Sonder

Since opening in April 2025, Sonder seems to have fulfilled its brief as a casual neighbourhood bar and bistro. There’s a hip feel to the place, helped by an upbeat soundtrack, stylish staff dressed in black, and interior design of the post-industrial ilk. Bare brick walls and austere metal lights hanging from a ceiling arrangement straight out of a Meccano set are tempered by wooden floorboards, displays of wine bottles and a bar counter with stools at the ready. The vibe is welcoming, not trendier-than-thou.

During our Friday lunchtime visit, the place was buzzing with young and old, mothers with babies, and the odd laptop-balancing local settling down for the afternoon. As befits the set-up, the menus are easy-going, catch-all and enticing, with a choice of mainly Euro-accented dishes ranging from ‘small bites’ (courgette and ricotta rösti, for instance) to main courses listed under headings such as ‘ocean’, ‘mountain’ (aka steaks), ‘birds and pigs’ and ‘veggie’.

To begin, the tender meat in our crispy lamb lettuce wraps was overwhelmed by a cloyingly sweet chilli sauce, although a cylinder of delicately cooked hake in a lentil stew was made appetisingly savoury with some ’nduja, plus four plump Cornish mussels (a highlight). To finish, a dense, creamy Basque cheesecake boosted by a sticky Pedro Ximénez sauce hit the mark precisely. Drinks include modern cocktails (Penicillin et al) as well as a varied wine list with ample by-the-glass options. There’s certainly potential here.