Quiet lunch in Market on Saturday - shocker!!

Had a pleasant lunch with Mrs I at the Brew Wharf (pretty sure that's what it's called. Annexe of Vinopolis, turn your back on Jocasta queueing for chorizo sarnies in Borough Market, and head diagonally right over the road, past the sushi place and on the left.) on Saturday.

Apparently they'd only opened the night before. That could have accounted for the welcoming nature of the staff and the occasional sense that they were still working out how everything worked. However, they have a little yard to catch the Autumn rays (which were in decent form on Saturday afternoon), and an interesting drinks and food list.

I had a few pints of “their” wheat beer (couldn't quite work it out. The barman said they were starting their own brewery, but that not all the beers were ready yet and so some of the stuff they had on tap was from another local brewery. It was becoming too much hard work to get any further with the conversation, and the beer was perfectly nice, wherever it came from, so I didn't take it any further). It was a normal London beer price (just under �3 a pint, I think), and a good beer that I will be drinking again. Mrs I had some wheat beer and some Kolsch (light-tasting German beer. Goes well with a handbag.).

The reason I had to have so much beer was completely down to the fact that I'd ordered a croque monsieur (�5), which actually came as two croques (?messieurs?) with a bit of salad on the side. Great (English, thick, tasty) ham, and everything else very much as a croque should be, but it was so filling that I couldn't get up and had to have another pint to recover. Mrs I had salad nicoise, which I'm assured was as it should be.

The menu seemed to go between keenly priced and oddly-highly priced. The drinks were likewise (decently priced and good quality draught beer, but the cheapest glass of white on the list was about six quid). They have a rotisserie (by the biggish other room inside), and after we'd eaten they were bringing round free samples of roast belly pork and chicken. Stuffed as I was, I had to try a nibble for research purposes. Chicken unspectacular, pork delicious.

I'm sure it will soon be as full as all the other places around there, but you might enjoy it over the next few weeks before that happens. Our long and fairly well-lubricated lunch was around �25 in total, which I think was good value for somewhere reasonably smart (in my humble books). I'd be interested to know if anyone else has been there.

[I've got no connection, etc.]

I wandered past this place on Saturday lunchtime, but didn't have time to pop in - but I could see lots of people enjoying the sun etc (I guess their must have been a pair of Ivanhoes amongst the throng). Is it part of Vinopolis or part of the Whine Wharf next door? Must try it out soon.

A Whine Wharf in SE1 !

About bloody time.

When I were a lad............

Kevin B Wrote:
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> A Whine Wharf in SE1 !
>
> About bloody time.

If you've been in you'd know exactly what I mean. And whilst we're on it, is the wine wharf the only place that charges service at 12.5% just for opening a bottle of wine at the bar? On a busy evening the barman opens around 70 bottles of wine - ranging between �16.50 and �40, say an average of �28, thats �262 in service charges just for pulling the bloody cork out of a bottle!

Ivanhoe

Did it seem child friendly?

Three or four knee height ones at lunchtime, plus a small dog and one or two babies passed through by the time we'd left. Quite a cabaret. One small boy whose only word seemed to be "chips" stuck in my mind.

You've got a very good memory considering how 'pleasant' your lunch seems to have been.

Jo. You know how I'm famous for adoring children. Their glowing faces bring pleasure to an otherwise ordinary day.

One of the most pleasant things was eating some of Mrs I's chips (with as much lip smacking as I could muster), whilst looking at the little boy whose only word was "chips" ;0)

I went to the official opening of this establishment last night and I have to say I was impressed with the fantastic space they have and the general layout of things. Their micro-brews come on tap in a few days time, according to one of the owners (who incidentaly is also one of the owners of the wine wharf next door). The food was delicious & well presented by friendly and eager staff. I have no idea of the prices as food and drink were complimentary last night.

I have no commercial connections to the place etc. etc.

Noticed that the new beer place's smoked haddock rarebit costs more than in the wine vault place opened four years ago next door (with a shared kitchen). Delicious anyway.