Durius River Cafe hits London riverside

The basement of a London office building might not be the most romantic-sounding location for a new restaurant, but when it’s under United Wineries on the banks of the Thames then you can start to see the appeal.

The company has brought successful Spanish venture Durius River Café to England’s capital, offering sumptuous cured meats, cheeses, breads and salads along with a formidable wine offering.

Spanish wine brand Marqués de la Concordia originally launched the Durius River Café at its boutique wine estates and hotels throughout Spain.

The Durius River Café is the brainchild of avant-garde two-Michelin starred Spanish chef Sergi Arola, and sat alongside the brand’s existing wine tourism initiatives – luxury boutique wine hotels, chic spa facilities, state-of-the-art wineries and visitor centres.

Sourcing fresh, local and seasonal produce from the Duero River region, the El Bulli-trained chef has developed a new-wave Spanish menu expertly matched to selected wines from the Marqués de la Concordia portfolio.

Its location next door to the popular High Timber restaurant ensures that a steady stream of customers will discover the River Café during its opening weeks, having sliced its first leg of ham just three weeks ago.

Management expect the venue to attract a high volume of city workers during lunch hours, with the menu set to change with the seasons to offer more hearty, substantial offerings once the warm breeze off the Thames is replaced with the howling winds of winter.

Wine fans hoping for the space and time to fully peruse the venue’s list would be advised to get to the restaurant sooner rather than later, as once word gets out the place is likely to fill up quickly with lunch-on-the-hop city types, while the venue’s relatively cosy size suggests that it might soon be rather tough to secure a table for a long sitting.

Durius River Café
Broken Wharf
London
EC4V 3DT

Alan Lodge, 17.08.2010