AD – This meal at Overdraft Craft Ale Bar was complimentary in exchange for a review.
Winchester is home to a fantastic variety of independent businesses – from coffee shops to bakeries, restaurants to cafes, there are plenty of options for a break from shopping and a refuel. This weekend I headed over to Overdraft Craft Ale Bar & Taqueria for the first time to try out their new menu – ideally located at the top of the bustling high street, Overdraft is a real gem in Winchester’s collection of eateries.
Overdraft Craft Ale Bar have a lot to offer their customers, with plenty of craft beers on tap, record evenings, live music events and (of course) excellent tacos. There are many reasons you should visit this vibrant establishment in the heart of Winchester – the main one for me is the food. It is excellent.
Inside Overdraft you’ll find cool, quirky decor that’s totally Pinterest worthy. Old-school style light bulbs, exposed brick, neon lights, indoor plants & beer barrels to perch on – it’s an eclectic mix of art and repurposed items that works so well together.
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They have an extensive range of craft ales on offer, available on tap at the bar – sourced from local suppliers & beyond. If you’re a beer enthusiast, Overdraft Craft Ale Bar is the perfect place for you – small batch craft beers paired with tacos make for an excellent leisurely afternoon.
Tacos have rapidly become one of my favourite things to eat, so I was excited to try Overdraft’s offerings – alongside street food items, their menu boasts an impressive range of tacos. They are well equipped to cater for all diets, with five of their taco choices suitable for vegans – a much better offering than a lot of restaurants!
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We were tempted by all of the tacos, so it was difficult restraining ourselves – in the end we decided to order four types of tacos and share them all.
The tacos are served two to a portion with a generous amount atop each taco, presented on metal platters with plenty of lime wedges & tomato salsa to go around. At Overdraft their tacos are all served on soft shells, which is definitely my preference – they’re so much easier to eat, and they look better too!
What a FEAST.
First up we have the breaded avocado tacos – and these were excellent. I really loved these, and it was refreshing to see avocado served as something other than a smash or guacamole.
Crispy breaded avocado with cauliflower cous cous, lime slaw, pickled red onion & coriander. What a magnificent taco! The crispy avocado was so creamy and paired beautifully with the punchy, fresh flavours of the slaw and pickled onion. These were truly delicious, and a fantastic vegan option. I would have happily eaten several more of these!
Next up we have the Machaca pepper beef tacos – these were the star of the show for us.
Oh wow, these were good.
Tender slow roasted brisket with habanero mayo, pickled pink peppercorns, lime slaw, queso chihuahua & coriander. The brisket had such an incredible depth of flavour and was so tender that it just melted in your mouth – really beautiful. The pink peppercorns were an unusual surprise that elevated these tacos to a whole other level, with a spicy kick that worked so well with the beef.
An excellent combination of flavours that really showed how Overdraft have mastered their food – I was seriously impressed by these. They are probably the best tacos I’ve ever eaten.
The smoked pulled aubergine tacos were next, topped with crispy courgettes, lime slaw, hot sauce & coriander.
We enjoyed these least out of all of the tacos as the aubergine had a much more subtle flavour – but I loved the little spiced crispy courgettes scattered on top of these tacos. However, if you’re a big aubergine fan you’d love these – and they’re another great option for vegans. The hot sauce had a lot of kick, so these ones aren’t for the faint hearted!
Lastly, we have the baja fish tacos. I’m a huge fan of fish tacos, so these were right up my street.
Tempura fried haddock with lime slaw, salsa verde, tomato, red onion & coriander. The mixture of fresh flavours, textures and beautifully cooked fish made these tacos a delight to eat. The slaw used on each of the tacos was crunchy and gave a great contrast to the rest of the toppings. These fish tacos were excellent, and I’d definitely order them again.
We were very impressed by all of the tacos at Overdraft Craft Ale Bar – packed with fresh ingredients & bursting with flavour. The use of inventive techniques on the crispy avocado & pickled pink peppercorns really made their food stand out from the crowd.
The staff were all incredibly friendly and had plenty of recommendations about the menu, the food arrived very promptly – I really can’t fault our experience. We loved everything about Overdraft!
Overdraft is a fantastic spot for a leisurely lunch, after work drinks or an evening meal, and I can’t wait to head back to sample more of their food – that masa fried chicken taco is calling my name.
You’ll find Overdraft Craft Ale Bar on Jewry Street in Winchester – it’s easy to find and in a great location for shoppers. Drop in the next time you’re in Winchester and make sure to try some of their tacos! If you’re nearer to Southampton, they have another spot open in Shirley.
Head over to their Facebook page here and Instagram page here to find out more & keep up to date with their menus. Give them a follow, and let me know what you think of their tacos!
Thank you to Overdraft Craft Ale Bar for inviting me in to try the new menu – it was all fantastic and I can’t wait to head back. All opinions are my own.
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