Ninth Ward is a New Orleans style restaurant and bar that opened several weeks back near Farringdon Station (there’s a more established sister restaurant in New York as well). It’s a good place to consider for your next Clerkenwell drinking session with a menu of bar snacks and American fixings to abate any appetite.
Named in honour of the (in)famous Ninth Ward district of New Orleans (and the area hardest hit by – and still recovering from – Hurricane Katrina ten years ago this month), Ninth Ward London offers an experience that’s more NOLA lite than properly Nawlins immersive. Whaddyamean there’s no Sazerac on your drinks list? But I must admit there were some especially authentic Louisiana elements enjoyed during my visit that could have me heading back. And everything sampled from the menu was super tasty.
Chief among the handful of reasons I’d return was the Abita beer. Brewed in Louisiana at Abita Springs about 30 miles north of New Orleans – and among my most regularly downed beers when I was a student back in the States – it’s one of my favourite beers. Ninth Ward is the only place I’ve come across it in London and is to the best of my knowledge the only bar in town to stock Abita. Ninth Ward serves Amber and Restoration Pale Ale in bottles. I commend the bar for it. If it was to add Abita Turbodog brown ale to its drinks list, I’d hoot and holler with glee.
Food was worth mentioning too. I was particularly pleased with the bar snacks. Hot wings served with Slap Yo Mamma sauce and house bleu cheese (£7.50) did it for me and would be an easy recommendation. Curried okra lightly fried in Abita beer batter (£4.50) was a dish I’d order again (and again). A heaping bowl of house cut dirty fries “smothered” in beef chilli, cheese, jalapeños, and American mustard (£6.50) was an indulgent treat as well.
I liked the look and feel of Ninth Ward too. Although, I found it more Voodoo/Bourbon Street kitsch (if impeccably done and worth taking a gander at) than actual Ninth Ward-like. I loved all the reclaimed wood, repurposed industrial fittings, and long tabletops. Staff kept the light low and dim while I was there, and I very much appreciated the atmospherically dark effect.
Discounts, Special Offers, and Such
My visit to Ninth Ward was upon invitation by PocketHighStreet, a free service helping local shops and new customers connect online with mighty fine offers such as the following Ninth Ward deals:
- 50% off oysters EXPIRED
- Fried chicken and any portion of wings for a tenner EXPIRED
- Free sweet potato fries with any burger EXPIRED
Ninth Ward is located at 99-101 Farringdon Road. Find out more at ninthwardlondon.com.
