Forza Wine might be a name that slaps you with a hint of turbulent Italian politics. The sort best left out of a drinks column. But a branch of this south London hotspot is now at the National Theatre which, in all its brutalist grey, is far more Soviet by design. Have we a bar for centrists?
The South Bank has been in an unchic and uncool part of town for so long. What on earth is even there? A Brasserie Blanc somewhere under a bridge. A Strada, a Wagamama, each an ailing force. Nowhere really to drink either. It’s mostly stalls for tourists serving warm prosecco and podgy cocktails.
But the National Theatre is also gorgeous if you like that sort of thing. Which I do. It was thoroughly deserving of the second branch of Forza Wine, a Peckham-born joint and sister to the Italian restaurant Forza Win, now in Camberwell. The vibe is funky cocktails, natural wines and Italian-inspired picky bits.
Forza Wine is accessed by the stairs or its own lift and is perched a floor up from the theatre atrium. On the terrace, happily covered with winter imminent, there are views over the Thames and all those sparkling neon strips that illuminate Waterloo Bridge. Crowds of theatregoers dart below; one for people watchers. I have a frozen melon margarita. It is strong(ish) and refreshing, fruity and a reminder of holidays towards the foot of the boot. I love the iced drinks at Forza. The “fregronis” — Negroni slushies, essentially — served at the original location are a favourite of mine.
Later, I have a glass of the orange wine so adored by cultured thirty-somethings who require the new, flirt with sustainability, but ultimately crave only an affordable way to look interesting on Instagram. But don’t think that’s the sole crowd. Here is a superb bar for everyone: young and old, natural wine lovers and regular old lager drinkers alike. No judgment from me in any case.
You can see how Forza Wine, award-winning in 2016, has retained a glorious appeal. It’s because the drinks list is pragmatic and thoughtful. Combine a bottle of Free Your Mind — a natural grüner veltliner — with cauliflower fritti and a punchy caponata and you have a fitting precursor to a show.
Those who might need perking up at the break would find little else better than a custardo, a Forza original, where fine coffee is blended with custard. It is a London triumph.
Much like Forza Wine — a precise example of palatable modernity. The South Bank is far from being the capital’s most enticing locale but its theatre crown has been burnished with a lovely little jewel.
