Bambi
Restaurant · Haggerston ·
Wine bar with DJ, pickle martinis, & sharing plates
Wine bar with DJ, pickle martinis, & sharing plates
"Come the weekend, the tables at Bambi are cleared after service and DJs spin centrist house music until 1am, with the sake and pickle juice martinis going down with ease. The London Fields wine bar knows what it’s doing—a funky bottle list, a counter-cum-DJ-booth, bowls of chips and aioli—and it does it satisfyingly well. A booking at 9pm (on the cusp of dinner-to-DJ service) is a smart move, and lining your stomach with European-ish snacks is something we’d highly recommend." - rianne shlebak, jake missing, sinead cranna, daisy meager, heidi lauth beasley
"Anyone who’s ever dominated an aux cord is going to be very into this ‘music-led’ wine bar and European small plates spot. It exists in a candlelit haze in the LCD Soundsystem-lovers' heartland that’s also known as London Fields. Eyes glance from the DJ booth to an admirable slab of ricotta toast, and so-so crudo is ignored in place of pét-nats and subtle tote bag envy. It’s open until 1am at the weekend and yes, there will be the opportunity to express your adoration for the rhythm in its purest physical form with a little dance." - heidi lauth beasley
"Bambi is a wine bar and European-ish small plates restaurant in Hackney, serves a mean pickle martini, and has a DJ booth. It’s going to rub some people up the wrong way, gammon or not. Whereas anyone who’s ever dominated the aux cord is going to love it. You can perch on a stool, film a candlelit chicken parm sandwich, and dance until 1am. Is it special? Frankly, no. Is it the perfect restaurant for London Fields? Almost definitely, yes. Taking the airy space once occupied by east London royalty, Bright, this a good time place. The music bumps and the choice of margaritas and martinis is generous. There’s pickle juice, there’s yuzu, there’s an agreeable £10 price. The room is a chiropractor’s Christmas—entirely high tables and stools—but most of the tote-hoarding crowd don’t care. They’re just sharing gooey cauliflower cheese arancini and Googling the symptoms of RSI. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Pause Unmute With its late licence and sound system, Bambi is best as a bar first and a restaurant second. The food satisfies rather than stuns. If roast chicken with green sauce is on it’s a fine choice, otherwise a slab of ricotta-topped toast is a great snack for the table. There are plenty of vegetables to pick at and the low-intervention wine list starts at around £7 a glass. Mind you, if you want thorough advice and guidance in the grape department, this isn’t the place to come to. Rumour has it that east London likes DJs and small plates. So, in those terms, Bambi is on the money. Even if it feels a little post-zeitgeist. Rewind to 2017 and this would be the edgiest wine bar and restaurant in London. As it is, it’s a safe choice for some crudo, fries, and funky pét nat. Come for dinner, sure. Most importantly, swing by for a dance. Food Rundown Ricotta Toast This dictionary-sized slab of grilled toast topped with ricotta is a winner day or night. The pickled red onions add a nice tang and there’s a welcome handful of peppery watercress on top. Crunchy, creamy, tart, and with a touch of sweet honey, it hits all the marks. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Scallop Crudo Although it’s luminous in colour, this crudo is fairly safe in flavour. The spinach sauce could do with some more acidity and while the smoked butter is nice, it’s all a little one note. The scallop is nice, though. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Octopus, Nduja, White Bean Puree As with most small plates restaurants, you’re going to have a few forks of this and a few forks of that. If you get the well-cooked pieces of octopus from this plate, you’ll be happy. At its best this is a warm and comforting dish, full of paprika, creamy bean mush, and tender octopus. But, equally, the wrong bite can be chewy and kind of cloying. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Chicken Thigh, Lentils, Aioli The crispy skin on this chicken is a golden salty joy but like others things, the lentils could do with some added oomph. The caramelised beer-y onions are a nice addition and aioli always goes down well. A good plate of food. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Chocolate Cremaux A decent dessert is essential when you’re going to be drinking and grazing, and this cremaux is just that. Sure, something jazzier could be done with the handful of hazelnuts, but overall it’s the rich chocolate hit you’ll need at the end of the meal. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch" - Jake Missing
"We’re glad to hear there’s no deer on the menu at Bambi. This wine bar and small plates restaurant is keeping things more charming. There’ll be a curated music programme, oyster happy hours, and big Sunday roasts, as well as snacky sharing bits—butter beans, coppa, arancini, and more. The modern European-leaning restaurant takes the space of Bright in Hackney. We checked out Bambi and added it to the Hit List." - Team Infatuation
"Bambi is a wine bar that laughs in the face of every London meme account. The London Fields spot ticks every mockable box: a funky bottle list, the counter-cum-DJ-booth, small sharing plates of roasted vegetables—and makes it thoroughly enjoyable. This place understands its crowd and knows that roasted chicken with fries and aioli always go down a storm. Especially with a drinks and cocktail list that’s just as good for wannabe sommeliers as it is for non-drinkers. Come Friday and Saturday, tables are cleared after service and DJs spin centrist house music until 1am, with the sake and pickle juice martinis going down with ease." - Jake Oliver, Daisy Meager, Sinead Cranna, Rianne Shlebak
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