Last Updated on October 24, 2024
An Historic Portuguese bar for port and wine lovers
I like restaurants with a bit of history, especially in London where there are so many atmospheric buildings with a story to tell. Bar 1790 – a wine bar with a tapas menu – is one such place. Situated on St Swithins Lane, it was once home to the famous Port house, Sandeman. George Sandeman was a famous wine merchant who migrated south from Perthshire and established the Sandeman Port Company in 1790, importing port and sherry from Portugal and Spain and exporting them all over the world. He aged and stored his wines in cellars connected to an underground passage to the Thames from where the barrels were rolled off the ships – moored near the current Cannon Street Station – and into his care. Bar 1790 now occupies these cellars which can be hired for private dining or tastings.
Celebrating the Sandeman connection with the Iberian Peninsula, Bar 1790’s menu has a strong Portuguese influence. The wine list is all Portuguese aside from Champagnes and English sparkling wines. The menu has been compiled and is overseen by Head Chef Toby Lever, formerly head chef at Lutyens while the extensive Portuguese wine list has been compiled by Head Sommelier Max Cohn and David Gleave, MW (chairman and founder of Liberty Wines). Bar 1790 also offers a range of Port-based cocktails, many of them created by the current George Sandeman, who lives in Oporto.
Invited to review the newly opened Bar 1790, Fiona and I opted for an early dinner although we could have chosen breakfast and lunch as the venue is open throughout the day. At lunchtime, there is a set menu, while in the evenings a short tapas menu is available. There are Padron peppers, olives, Marcona almonds, Portuguese charcuterie and Iberian cheeses to snack on and then a choice of eight small plates, three larger plates and four vegetable dishes with which to curate your meal. Three dessert options include the ever-popular pastel de nata, doughnuts and chocolate brownies.
The wine list boasts a comprehensive selection of Portuguese wines and ports as well as a collection of signature cocktails. There is a selection of wines available by the glass and a longer list of wines by the bottle, divided into the Portuguese wine regions. Being a bar, there is also a full list of spirits, liqueurs, beers and non-alcoholic options.
While the private dining areas are located in the cellars below, the restaurant is on street level with lovely wood and glass-panelled doors overlooking St Swithins Lane. The décor is striking. It marries industrial chic – rough whitewashed walls and pipework – with Baroque touches, especially the profusion of red chandeliers. The bar along the back wall has a fabulous lighting feature made from large wine bottles.
Bar 1790 has a most convivial atmosphere from the warmly welcoming staff to the patrons who poured through the doors, resulting in a very buzzy vibe from 6 pm onwards. There was a striking age range among the diners and drinkers which is not always the case at City bars. Most people are seated at tables so there is a relaxed atmosphere – no crush at the bar to get service – as an impressive selection of Portuguese wines are quaffed. The clientele is well-heeled – many just in from their City offices, while others were dressed for a night out. Bar 1790 is evidently a popular place to drop in for an aperitif with a bite to eat from the tapas menu. Alternatively, you can, as we did, stay for dinner.
We began with a couple of nibbles – Marcona almonds and olives – which we enjoyed with a round of drinks. I wanted to try a Portuguese cocktail and had my first ever Port and Tonic. The white dry Ferreira Port mixed with tonic has flown straight to the top of my pops cocktails. This is a wonderfully tasty and refreshing drink, I’m converted from gin. I look forward to enjoying one of these one day overlooking the remarkable views of the Duoro in Lisbon. Fiona addressed the impressive wine list, choosing a glass of Azevedo, Alvarinho Reserva, 2021 Vinho Verde. This refreshing wine with floral and summer fruit notes was well paired with our starters.
We shared three small plates. Croquetes de bacalhau, molho romesco; the cute salt cod croquettes were round, like dinky fishcakes. Cordona frita, alface coração grelhado was a deep-fried quail with caramelised onion and charred gem lettuce, an unusual treatment for this tiny bird, served crunchy and well spiced.
Espeto de Camarões Alho e Ólheo, prawn skewers were my favourite – two skewers with well-cooked, plump and tender prawns bathing in a fabulous garlic sauce strewn with parsley. Utterly moreish.
As portions are generous at Bar 1790, we could probably have done with sharing one of the main course dishes. Loving our food as we do, we each ordered from the larger plate selection. Bife do lombo asado e fatiado, presunto ibérico crocante, molho de pimento verde was roasted sirloin served sliced, topped with crispy Iberico ham and served on a green peppercorn sauce. It was served medium rare, pink, tender and succulent. A small salad of butter lettuce, fennel and orange was an appropriate side dish for the rich meat.
Frango grelhado, maionese peri peri, limão caramelizado was barbecued baby chicken, which was spatchcocked, with a peri-peri spicing which I enjoyed very much and was served with mayonnaise, crisps and caramelised lemon.
We shared a carafe of Casa Ferreirinha, ‘Papa Figos’, 2020, Douro which paired beautifully with our mains. The wine was elegant and soft with distinctive fruity notes.
We really had no need for dessert but who can resist a warm pastel de nata served with a scoop of ice cream? Especially when paired with a 10-year-old Sandeman Tawny Port, served lightly chilled.
Bar 1790 is part of the Sandeman Quarter which includes the well-known Don Restaurant set to re-open soon with a menu showcasing modern European cuisine and a diverse wine list. The Sandeman Club will cater to wine lovers in the City. It will be open all day and provide meeting spaces and private dining. We’ll still be going back to Bar 1970 though for excellent Portuguese food and wine at affordable prices – Recommended
19-23 St Swithins Lane,
London,
EC4N 8AD
Monday – Friday: 8 am until 11 pm.
020 7621 1148
Looking for something over the other side of town? Another wine bar with excellent food that we love is St John in Marylebone.
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