The Horns pub has been reborn as a new Brazilian bar and restaurant, but does its food and drink offering live up to the hype?
The Hempstead Road venue reopened as Avabar on June 21 with a Brazilian-inspired food menu, new cocktails and a refurbished interior.
Since the launch, owner Luis Silva and managing director Alessandro Oliver have expanded on their food offering, which ranges from the fish stew "moqueca" to aged "picanha" beefsteaks.
Avabar owner Luis Silva. (Image: Newsquest) From yesterday (July 17), it now features breakfast from 8am to 10am and a daily set menu from 12pm to 4.30pm, with the option of two or three courses.
I was curious to see what the menu had to offer so I went down last week to take a look.
I went to Avabar to try out its new food and drinks menu. (Image: Newsquest)
The food:
For a light weekday lunch, I went for two of the bar’s starters, the crispy squid and chicken croquettes for a total of £12.90.
Avabar's latest food menu. (Image: Avabar) I took a seat on the tasteful leather sofas towards the back of the venue and received my dishes within a couple of minutes.
Digging into the fried squid, I found them to be soft and tender on the inside with a crispy golden exterior.
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The chicken croquettes. (Image: Newsquest) The chicken croquettes and crispy squid. (Image: Newsquest) The dish was accompanied by a lemon wedge and tartare sauce which both provided a sharp flavour to balance out the lightly-spiced batter on the squid.
The chicken croquettes were soft, with a herby chicken filling surrounded by smooth potato and a crispy fried shell.
The crispy squid. (Image: Newsquest) They came with a pot of barbeque sauce which, although nothing special in itself, also gave the croquettes an element of acidity and extra bite.
Drinks:
While visiting a Brazilian bar, it would be rude not to try their national cocktail, the caipirinha.
Often confused with a mojito, it features a spirit made from sugarcane called cachaça, which is then shaken with ice, lime wedges and sugar to taste.
The caipirinha is made with cachaca, lime and sugar. (Image: Newsquest) The result is a bright and refreshing cocktail with a balance of sour lime juice and the sweet and slightly-spicy Brazilian liquor.
It was served in a tall coupette glass with a brown sugar rim which also added another dimension of rich sweetness, and would definitely interest fans of mojitos or daiquiris.
Conclusion:
Nobody is under the impression that Avabar is still The Horns and it's clear that the new owners have taken it in a different direction, while retaining elements of the iconic venue.
Although the food I tried was different to your standard pub-grub, but would definitely go down great while sat at the bar enjoying a drink or two.
Inside Avabar. (Image: Newsquest)
The caipirinha was fresh and delicious, and is a must-try for both fans of Brazilian culture and Watford foodies looking to expand their palate.
While there were many dishes I didn't get to try, if my experience is anything to go by, there is something for everyone at Avabar and it is definitely worth a visit.
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