Further proof of Waterloo’s emerging status, this effortlessly cool bar and restaurant serves up gastropub-style dishes and cocktails in a contemporary lounge atmosphere.

The Venue
Hidden deep within the cultural complex that is the BFI, Benugo Bar and Kitchen boasts a large, open-plan space with loosely defined areas for drinking, dining and relaxing. A central teardrop-curved bar separates the more formal restaurant from the lounge area, where tastefully mismatched sofas are generously spaced around long, low tables. The restaurant tables line up alongside huge windows overlooking the National Theatre next door. Considering all this is positioned in what is effectively a cinema concourse, Benugo is a remarkable piece of design.

The Atmosphere
During daylight hours, the welcoming armchairs of Benugo Bar and Kitchen are home to students and film buffs enjoying coffee and free Wi-Fi. Lunchtime diners eat in bright and airy splendour thanks to the vast windows, then at night the purple lights of the National cast an intimate glow onto proceedings. Likewise in the evening, twisted cocktails replace coffee, and the glowing cubist ceiling lights transform Benugo into a vibrant, exciting bar space. Piped ambient and world music is quiet enough not to overpower the murmur of film-related chatter, as critics, theorists and plain old buffs discuss the relative merits of Kubrick or Cassavetes.

The Food
The modern British menu of Benugo Bar and Kitchen caters for all appetites. Drinkers can snack on homegrown classics with a contemporary twist, like scotch egg with tangy red onion marmalade, or a pint of sausage rolls. Equally enticing are playful lunch dishes like ‘build your own chip butty’ or a hearty ploughman’s platter for two. The restaurant menu changes daily, but mainstays include juicy Dartmouth smoked salmon, chips and aioli, and stew of lamb shank with ricotta dumplings. Value is good with mains starting at about £10, and bar sandwiches at £6. On Sundays, a classic roast dinner is available.

The Drink
Well-drilled bar staff at Benugo Bar and Kitchen mix a tempting selection of classic and twisted cocktails, alongside a less impressive range of draft and bottled beers and ciders. The wine list starts at a moderate £15. The Mojito Royale, finished off with Deveaux Champagne, is generous and zesty, but served with too little mint.

The Last Word
Fun, functional and flawlessly designed, Benugo Bar and Kitchen delivers thoughtful modern British cuisine at good prices. London’s best independent cinema has long deserved a bar restaurant of this quality.

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