THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
The founder of Bar Douro is Max Graham, of THE Grahams. And I don’t mean crackers!
Port. His father sold the family biz before Max was born and, after stints at Taylor’s and Cockburn’s, founded Churchill’s, specializing in Port and red wines of the Douro Valley. To the vineyard born!
The first Bar Douro opened in 2016 after a successful Port pop-up. The second, on Finsbury Square, opened in 2020, just in time for the pandemic. It survived thanks to Graham’s ingenuity and online wine, followed by FESTA, the Portuguese wine festival. It seems the Grahams are a family of founders.
Were it not for its Broadgate location, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in a tasca (tavern) somewhere on the Costa Verde. It’s a cosy, rustic room with an open kitchen, table and counter seating. One wall is covered in beautiful blue and white Azulejo tiles, prevalent in Portuguese culture. In better weather (if there is such a thing) there is al fresco dining on the square.
With Max’s background it’s no wonder Bar Douro boasts the largest selection of Portuguese wine in the UK. It seemed only fitting to try a glass from his family’s vineyard, a 2021 Churchill’s Estates Grafite, Tinta Roriz for £15. This Temperanillo is bold, bone dry and tannic with cedar and spice. We ordered another!
The menu is based on the sharing concept which works well here. 5 to 6 plates for two are served at a leisurely pace by a delightful staff. We sat at the counter, enjoying the seemingly effortless teamwork of the kitchen.
My Brazilian adores bacalhau, dried and salted cod, so we ordered two versions, fritters (£8.50) and hash (£12). The fritters were doughy rather than crisp and without much salt cod but came with a nice, spicy ketchup. The hash was excellent. The fish, both shredded and in chunks, had all the salt leeched out and added back in by way of black olives.
Forge Farm Squash (delica) with homemade requeijão (£13) was a treat – sweet roasted pumpkin with fresh cheese akin to ricotta. Better still was perfectly grilled spring cabbage with Soubise (£9). The classic French onion sauce was slightly caramelized, giving it depth of flavor and the creamy sweetness gave balance to the bitter char.
Four expertly grilled prawns (£15.50) in delicious garlic cream sauce necessitated an order of sourdough. We sopped up every drop. Beef cheeks (£21), soft as can be, came with a silky smooth cauliflower puree and a delicious wine reduction.
There are quite a few cheeses and desserts on offer but I could only consider one. Pastel de Nata (£5.50). The classic (over 300 year old) custard tart is as Portuguese as you get and this one was fabulous. A thin, flaky, crisp tart case, filled with caramelized creamy custard and served with smooth, cinnamon ice cream. It doesn’t get much better.
I’ve spent little time in Portugal. Bar Douro gave me a taste for more!
