I walked past this place last night and was wondering if anyone from had been there. Apparently it is in the old Sandeman cellars and claims quite a bit selection of ports by the bottle. What drew my attention to it was a big sign with a picture of the Don, which, I gather from their website has been recently given to them by Sandeman.
Unfortunately, the sole vegetarian dish seems to be a Gorgonzola Risotto, so I might have to wait until they change the menu before trying it out!
DRT wrote:I haven't been but have looked at their price list of ports which are enormously over-priced.
Ah yes, just found your post on that. It’s a bit of a shame. Were they massively over-priced at the lower end, too? Considering it’s location, I wouldn’t mind so much paying the standard 30% mark-up on something like an LBV.
JacobH wrote:I walked past this place last night and was wondering if anyone from had been there. Apparently it is in the old Sandeman cellars and claims quite a bit selection of ports by the bottle. What drew my attention to it was a big sign with a picture of the Don, which, I gather from their website has been recently given to them by Sandeman.
Unfortunately, the sole vegetarian dish seems to be a Gorgonzola Risotto, so I might have to wait until they change the menu before trying it out!
Overtired and emotional wrote:...head sommelier at The Don in London (never heard of it)...
The Don is an upmarket restaurant in London, close by Canon Street station, built out of a conversion of the old Sandeman cellars and bottling plant. It is a very port sympathetic establishment and has a very impressive port list, going back (if I recall correctly) to 1927.
But don't plan to drink port there unless you are on an expense account!
But I will say a word in the Don's favour. I've eaten in both the restaurant (on expenses) and in the Bistro (paying myself) and the food is very good. In addition to the Vintage Ports available by the bottle, they also always have at least one decanted and offered by the glass. The nature of the clientele is such that the "by the glass" decanter is usually empty by the end of the evening with a fresh bottle being decanted the next day.
If you get the opportunity to go, it's worth a visit.
If it's not a special occasion and you're looking to spend a more normal amount of money, you can do a lot worse than our old favourite of The Crusting Pipe in Covent Garden.
Alex
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.
2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
g-man wrote:what vegetarian dish do you pair with port?
An obvious answer would be cheese. (But that doesn’t always work well.)
I’ll admit that being vegetarian puts me at a disadvantage in terms of Port drinking, but Julian is quite right about cheese. Also many deserts/puddings go quite well (which is fortunate, as I prefer to start my Port at the end of a meal!).
In this case, though, I just don’t particularly like the sound of Gorgonzola Risotto!
Alex, thanks for the info. I have a few friends who live or work nearby (and I don’t live too far away myself) so I’m always looking out for new places to try.The bistro food prices don’t seem too expensive by City of London standards and so once they change their menus, I think I’ll pay it a visit.
had been there. Apparently it is in the old Sandeman cellars and claims quite a bit selection of ports by the bottle. What drew my attention to it was a big sign with a picture of the Don, which, I gather from their website has been recently given to them by Sandeman.
