Max Graham, Founder
At Bar Douro, our purpose has always been simple: to share the spirit of Portugal with the UK through honest food, characterful wine, and cultural stories. Bar Douro was founded from saudade, a longing for the vibrancy, diversity, and creative energy of Portugal’s food, wine, and culture, and a belief that this spirit deserved a home in London. As 2025 draws to a close, I wanted to pause and reflect on a year shaped by these ideas, and by everyone who joined us along the way.
At the start of the year, we welcomed back our Guest Chef Series, inviting some of Portugal’s most exciting chefs into our kitchen. We were proud to host André Cruz of Feitoria, Nuno Castro of Fava Tonka, Zé Paulo Rocha of O Velho Eurico, and Miguel Azevedo Peres of Pigmeu, each bringing their own voice while staying true to the generosity and simplicity that define Portuguese cooking.
Alongside this, our own kitchen, led by Executive Chef Neuza Leal, continued to do what it does best, cooking seasonal specials and signature Bar Douro dishes packed with authentic Portuguese flavours, which many of you return for time and again.
We also explored Portugal’s diverse regional food culture through our Journey Through Portugal supper clubs, collaborating with Talho do Mar, Visit Portugal, Visit Madeira, and Visit Azores to spotlight exceptional produce and the richness of the country’s coastal and island cuisines.
Our wine list continued to evolve throughout the year, guided by the belief that Portuguese wine is at its best when it carries the faces, places, and stories behind each bottle. Today, I’m proud that Bar Douro holds the largest list of Portuguese wines in the UK, championing family-run, independent producers from across the country and celebrating diverse regions, native grape varieties and heritage techniques.
In 2025, we were fortunate to welcome Constantino Ramos, Hugo Mendes and Herdade de Lisboa to Bar Douro. Evenings were spent tasting, talking, and sharing the stories behind their wines. These moments, winemakers at the table, glasses being poured, conversations unfolding, are exactly why we do what we do.
Food and wine are only part of the picture. Throughout the year, we continued to celebrate the cultural rhythms of Portugal through shared experiences that brought people together beyond the table. From the colour and energy of Festas dos Santos Populares to the quiet intensity of Noite de Fado, these evenings were reminders that hospitality is about more than what’s on the plate, it’s about atmosphere, emotion, and connection.
None of this happens without the people who bring Bar Douro to life every day. I’m deeply grateful to our team, in the kitchen, on the floor, behind the bar, and behind the scenes, for their care, consistency and quiet professionalism. It’s their warmth, skill and attention that shape the experience our guests return for, and I couldn’t be prouder of what they do, day in and day out.
This year also marked the beginning of a brand refresh, a clearer expression of who we are and what we stand for. Our new illustrative language, now finding its way onto menus, the website and tea towels, is a visual way of sharing the same spirit we’ve always tried to create in our restaurants: warm, expressive, and unmistakably Portuguese.
As we look ahead to 2026, and approach Bar Douro’s 10th birthday, we’re excited to share a number of new projects that build on everything we’ve created so far. Our purpose remains unchanged. We’ll continue cooking honest food, pouring characterful wines, and telling the stories that make Portugal such a rich and generous place to draw inspiration from.
Thank you for being part of Bar Douro in 2025. I look forward to welcoming you back in the year to come.
With warmest wishes for the New Year,
Max
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