15 Whitcomb Street
WC2H 7HA
Tel: 020 7839 2823
Date of Last Visit: Friday, December 8, 2006
The Victims: K & A, Chrissy, Joe, Diane, David, Kevin, Hannah
The Damage: £20 each, assuming David didn’t buy us a couple of bottles of red on the sly.
The Background: We were all over at "Christmas Drinks"–where I had narrowly avoided giving a speech!–and wanted to extend the frivolity. K had noticed a little wine bar that she felt could fit us all and wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg. Not knowing how many were with us, space was key. Hamptons Wine Bar offered just that.
The Approach: It was very cute. Apparently, people from my country are the only people that use the word cute. It was simple. Nice. Cozy. Wooden tables. Wooden floors. Friendly servers. We were not there for foie gras and sauterne, but rather cheap red and cheese and crackers. I wish I had taken a picture to show you what I mean by all this…I actually had the camera with me, but totally spaced out. Sorry!!
The Food: K&A ordered us up a storm, but apparently the kitchen isn’t open on the weekends, so they had to "give us what they had." This meant cheese, crackers, cheese, bread, crackers, cheese, bread, and some deep fried springrolls. And you know what? I was totally okay with this. Although I had originally hoped to get everyone over to Chinatown for some crispy duck (LOVE the duck), I was perfectly happy with my carbs and protein.
The Drink: Most of the wine was less than £20 a bottle, so we again ordered up a storm. I forget how many bottles we ordered, but it was a lot. I get the feeling David paid for a few on the sly…tricky!!!
The Verdict: You know, it’s not a destination. And the food was just bar snacks. But if you are around Trafalgar Square and need a place to go with a large group for some drinks and snacks, Hamptons will do you just fine.
