Situated right in the city centre, this lively tapas bar is perfect for those looking for a place to have a delicious meal, sit down for a drink and just have a good time. Distrikt can only be described as full of character: loud music coming from the DJ booth, lively conversations all around, all combined with a grungy underground feel oozing from every corner. Visiting the bar is a very unique experience.
The price: quality ratio is truly impressive. Having grown up in Spain, I have visited many tapas restaurants before, so I came in with relatively low expectations. Yet I was pleasantly surprised. The bar’s cuisine is an interesting fusion of Middle Eastern, South Asian, Spanish and Italian dishes. One of my personal favourites was the field mushrooms stuffed with dukkah spiced mixture of sweet potato, dried fruit and baby spinach, all topped with goats cheese. Also, recommend is the chermoula spiced lamb kofta served with bulgar wheat salad and yoghurt dressing – the combination of the mild spices is so worth treating yourself to after a busy week.
The portions are larger than you would expect from tapas and prices range from just four to five pounds. Expect to be full from two portions and it’s worth noting that they are perfect for sharing. The drinks menu is immensely varied, ranging from the classics (with a certain ‘Distrikt’ twist – “Devil’s Manhattan”, anyone?) to cocktails I have never heard of before. Try the “P.s. I love you” – a smooth blend of sweet Kahlua, Baileys, Santa Teresa Claro. Other drinks are also available, ranging from pints of beer for £3.50 to Dom Perignon champagne bottles for £150 (slightly beyond your average student budget).
The bar gets quite busy from 7pm onwards, and as I went on a Friday I found that it was particularly full that night – so if you’re looking for a quieter dinner, go slightly earlier. Definitely stay for a drink after your meal; the atmosphere is perfect before a night out. And in case you’re not hungry, there’s plenty of space by the bar. The music will create a perfect ambiance but will not block out the conversations. The bar is so distinctive in it’s unconventional, underground, dimly lit environment, all complete with cave-like booths, that it automatically became one of my new favourite locations in the city centre.
Sofia Dedyukhina