Forza Wine at the NT in Lambeth

Delicious, well priced food and great service!

Delicious food, incredible views and fantastic service!

Went for a drink at Forza Taps. Sat there for 15 minutes but the staff were too busy juggling ice cubes to take my order. We left

Aubergine + orange wine was delicious!

Stunning terrace restaurant at the NT. But the food is a little hit and miss. The cauliflower fritti were very salty — like more salt than you get at a triggerhappy chip shop. The food was generally salty that day - not sure what was going on. We ordered a bottle of burgundy 2022 and the bottle we got was 2023. This was casually explained away as “we’ve changed the vintage” but it’s not what was on the menu, and the wine was not cheap. Generally a little sloppy. But yes, beautiful location

Food was varied and delicious. We had excellent assistance from Millie including good advice on the wine. Many thanks

Sort out your service! Emailed ahead to ask if we needed reservations, told no reservations needed as was a weekday afternoon and to just walk up. Arrived, were told to take a seat upstairs by one server on the lower terrace, sat for a little while and attempted to order but were then shoo'd off by a different server who told us they were all booked up and all walk in seats were taken. Place was mostly empty, so we asked if we could stay for a few drinks and move on if they needed the table. Told we could have a different table for *maybe* an hour, but that the table in question may also be booked. We gave up at that point and left. Will try (with a booking) but be clear and realistic about how limited your walk is are!!

Great place for a pre theatre drink and meal with a view

The sea bass was extraordinary.

Extremely good with my nut allergy. Very impressive. Thank you! (Sitting outside, in the glorious sunshine, close to the river, was also an absolute joy!)

Visited with my partner on a Friday night with a last minute reservation. We had a bottle of wine and 3 plates. I’m not much of a wine expert but the white wine we had was nice. For the food plates we had the cauliflower friti, the mussels on toast and the pork chop. The friti was great as were the mussels. The pork chop was nice but was very small for £20. The service was standout, the lady that served us was lovely and even helped us to move outside after we had eaten to enjoy the nicer evening weather. The interior section was very loud which would be my only gripe - obviously a result of the popularity of the bar.

Amazing location and perfect on a sunny day overlooking the river. Food is okay. Staff are some of the surliest and most unhelpful I’ve come across in London.

We decided to visit this new venue at the National Theatre for a spot of dinner. Lovely views and a delightful place to sit on a pleasant evening. So we settled down and ordered a carafe of the house white, Ciello, while we considered what to have, with a pleasant sense of anticipation. One taste of this wine changed our evening completely. Has anybody in the management team actually tasted this stuff? It reminded us of cheap sherry that had been watered down, and was completely undrinkable. A restaurant should be judged by the quality of its house wine. And it wasn't as if it was cheap! Yet the most basic wine in a box would have been preferable. We paid for this insulting brew and then decided to eat elsewhere instead, because if that is the baseline standard of quality then frankly, we won't be returning. It is so insulting to be patronised by being passed the cheapest, most unpleasant wine, at vast profit, no doubt, when so many decent basic wines are available. Two emails to the management were ignored - they simply don't care.

Fabulous place for drinks in the sun 😎😁

I love it here. The service was hit and miss but the food was delicious

Great restaurant/bar in the National Theatre. We sat outside to enjoy our sharing plates in the sunshine. Food was amazing, and drinks were good too. It was a little hard to get wait staff attention because we were right at the end of the balcony on a busy day, but they were friendly and our order came out very quickly.

I’ve been here a few times now (most recently, March 2025) and have always had a good experience. It’s a bustling restaurant and bar at the top of the National Theatre and is well placed in an area with pretty limited food options beyond bland chains. This is no stuffy theatre restaurant; it’s got its own personality and more often that not I’ve come here for this place alone, rather than pre/apres theatre (which speaks for itself). The food menu is modest but varied and seasonal, with a few staples such as the delicious cauliflower fritti. I’ve never had a bad plate here but there’s almost always one or two stand outs with the rest between good and great. Occasionally, a plate doesn’t really feel much more than the sum of its parts. And the kitchen can sometimes be a bit too liberal with the salt. The wine and cocktail list includes a good mix of classics and more leftfield options. The service is friendly but because it’s typically packed, not always super quick. As with most small plate places, you can quickly rack up the costs but if you stick to the top half of the menu for food and wine, it’s pretty decent value. Bonus point for the late closing time at the weekend (by Central London standards).

My third visit to Forza Wine at the National Theatre, and it's just perfect every time. It also feels incredibly good value (compared to other London restaurants!). It made my friend's birthday so special, the staff couldn't have been nicer and the food and drinks were all amazing. I will continue to drag my friends and family here until they have all had the cauliflower fritti and the frozen cocktails! Thank you :)

Everything is so good here. Brilliant staff do their best to accommodate everyone. Good value - the cauliflower fritti are a must

I went mid-afternoon for a glass of wine. I think this probably is a really good hub for people who want a cup of tea and to log on to the internet because the downstairs was full of working students and adults. Whilst the upstairs bar was virtually empty and there were three staff milling around, we waited a long time to be served... So much so that as soon as the drinks came I asked for the bill as we literally had 5 minutes to gulp them down before we would do elsewhere I didn't find the atmosphere nor the vibe, particularly wonderful, so I definitely won't be rushing back.

Came here for the lunch deal - had a lovely meal with a glass of wine included for £15 which is such a fab price for the quality. Food was amazing and the staff were really knowledgeable on the wines. Excellent !

A Terrible waiter with a grey beard and a trendy cap made fun of me to his colleague because my chair was not stable. And I should have replaced it by myself. He was very rude to me. Especially when you spend 200 pounds for 3 meals. They will find an excuse but when I read the other reviews, something is wrong with the staff.

Very pricey drinks, for not great choices

Great place overlooking the Thames for some delicious food and wine

Popped in at 2200 for a glass of wine, the lofty greeter ‘we’re closed’. Heard my accent and stated, ‘you can have one’! The bar was rammed, open till late. So glad I do not live in racist London anymore.. Update @ forzawine Check your CCTV, you will see the interaction. @ forzawine I guess you guys checked then. Cool beans. Green book it is.

I loved this place for a nice glass of wine and small delicious plates. Perfect for a quick dinner before a play. Everything we had was great. They change the menu very often. Will definitely go back.

Been a few times to Forza Win/Forza Wine over the years but thought the service was below the usual standards when I visited yesterday evening at the National Theatre. Lots of waiting..to be seated, to order food, waiting for dishes to come out until you give up. The service was slow in too many areas and felt transactional and not personable unfortunately.

Food was delicious overall but service was slow. 30 minute wait for some dishes all veg and then another 20 minutes in between vegetables and steak.

We had our office Xmas lunch here (30 people) it was amazing and the sharing menu is perfect for a large group! Fab service too, especially Bas & Flora!

We had the best meal! The staff were all amazing, the food delicious, everything was perfect!

We booked a table for 13 for our engagement lunch with our family and had the most incredible experience - it couldn't have been more perfect. The staff were lovely and attentive - our glasses were never empty and food was delicious / there was so much of it! Thanks so much

Not a great experience, and a shame as everyone in our group had loved previous meals in Peckham. We had booked to eat the sharing menu, but made it clear one of our party had dairy allergies that the restaurant said they could accommodate. We were also clear that we didn’t expect the whole group to eat allergy adjusted dishes, this was only needed for one person. The kitchen unfortunately just redacted the dairy from most dishes, which meant they were no longer well balanced, or in some cases, in any way pleasant. Serving staff also kept slamming dishes onto the table with no explanation and walking away, which meant we didn’t know what we were eating or whether the dish was suitable for the person with allergies. Overall disappointing and not the experience we thought we had discussed in advance with the restaurant. However drinks were delicious and the famous custardo was lush as ever.

Nice selection of wines before the show. Fantastic energy and lovely staff.

Comes at the top of my favorite restaurants and probably the best one that have been to for a very long time. Very nice atmosphere, lovely ambiance, not crammed, not noisy, excellent service. All dishes we had were super tasty and the wine was good quality. Forza is able to offer all this without being ridiciously expensive as some restaurants are in that area.

I can't comment on the food because we did not get served. My friend got to our table on time, I was running late. She did not get served, offered water or any attention for 15 minutes. I arrived and waited 5 minutes, so this is now 20 minutes into our reservation time. Everyone else is being served. I made eye contact with members of staff who ignored me. My friend had the same experience. It was like we were invisible. I had to check to see if I was wearing my invisibility cloak but I did notice that we were the only POC in the restaurant. Bear in mind this is in the NT and we had a show to catch, so we made the decision to leave and head to the bar downstairs instead. Awful service. Would not return. Don't waste your time or money here.

I wish I could review this restaurant alas I was not served and didn't get to try anything. I arrived at 1:43 and was shown to my table. My friend arrived not long after me. We proceeded to wait a total of 19 mins not a single waiter came over to check in and take our order. They all seemed to be avoiding eye contact with us. We eventually left and I complained to the girl at the door on the way out. She offered to take our order but for me it was too late - we also had a play to catch. I'm not giving them my money and paying some (lack of) service charge. Now, I've seen other reviews that echo the same bad service sentiment.

On the second floor of the National Theatre. Cool vibe. Had the £8 draught orange wine (4*, nice but not very chilled), steak (5*), potatoes (4*) and Brussel sprouts (4*). The roast potatoes came 10 mins before the steak, but I accept this is how small plates places work.

An unexpected venue at the National Theatre! I went there for lunch, and the host was super nice and handsome. The menu was very eclectic and unique. I absolutely loved the specials that day, especially the Italian pumpkin lentils with hazelnuts. The cod was cooked to perfection, and the baked potatoes—oh my, absolutely delicious! Plus fantastic view over the River Thames.

Lively atmosphere pre show, we had a carafe of wine to share and a few small dishes - the food was excellent. 4 dishes were adequate for 2 people. Quick service and friendly staff

Perfect pre-concert dinner and drinks. Great service, lovely atmosphere... Started our evening off on a high. Thanks, Forza ❤️

Twice in the last couple of weeks I’ve enjoyed a delicious lunch with wine at FORZA. Last time we had the whole menu which sounds like a lot, but between 5 of us it was perfect. Everyone loved the unusual dishes that complemented each other wonderfully. Highlights were the cauliflower fritti, pickled aubergine, frisée with roasted grates and burrata, and both the custardo and chocolate gelato with olive oil and sea salt left us wanting more. I’ll be back again soon. Highly recommended.

Great wine selection, amazing food and great friendly service. Housed in The National Theatre Forza Wine finds itself embracing the brutalist architecture to great effect, as in my opinion, it enhances the ambience. Take a date, your partner, or catch up with friends.

It's obviously a wonderful space but the food is incredibly underwhelming - and not cheap. Unwieldy and appetite-busting deep fried potatoes; 'pig's ear' (pork scratchings) in a mustard green salad, scattered through with Big Mac pickles; oily aubergine with the ever fashionable (but fundamentally bland, in this instance) whipped ricotta. The cheese on toast was the most enjoyable thing but (and I say this seriously) I could have made it at home. Go for some wine and bread, not for a meal.

Great friendly service which allowed us to get out 10 mins before our show. Lovely food which we ordered more off as the turnaround was so good. Completely recommend this place

I love this place! I came here during the the film festival. I was here between films for a couple hours. The server was Baz. He was lovely. Thank you so much!

Not a restaurant, it is a wine bar, but it is advertised as a restaurant. Food is very barebones.

Through the off menu podcast I heard about here and the custardo! I had a custardo (espresso with custard) it tasted sensational, a bit like a warm coffee ice cream! Was one of the tastiest drinks I had. It's a shame I had the frozen cherry wine afterwards as that was also fantastic but the custardo just pipped it to the post with being one of the best drinks. The autumn negroni was also nice but could not compete. Very smokey. Need to go back for some food now!

Imma be honest, probably the best bar I’ve been in South Bank so far. The view looks great and the drinks selection is quite decent as well!

Superb food. 4 of us had the works and we enjoyed every dish. I was very full by the end but glad I didn’t miss a morsel I will look for an excuse to go again asap

Had the most wonderful experience here, the staff, especially Lys, were so kind and helpful! Would definitely come here again for the wonderful service. The chocolate ice cream with olive oil and salt was INSANE

Ate the whole menu with glee, excellent service, well executed cocktails, great value wine list.

We visit regularly and love the food, especially in the warmer months when you can sit outside. Staff are always very friendly.

This restaurant is lovely. Would have been a great place to visit in the summer. For the price tag on the service charge, I personally didn't think it delivered. However, 3 of the 5 food items we ordered were very tasty and the cocktails, especially the old fashioned, were perfectly made. Disappointed by the Cava - it wasn't chilled enough. Food in order of what I liked most to least: chickpeas with salt cod, the aubergine dish, the cauliflower dish, the potatoes (I don't think I'd order that again) and the parsley butter bread (it tasted like grass). Loved the Custardo - I would definitely go back just for a few of those! Cost was about £55 pp including service and 2 drinks pp. Definitely worth a visit!

I had the order the whole menu option when I went with friends and it was so much fun. Delicious dishes kept coming out and for six of us it didn’t break the bank. We were totally full in the end. The problem was that we were exhausted by shouting. We couldn’t hear the people we weren’t sitting next to. There was nothing to deaden the sound. It wasn’t music just the concrete. The one in Peckham was buzzy this was just unpleasant. Pillows on the ceiling? Please we’d like to return.

Everything was fabulous. Highly recommend the cocktails too 🍹 Coming back for the Custardo!

Nothing special, too expensive.

Great place with fantastic cocktails and nibbles, it’s my go-to spot!

Honestly every time I come here the service is so dope I feel like we’re all gonna hang out after I pay the bill :)

Had an absolute fabulous time, great food and even better service. Judd man of of the match, great service with a smile

Won’t be back, way too expensive. £10-£20 per tiny small plate. Bread was so stale we couldn’t eat it. We left hungry. Service was slow. Good atmosphere & views from the restaurant.

Wonderful, friendly and attentive service. Great place to end the evening after the theatre!

Liz Fox was our server and was so attentive throughout our dining experience, she made our experience fantastic and a lovely dinner. Would really recommend the views at forza

Excellent food let down by slow unattentive service. Dined with a group of 6 on a relatively quiet Sunday mid afternoon (inside was less than 1/4 full, outside half full) and had lots of sharing plates. Food was all really tasty and good portion sizes - highlights being the cauliflower fritti and chickpeas with courgettes. Great flavours and great cooking and quality. Good drinks menu too - cocktails particularly great. Service however was slow with long wait times for server to take our order (asked one team member who said someone else would come over whilst they seemingly weren’t up to much!), one server actually took a plate of unfinished food away without checking if we were finished (which we weren’t), had to ask several times to order more drinks and to get someone’s attention. Would return but only for the food!

Great location Great food Great wine Great service Like Tony the tiger says, they're GGGGREAT!

Unfortunately really bad service!! Which really let down the beautiful view.

Lovely vibes and staff but don't go if you want alcohol free options! (I know it's a wine bar but still)... There isn't any normal soft drinks and the mocktails were not nice at all

Nice dishes and great atmosphere! We were served wine that was too hot, though, and a few small dishes that were too cold - hence the four stars. Everything else was really good!

The food is delicious and the view is nice :)

Great food and service (shoutout to Rose - thanks!)

We had five dishes and all were delicious. Friendly and attentive staff to round it all off :-)

"Amazing orange wine, cocktails and food! Beautiful summer experience and I reckon very close during autumn / winter. One of my favorite places in London!"

Delicious small plates and a fantastic selection of wines. The service from Rhiannon was absolutely second to none - truly outstanding.

Situation lovely if you can get a table overlooking the river Cocktails were basic and food Very 3rd rate with no attention to presentation Will not return

Delicious selection of light bites. Great value for money. Really pleased with the size of the portions for two people to share. Perfect setting, especially in this Summer season. Staff are very friendly and welcoming. Great cocktails but looking forward to coming back and trying some of their wines. Massively recommend.

Great! Food was delicious, interesting wines, nice service. Beautiful space in one of my favourite buildings. Weather was bad so stayed inside but would be great to sit outside on a nice day. Definitely recommend!

Absolutely wonderful, food was so delicious/fresh/delightful and plates very generous. Super value for excellent service, wonderful drinks and meal. We had a super long day in London and were so exhausted; we felt really relaxed and taken care of. Don’t think twice, come here and have a frozen marg. Make sure to book though, ideally in the dining hall. Wine is fantastic too, of course.

Fabulous food and great service as always. Would highly recommend

Amazing food and setting, but the service is terrible. The waiting staff are incredibly rude and dismissive and short. Wouldn’t recommend if you want a relaxing and enjoyable experience.

I have visited this place multiple times now and thought it was about time I left a review! On my last visit we were seated outside on the terrace, it was really helpful that you could request this when booking a table if you want to be outside. What a beautiful setting to sit and have some food after work! Food was amazing (as always) we ordered everything and there wasn’t a plate we didn’t lick clean. The staff were as helpful as always and so knowledgable. We wanted to try a few different wines and the staff were patient whilst we tried a few options before deciding. I will be visiting again and recommend if you haven’t been before!

Always amazing food and the staff are so friendly. Great selection of wine and cocktails and ideal for a pre-theatre meal. The terrace is also great on a warm evening. Will definitely be going back.

Amazing food, great service and a really lovely wine list.

Just had a beautiful lunch at the NT at Forza Wine. Reasonably priced small plates matched with good wine in the sunshine. What else do you need? Oh yes, great service, and we had that too. Must come back to try that lower terrace bar.

Amazing meal last night, the staff were incredibly helpful and kind towards my mother and I. The cauliflower fritti was just delicious, and the chickpeas. Would highly recommend, looking forward to returning.

Nice atmosphere, very relaxing, good views and very friendly service. However vegan options were very disappointing. They made some of the dishes vegan but they were served with non-vegan condiments, it was lucky we checked (this needs to be fixed). The non-alcoholic options were great though!

Best place for good wine or a great martini

Not my first time at Forza and wont be my last! As always the service was above and beyond, attentive, service with a smile! The food is always on point. Their fried potatoes were next-level amazing. And don't even get me started on the cauliflower fritti – it's a MUST-ORDER. Grape daquiri on a summers day is what everyone on the south bank needs!

Top notch, again. I have had a few brilliant evenings here and at the Camberwell site with my parents. This is the exactly the sort of restaurant we want, and the sort of food we want to eat. The view is also unbeatable!

The new Forza Wine @ The NT is the perfect addition for this group. Perfect for a pre-theatre nibble or a delightful dinner no matter the occasion. Food is delicious, the wine and cocktails are great and the service is even better. Will be heading back soon, just not soon enough

Having been a regular patron of Forza since the early days in Peckham, I simply cannot fault the consistency of produce and service at every location. I am always delighted when the team develop a new venue and this one certainly lives up to expectations!

The food and cocktails were really nice, especially the cocktails! But there were so many tables empty with good views on the terrace and although we booked a terrace top table they refused to let us move our table, there were about 8 empty tables and they claimed people were coming but why couldn’t we have their table, they hadn’t booked that specific table?! It put a damper on it because the staff were being so stubborn about something so minor.

We had a reservation for outdoor seating on a rainy Saturday. No one greeted us when we arrived, so I had to approach someone to be seated. A seemingly indifferent lady showed us to our table, which was out in the rain. I mentioned we were okay keeping the reservation because the rain was letting up. She left us with menus for half an hour, and no one came over until I asked for wipes to clean the chairs and tables. Another lady came and, while rolling her eyes, cleaned the table. We had to wait another 20 minutes to be served until finally, a lovely waiter helped us. It felt like they didn't want us to be there. I have been looking forward to visiting this place for a long time, as the location is marvellous. Unfortunately, the service and wines did not live up to expectations. I hope Forza Wine can improve, and perhaps a good manager can address the issues there.

Everything was amazing. I cannot fault the service or the food. Having worked in hospitality for over decade, I have high standards, and every single person went above and beyond for us. I highly recommend it and cannot wait to go back.

Great food, location and atmosphere my 3rd visit and 10/10 every time - best thing about FW are the staff - the girls are beyond lovely and great service.

had a wonderful full snack menu with friends - from start to finish to die for! and service, especially from the young lady who studies textile design, was top notch and super welcoming!

Food was overpriced and not that good

So font desk rep was a little erratic. However wait staff were lovely and attentive. Felt like there was a lot of staff. Been to Peckham one a few times. Cocktails were nice. Food in theory was good - but it was all very salty. Like I mean we walked away from the restaurant feeling queasy it was that salty. Everything apart from the lamb was over salted. We know for flavour it is a best friend when it comes to dining out. But I would say less heavy handed. However, all cooked well and some nice thought out dishes.

Ridiculously overpriced food - literally lettuce and beans for 10 pounds a dish. Average drinks. Mediocre service. Good location.

A lovely spot on the terrace in the sunshine. We had an informal business meeting and the tapas-style menu worked really well - something for everyone. Can't recommend enough!

Was excited to visit the new location over bank holiday. Arrived and staff were not welcoming and warm at all. We were literally handed a menu, no hi no effort or enthusiasm. A shame because Peckham experience was great. Unless everyone was hungover from bank holiday celebrations, can’t think of why the atmosphere was so dull. Side note, we love a good olive and those were just so underwhelming, cauliflower fritti went down a treat though!

Nice bar, do persevere to find it! Staff were efficient but not particularly friendly. Very keen for us to know we had to leave our table by a certain time!!