Food
Nigel and Elizabeth
Windridge, owners of
One of Belgravia’s best-loved
the Ebury Wine Bar
restaurants, The Ebury Wine Bar,
is celebrating half a century in
business this year. With its
vibrant atmosphere and tasty
food, no wonder it has stood
the test of time
Most of us can’t remember Belgravia
without the Ebury Wine Bar. The veteran
watering hole and restaurant, which has
been serving punters on the corner of
Ebury and Elizabeth Street for the past 50
years, is part of the proverbial furniture.
But according to owners Nigel and
Elizabeth Windridge, before it became a
bar the building was occupied by a furriers
shop on the ground floor and a “house of
ill repute” above.
In 1959 it was turned into a wine bar by
cousins Jim Callingham and Clifford
Martin, who had both won The Military
Cross for bravery in the Second World War.
It was run by the Tanner family, who lived
on the premises with their daughter.
Mrs Tanner, a tall, blonde, impossibly
glamorous woman, appeared in television
adverts for After Eights mints and
American shoe brand Hush Puppies, in
which she wore a robe and coronet. She
was accordingly nicknamed the Duchess by
punters. Birthday bar
When the Tanners retired in 1973, the had been a gentlemen’s outfitters. Back
business was bought by Nigel Windridge then a bottle of Bollinger was on the
and three others for the princely sum of menu for £5.10 (compared to today’s
£24,000. Regulars may remember Yvonne price of £75) and a fillet steak would set
Ottlet, the popular waitress who had such you back £1.65 (today it’s £27.50). Over
a presence that many customers thought the years the restaurant has become
she was the owner. When Nigel bought increasingly popular and now employs six
the bar and asked her to stay on to work full-time chefs.
for him, she said: “No, no, my dahleeng” Nigel describes the food as “modern
(she was French-Swiss). “I cannot European”. Starters include pork and
possibly, you are too young and olive terrine with apple chutney and
inexperienced. But I’ll stay one week to seared scallops with lemon chilli butter.
help you out.” She retired 25 years later For the main course try whole roasted sea
after nearly 40 years’ service. bass, the fillet steak or the roast duck
It was in the bar that Nigel met his wife breast. Home made ice cream, peach
Elizabeth. She was living on Ebury Street melba and chocolate and nut cake are
and had taken a waitressing job to some of the tempting desserts on offer. A
supplement her earnings as a florist. selection of bar snacks is also available.
We’ll never know what went through Reaching the half-century milestone is
Nigel’s mind when he first spotted her in “still sinking in” for Nigel and Elizabeth,
the bar because, as he says, “it’s too rude especially as 2009 is a landmark for Nigel
to mention”. He asked her out twice and personally – he celebrated his 60th
she turned him down, but the third time birthday in March.
he got lucky. Six weeks later he proposed The Ebury Wine Bar, 139 Ebury Street,
and they married in 1978. is open seven days a week for drinks,
In 1991 the bar expanded when the lunch, Sunday lunch and dinner.
directors acquired the next-door Tel: 020 7730 5447 and visit
premises at 32 Elizabeth Street, which www.eburywinebar.co.uk
Celebrate 50 years of The Ebury Wine Bar with
the special 1959 menu. A three course meal
with a glass of champagne costs just £19.59
Starters include cream of celeriac soup, plaice goujons
with mayonnaise and pork and olive terrine with apple
chutney.
For the main course try the smoked haddock with
spring onion mash, pan-fried calves liver or baked
ratatouille pepper with melted goat’s cheese.
Make sure you save room for the puddings, which
include vanilla panacotta, chocolate and nut cake and
strawberry bavarois.
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