On Tuesday I met a friend for dinner at Shampers, which is in Soho, just south of the trendy Carnaby Street pedestrianised area. It was my suggestion to meet there, as I'd been once before only for a drink, had liked the atmosphere and had seen some nice-sounding food on the blackboard.
I got things off to a good start by receiving an evil look from the man sitting at the next table - I can only assume that maybe I nearly accidentally knocked over his wine glass as I tried to squeeze through the 2 millimetre gap between tables to sit down. The tables are well-packed in, to the extent that the waiting staff had trouble reaching us with our food, but once we were firmly ensconced I wasn't aware of the people at the next table too much, as I was catching up on the latest Whitehall gossip.
We had a bottle of Beaujolais-Villages 2009 which was very reasonable at £19.95 and confirmed that the 2009 vintage is excellent for beaujolais. Generally the wine list appears to have a mark up of around 100% and ticks all the boxes in terms of coverage with plenty of options under £30, some interesting-looking halves and a variety of digestifs.
The food was decent but not cheap - instead of what I think of as wine bar type food (bread and cheese / cured meats) it was very much starters, mains and puddings. Starters were around £7, mains around £15 and puddings £6. We indulged in three courses and also had a glass of dessert wine each, so by the time the bill came and service was added, we were looking at £50 each. If I go back, which I probably will, I think I'd just have a main course and spend more on the wine. NB it's a good idea to book in advance.
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