no white) on a bed of a spinach paste – esparregado in the native language –, shoestring crisps and the sliced steak. It is, nevertheless, delicious.
The prices for the mains range from £4 for crispy polenta to £14 for crab rice or grilled lamb rump with kale and, considering the quality of the plates we tried, it is good value for money. In fact, if you decide upon 4 small plates to share between two people, you probably won’t need, or won’t have room for dessert. However, if you want the full experience then definitely have a sweet treat. With prices ranging from £4 to £5, desserts can be slightly overpriced if you choose a pastel de nata with cinnamon ice cream or just the ice cream. If you choose the caramel mousse or the brioche with sweet egg crème you will get your money’s worth.
Just like the tascas in Lisbon, Bar Douro offers the choice of Portuguese beer and an extensive list of wines starting at £4.5 for a 125ml glass of either white or red wine and bottles ranging from £24 for a 2018 fruity and herby wine from the Dão region to £380 for a bottle of 1955 Gonzalez Byass Vintage Port. You can take your pick between the wines from the south of the country, which are sweeter and softer and those from the north which are known for their darker colour and stronger taste. Albeit there is much choice of wine, there is a lack of choice when it comes to Portuguese soft drinks which would be more interesting than the Coca-Cola on offer as not everyone enjoys or can drink wine.
The decoration of the place feels very traditional but neat and trendy with its counter-top dining, wood and iron stools and the tiles making up a big picture on one of the walls and covering the whole side of the counter. That said, Bar Douro isn’t recommended for groups of over two people as the counter-top seating doesn’t facilitate group conversation. If you, however, want to go with a large group of people you can be seated on the mezzanine and even order a whole suckling pig in advance. On that note, you’re better off going to Bar Douro on a date night. If the counter-top seating sounds impractical, it has a purpose. It provides you with the immersing experience of watching the chefs cook right in front of you and giving you some of your plates – think like a European sushi bar experience.
The staff, ever so busy carrying plates are still very attentive and, while most of them aren’t Portuguese, not even the chefs, their attention to detail and the quality of the food make up for it. In fact, on this particular evening, only one member of staff, most likely the manager or even the owner, is Portuguese and this one regularly engages in conversation with guests explaining the plates on the menu and their origins. The staff are always on hand and never make the guests wait long to order anything but still leave them to enjoy their food and drink, and at no point do we feel rushed to leave as you sometimes are in busy London restaurants.
Bar Douro certainly fills the void of elegant Portuguese restaurants in London where it would be appropriate to take someone you are trying to impress. So, if you are ready to ditch your typical Friday night dinner at a bland high-street restaurant, you should give Bar Douro a try.