Flor

British wine bar in London Bridge

Grilled red prawn heads, xo sauce

When Flor was launched last summer in 2019, it was one of the most talked-about restaurant openings of the year. It was so hard to secure a table and all the serious foodies were flooding in. Launched by chef James Lowe and his team from the Michelin starred Lyles, Flor is a modern wine bar and bakery that offers small plates taking flavours from around the world, you will see Middle East, European, as well as Asian element across the menu. The place is split into two floors, the ground floor is the open kitchen with bar seatings and upstair is a proper sit-down restaurant. For my visit, I ordered about 8 dishes to share for 2.

Dressed oyster

Grilled squid, mushroom broth

Scallop, alexander, apple

The red prawns head with XO sauce was an umami bomb that packed with so much intense and creamy seafood flavours, it was so addicted. However, for £13 with 4 pieces, it was well overcharged. This carried on to the grilled squid and scallop dishes. both really well executed with lovely flavours and tempting aroma, but all ended in a single mouthful. The lamb rib dish reminded me of something similar I had from Lyles, and it was just as good. The meat was so tender with a beautiful crispy and smoky layers of fat, the use of almonds and pomegranate added freshness and crunchy texture, as well as offered harmony to balance off the smokiness of the lamb, it was excellent.

Mussel flatbread, vin jaune, Lautrec garlic

Lamb rib, almonds, pomegranate, yoghurt

Brown butter cakes and tiramisu

The cooking at Flor was great, the team managed to leverage international flavours without causing confusion, which is something not easy to pull off. I would rate the food not far behind Lyles. However, one major issue I had was the crazy cost of the dish pricing. I felt Flor price tag is just not right. You can not charge someone over £10 for a mouthful of food in such a setting, the majority of the dish I had was smaller than a dish you would get from a fine dining tasting menu. In the end, I paid over £60 per person and I did not feel I was full. There are plenty of other great restaurants or street food choices in London Bridge, so I am not sure if I ever would want to go back to Flor.



Food 3.5/5


Average cost without drinks and services:
£50


1 Bedale St, London SE1 9AL

https://florlondon.com/

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