Flor

The term seasonal is thrown around with gay abandon, but truly authentic menus that thoughtfully reflect the bounty of each month are harder to find. Flor – we’re pleased to report – has an authenticity in its offering.

During our July visit plates smacked of summer hedgerows and the bounty of land and sea. Thoughtfully pared back dishes present clean, clear flavour profiles; like in a cucumber salad which cleverly disguises a pile of soft cheese and is dressed with both the acidity and sweetness of gooseberries and elderflowers. The bakery downstairs politely provides warm, crusty bread to mop up the final scrapings. Delicious.

Other standout plates included butter-soft pigeon with a sweet and sticky fig caponata, and a bowl of mild sheep’s ricotta topped with a rich nettle oil, accompanied by a buttery, crisp-edged nettle bun which relinquished its steam when broken and made the perfect little scoop for the cheese. Getting stuck in with your hands seemed to perfectly reflect the wider ethos at Flor.

Here things feel relaxed, despite the kitchen’s Michelin starred credentials (Flor is the little sister site to critically acclaimed Lyle’s in Shoreditch). Staff are warm, friendly, and knowledgeable, making wine pairing simple with their suggestions. Herbaceous, grown-up cocktails also ensure non-drinkers are well catered for and there’s a lively buzz about the place.

The restaurant’s location in Borough Market has dictated its slightly upmarket industrial interiors. Downstairs there’s a busy, open kitchen with counter seating, while upstairs large warehouse-style window, comfy banquette seating and rattan accents bring a contemporary but pleasingly simple aesthetic.

Oddly – for somewhere with a top-class bakery – we weren’t mad about the puddings, but all was forgiven when two glasses of apricot-rich dessert wine appeared. It’s amazing what a glass of sweet nectar can do for your mood.

Plate-scrapingly good sharing plates, homemade ferments, unusual wines, charming service and a low-lit dining room combine to make Flor the perfect spot to have in your restaurant repetoir for when you're looking to impress. 

This bakery and wine bar is operated by the team behind Lyle’s in Shoreditch, James Lowe and John Ogier, and is found on the edge of Borough Market.

Housed in a 19th century building, Flor serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with homemade bread an integral part of the food offering thanks to a team of in-house bakers who churn out a line-up of goods - from robust sourdough loaves to flaky, buttery croissants. If eating in this translates to baked goods and sandwiches at lunchtime and flatbreads for dinner.

Head here on Saturdays for brunch to let someone else deal with the weekend’s washing up, while on any day of the week, all of the bakery’s breads and pastries are available to takeaway. In the evening, the space becomes a wine bar, with both food and wine coming from many of the same suppliers as at Lyle’s as well as the surrounding vendors who make up Borough Market’s bustling offerings. The menu changes regularly but typical serves include internationally influenced plates of things like scarlet prawns with green mandarin kosho; oysters with warming aguachile and cod brandade with peppers. For afters the restaurant’s signature chocolate tart with buckwheat and ivy house cream has become an almost-overnight success with pictures of this sleek dessert popping up all over Instagram since it first graced the menu.  

The warm, laid-back vibes are enhanced by the interiors which are a pleasing mix of a polished marble window bar (perfect for solo dining) and sleek black chairs surrounding simple tables. Here it’s obvious that the focus is very much on the food and wine.

The drinks list is mid-length and features a well thought through, approachable selection of European wines as well as some slightly more adventurous serves in the form of Japanese whiskeys and Swedish ciders which make the perfect finishers.