It was one of those warm, sunny afternoons in the City of London and we were seeking a seat by the river and a cold glass of wine. But the sun had bought out the hoards and the place was jumping.
I suggested that we walked down near the Millennium Bridge to get a drink at the North Bank restaurant on the riverside where a mighty fine young Bulldog resides. But on our way we saw a chalk board sign for Zorita’s and decided to give it a go.
Nestled amongst some office blocks and on a corner that had various office workers walking past we found Zorita’s with a few tables and chairs outside with a pretty impressive view of the bridge and, on the other side, Tate Modern. Perfect!
I wandered inside to order some drinks. The cool interior is based around a massive central half circle light wood and aluminium bar with stools all around. There are tables and chairs in the surrounding area. A cheery bar tender greeted us and explained that the place was originally a wine tasting venue (upstairs in Bacchanalia where they organise a number of wine tasting events).
We said we only wanted a glass of wine and he offered to choose something for us. A glass of Verdejo was produced (£6) that was perfect. We were so happy sitting there in the sunshine watching the world go by that we ordered another.
If you are peckish there is a selection of the Iberian cured meats (Pata Negra jamon, lomo, salchichon and chorizo), award-winning cheeses and extra virgin olive oils produced on their organic farms in Spain. The menu also includes salads and tostadas. The extensive wine list from Spain and Italy offers sparkling Prosecco and Cava, a range of refreshing whites and rosés and a variety of reds, many from the Marqués de la Concordia family of wines.
It’s a lovely place and I hope it does well – tucked away it is unlikely to be swamped by tourists and visitors but quite likely to become a favourite with those office workers. Although I was a tiny bit irritated that a £2 service charge was added to our £24 bill.
The only odd thing was that when I popped to the loo I had to pass through the reception of the adjoining office block. The security guard there seemed almost as bemused as me!
