The grainy nighttime pictures here at Flour & Grape in London don’t even begin to do this meal justice. But honestly, when the food is this good, lighting is irrelevant – I’m still going to talk about it.
During a work trip down to the capital, a colleague and I found ourselves with a free evening. I’d heard good things about Flour & Grape on Bermondsey Street and we were in the area so decided to go for it.
They don’t take reservations, instead they run a virtual queue system. The perfect excuse to wander off and grab a drink while you wait. Initially, we’d rocked up at 8pm to be told there was a 90‑minute wait. Normally that’s a deal-breaker for me, especially so late already, but the buzzy vibe spilling out into the street, combined with the smell of pasta and garlic in the air… yeah, we were staying.
We headed down the road to Bermondsey Corner for a glass of wine and a catch-up while the timer counted down. What a fab spot!
At 9:15, our phones pinged. Back we marched to claim our spot in a space still absolutely heaving with plates of steaming pasta flying out of the kitchen, and diners who looked very, very happy.
To start, we shared:
- Nocellara olives
- Polpette: pork & beef meatballs in marinara, parmesan, basil
- Bruschetta with caponata, stracciatella, basil
A dream trio. The kind of starters you demolish without thinking. And whenever I see nocellara olives, I have to order them. Those big fleshy green giants of the olive world are heaven to me.
For mains:
- Pappardelle with beef short rib ragù
- Tortelloni filled with roast pork shoulder in sage butter
To use my collegue’s words, both were ‘stunning’. Handmade pasta, cooked perfectly, generous but not fussy. Simplicity at its absolute finest. Everything tasted unbelievably fresh, and slopped onto the plates with a quiet confidence restaurants have when they know they’re good. We were wiping the plates clean with our fingers when no one was looking! The sage butter in particularly, was just so moreish. Floral, salty & rich. It didn’t need anything else.
The verdict?
Join the queue.
Wait your turn.
Flour & Grape will not disappoint.
The bill came to £83 for the two of us. That was for three small plates, two mains, and two glasses of prosecco. For central-ish London and pasta of this quality? A win.
