South Bank restaurant, Baltic, from Jan Woroniecki (of South Kensington’s Ognisko) has undergone a refurb with vodka at the forefront of the new bar, in line with newly appointed head chef Piotr Fortuna’s Polish menu
Built in the eighteenth century, this was once a factory making church artefacts, but religious icons have been replaced by demijohns of vodka containing unique house blends (dill, rhubarb, apple and horseradish anyone?), as well as ostrich-skin walls and distressed mirrors. Pull up a pew at the steel bar for equally inventive cocktails: a Spiced Pear Mojito, Beetroot Martini or the Baltic Manhattan (caramel-infused vodka stirred with Old Forester bourbon, Martini Rosso and Angostura bitters) will no doubt to help thaw the toes as winter sets in.
Those after some sustenance to soak up their vodka (you sensible lot) can tuck into an Eastern European menu of classics: bigos (hunter’s stew) made with venison, beef and sausage with a hefty helping of sauerkraut; or kwasnica, a roasted pork belly broth (also featuring sauerkraut). Baltic’s predominately European wine list boasts unusual Hungarian and Georgian offerings. Available by the glass and carafe, it will keep you nicely topped up after all that vodka. But be warned, the Thames is nearby and there will be limited sympathy for anyone who falls in on their way home…
Baltic will reopen 28 October at 74 Blackfriars Road, SE1 8HA.
This article was published 14 October 2015