In the heart of Southwark, you wouldn’t think that there would be a wonderfully quaint, authentically French wine bar so close to the station. Be prepared to be bowled over.

The Venue
Conveniently, Blackfriars Wine Bar is just a short walk from Southwark tube. Walking down the road towards the bar, you may not expect much as it looks pretty ordinary from the outside. Pushing open the rickety wooden doors, however, you’ll soon be pleasantly surprised by what lies within.

You’ll be greeted warmly and shown to your table. Looking around, you’ll notice the whole bar is typically French - a pastiche of a French bistro. Expect low ceilings, wooden tables all pushed together, antiquated wine racks with old bottles of wine, miniature French flags hanging patriotically and oak barrels right by the bar.

The Atmosphere
Lunchtimes are the busiest time for the Blackfriars Wine Bar and it feels like you are amongst friends as everyone treats you so well. Punters mingle at the bar and sup their good quality wines before sitting down to an impressive lunch. The atmosphere is relaxed and extremely laid back, they want you to enjoy your experience and will go to lengths to make sure this happens. In the evenings, it is quieter but the same warm buzzing vibe is still in place. People come here from the surrounding offices for a well deserved drink after work and a natter with friends.

The Food
The menu at Blackfriars Wine Bar changes daily and the big meals are only served at lunchtime. The food is prepared to order with fresh, seasonal ingredients.

Starters consist of such dishes as chicken liver pate (£4.50), which is of such an excellent quality it leaves you wanting more, or mussels in a rich and indulgent cream sauce with crusty bread (£5.75). For mains, expect traditional home cooked French cuisine with bouef bourguignon (£6.75) coming as a huge portion complete with lashings of thick sauce, or coq au vin with dalphinoise potatoes (£6.75). The potatoes are hugely fattening and – more importantly – absolutely delicious. For those of you with a sweet tooth, the desserts hit the spot with a sweetly seductive pear tartlet and ice cream (£4) or brioche bread and butter pudding (£4). There is also a snack menu that operates in the evening with such dishes like cheese and biscuits (£5), nachos and dips (£2.50), mixed olives (£2), BLT (£4), warm brie with red currant jelly (£4) and mixed cheese Ploughman’s with pickle (£5.50).

The Drink
The Blackfriars Wine Bar specialises in Old and New World wine and it is of a very high standard. For the house white there is a Vin de Pays and Chardonnay both for £13.50 and the reds include a Merlot, Fiton and Cabernet Sauvingnon all for £13.50. In the Old World section, the whites are divided by region to include bottles from Burgundy, Loire, Bordeaux and Alsace, all reasonably priced from just £14.50 a bottle. The reds include bottles from Burgundy, Rhone, Beaujolais and Bordeaux, starting from just £16. New World wines are also well divided on the menu to make your choice easier, with bottles from Australia (try the Shiraz for £15.50), New Zealand, Spain, South Africa, Chile and Italy.

Of course, there’s also a selection of Champagne and sparkling wine with house champers costing just £30 or a Bollinger £50. Don’t fret if you’re not too keen on wine as there are also bottled beers like SuperBock or Heineken (£3) or even draught Becks Vier for £3.50 a pint.

The Last Word
If you want to have a quintessentially French dining experience then the Blackfriars Wine Bar is definitely worth a visit. It is nothing like the plethora of cold-hearted City wine bars that infect the area.

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