Ashbee's Wine Bar

24-03-2006
Prawn Sag Aloo

The card says "known for its unique, warm and friendly atmosphere." I would be more inclined to say "unique, warm, friendly and a bit mouldy smelling atmosphere" but I guess that's what comes with being in the basement. This place, however, is what London is all about - finding a little place you never new existed and then going there any getting very, very drunk. You'll find this place if you look for the strange tree growing out of the basement in Hogarth Place and the sign that says "wine bar." Downstairs, the specialise in Swiss cheese fondue and Polish drinking mead, or so the sign says. I have only, however, only had red wine and a chunky country pate that was good value and tasty. The lady that runs it is also good value. Every time I looked over at her she had a different coloured drink in her hand. One of the "features" of the restaurant is the lovely windows that open out onto a concrete wall that has been painted to look like a beautiful vista of a field of grapes or something equally nice. The toilets are a bit like being in a campa-van. With that, and the tree growing from the small basement entrance you could be forgiven for thinking you were on your holidays in the Med somewhere. Dying to abuse their 12 o'clock closing.