Dominating the area around Southwark Cathedral is Vinopolis, the museum of wine with all its attendant attractions, which include the excellent Cantina Vinopolis.

The Venue
Situated in and among the railway arches that precede the journey into London Bridge station, Vinopolis has become one of the area’s most prominent attractions. Apart from the tours of the building, the wine and spirit tastings, the master classes and other special events, the building underneath the railway arches houses four restaurants and bars. There’s the Brew Wharf for a hearty meal and a pint of ale, the Wine Wharf, a wine bar offering a choice of over four hundred bottles to accompany the food, and Bar Blue, a suitable place for a pre- or post-prandial cocktail before a visit to Cantina Vinopolis, the main restaurant in the complex.

The Atmosphere
Cantina Vinopolis is set in a vast cavern with high arched ceilings that stretches back into two main rooms and seats up to 160 covers. It is a mixture of open brickwork and wood, looking quite traditional but comforting, a secret, windowless place that gives the impression you are dining in a mediaeval banqueting hall. It has a solidity about it, a fact reflected in the food, so that the atmosphere generated is one of your being somewhere quite special.

The Food
Basically European with a bias towards the French and the Italian, the menu offers classic dishes with a twist. For starters, the pan-fried scallops are sweet nuggets of the prized seafood, served with black olives and tomato salsa and a herb salad: truly delicious with clean flavours and perfectly cooked. The spiced grilled squid (£7.75) is fine although the flavours seem to come more from the accompanying spicy salsa of chorizo, olives and tomatoes rather than the seafood itself.

From the main course selection comes a rarity these days, ostrich fillet (£22.50), cut in thin slivers draped over a heap of delicious squash mash with baby onions, wild mushrooms, black cabbage and red wine jus. If you are warned in advance that it might be a little tough if overcooked, order it rare and you’ll have the most tender, virtually fat-free meat imaginable which is full of flavour. Similarly, the duck breast (£18.25) with roasted parsnips, carrots, soy-glazed pak choi and sweet cherry sauce is also cooked to tender perfection, with thin slices of the meat arranged like little medals on the plate and every single one worthy of its place.

For dessert (£6.50 and £7.50) the Bailey’s crème brulee is something special. The usual creamy dessert is made even creamier by the addition of the Irish liqueur while the sticky toffee pudding eschews the traditional dates for banana which gives it an extra oomph, enhanced by some vanilla ice cream and a pool of butterscotch sauce.

The Drink
With over 400 wines on the premises there is no shortage of choice of bottles from around the world, the old world and new world alike. Wines start at around £19 a bottle with some available by the glass. The Chilean Merlot (£19.50) does good service with the likes of the ostrich and duck, a nice mellow Merlot indeed. The other venues within Vinopolis all have their own selections of drinks. You can enjoy a wine tasting or a wine tour and combine them with a lunch, too.

The Last Word
Vinopolis has something for everyone, especially if you’re interested in wine and its history. With food as good and as varied as this, Cantina Vinopolis can easily stand for any number of return visits. Highly recommended.

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