I disembarked the train at London Bridge to be welcomed by a dark, wet, cold platform. A Tuesday evening such as this is usually spent with a box set in front of the TV, but I managed to pull myself around tonight on account of my meal reservation at the Hilton.
Bravely (?) I battled down Tooley Street and into the TwoRuba bar. It recently opened following a £500,000 revamp of the Ruba Bar that previously occupied this space. Once through the main door though I immediately started to relax. The area had a regency-inspired décor with contemporary metal draper giving it a members’ club feel. The bar area was lively and a waitress took us to a suitable table.
Mrs TLE arrived late as usual, but the small plate of nuts on the table kept me entertained until I was graced with her presence. The bar area was busy, with a mix of city types, tourists and the odd bearded fellow, which usually signifies some sort of creative.When she arrived we had a look at the menu which consisted of various types of street food sharing plates, inspired by Borough with a “TwoRuba twist”.
The drinks list also takes its cue from the local area, known for its gin production, and includes an extensive list of independent London and Bermondsey Dry Gin cocktails in addition to Champagne cocktails and spirits.
We ordered a bottle of Chilean Los Romeros Sauvignon Blanc (£34) which was a refreshing wine with citrus and pear flavours. The cocktail menu looked fantastic and seemed to be going down well by the fellow drinkers sitting beside us.
Hungry as ever, we went onto the food menu and ordered five different plates all costing either £7.50 or £8. In no particular order we requested the Chicken Popcorn (with cajun salt, sweet chilli sauce), Salt and Pepper Squid (with lime crème fraiche), Wings of Fire (with fennel salsa and piri piri dip), Pulled Pork Sliders (with chili apple slaw) and TwoRuba Fish Tacos, (with pico de gallo and citrus dressing). I particularly enjoyed the fish tacos, while Mrs TLE was a fan of the Puller pork.
What we didn’t realise is that two of the plates came with chips, so the meal was quite carb heavy; great if you want to soak up after work drinks, not so good if you are watching your figure. With that in mind, we decided against a desert and headed out into the gloom of the evening sharing pleasant reflections of TwoRuba. As the Borough area becomes increasingly popular, this swanky bar will definitely appeal to London folk as great place for a drink and a bite to eat.
TwoRuba can be found at Hilton London Tower Bridge, 5 More London Place, Tooley Street, London, SE1 2BY