4 /5 Alice Gee: I like Bar Douro but food was a little uneven on our last visit. Lovely atmosphere with the blue and white tiled mural. Tables a good distance apart, so quite quiet. Red house wine was a reasonable £32 a bottle. We ordered a few dishes to share.
Our pestico of smoked sausage croquette was delicious. Very smokey, and a lovely flakey texture with a tiny dot of mayo and not at all greasy despite being deep fried. The second to arrive was bacalhau a bras. It is my favourite salt cod dish but the fish was a little too sturdy for my taste. I prefer it when it is soft and falling apart. Flavour balance with sliced olives was good. Texture of the fried matchstick potatoes was excellent.
Prawns were unfortunately a disappointment. It was great that they were peeled but the heads left on. The sauce was strangely bitter but I couldnt identify the cause. Too much brandy? Garlic that caught and burnt? A shrimp that didnt get properly de-veined? When a waitress asked if I wanted bread to mop up the sauce I told her I didnt actually like the bitterness of the sauce. It was good that everyone in the kitchen did taste the sauce on my plate and agreed that it was bitter. The waiter kindly removed it from the bill, and the cook by way of apology brought us two nata tarts wrapped in tin foil to take home. Very gracious.
The rice with wild mushroom was tasty. However, my companion who is a stickler about food temperature complained that it was not served hot enough.
Our last course of bavette steak ordered medium rare was excellent. Very tender, so expertly cooked and cut against the grain. Accompanying mustard was slightly sweet with the addition of fortified wine. Garnished with fried matchstick potatoes.
Ive enjoyed Bar Douro in the past, so will return. Hopefully food will be up to their usual standard.
