Situated in a desirable location near the South Bank but hidden inside a horrible 1970s shopping arcade, Stamfords Wine Bar is a venue with inviting modern European dishes and an extensive wine list. However, it’s let down somewhat by the decor and ambience, which is stuck in an uncomfortable Thatcherite yuppie timewarp.

The Venue
Stamfords is an expansive area with plenty of places to sit, eat and drink. It has a deceptive, Tardis-like feel to it in that the outside is just a tiny green frontage in this dank arcade, resembling an Essex boozer where all the windows are made of distorted glass so you can’t see what’s going on within. The dankness continues into the bar with exposed dark brick running throughout and this tired ‘80s decor is accentuated by the cheese on the CD player and the signed photographs of forgotten entertainment icons above the bar.

The Atmosphere
Despite its close proximity to the London Studios and the IPC Tower, this is not a venue heavy with media darlings. Instead, the place seems to be filled with suits from the Sea Containers House offices and other buildings. Some of the clientele certainly appear to know their wine and will exert their superiority over the humble staff when ordering. The mood, in keeping with the decor, is fairly low key for a bar in this location unless a party of workers livens up the place. Luckily, the bar staff are very pleasant and accommodating, striving hard to make the kind of lasting impression that the bar itself fails to do.

The Food
In contrast, the classic European menu, together with a number of specials chalked up on the board, certainly whet the appetite and the eponymous Stamfords Pizza is a winner with a (not wholly traditional) blend of different ingredients such as chorizo, mushrooms and chilli working together to create a hot and flavoursome Capricciosa style pizza.

The Drink
A wide ranging international wine list is on offer although its unrefined wine list – a photocopied sheet of A5 in a Perspex stand on each table – doesn’t instill confidence that you’re going to get the quality of wine you desire. However, the Bordeaux Claret and the Pinot Grigio are reliable and well-priced options and the unoaked Australian chardonnay is a delightfully crisp white wine with a tantalising hint of grapefruit.

The Last Word
A damn good refurbishment, some windows, a change of CDs and the removal of the ugly television spewing out BBC1 would turn Stamfords Wine Bar into a potential gem of the South Bank.

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