Travel
Top places in and around London
1707
Fortnum & Mason, 181 Piccadilly, London, W1A 1ER
+44 (0)207 734 9040
Department store Fortnum’s has always had a terrific wine department but now they have a smart new wine bar to go with it. Even better, you can buy any bottle from their range and just pay 10 corkage to drink it in the bar. There’s also a short menu with recommended wine pairings.
Arbutus
63-64 Frith Street, London W1D 3JW
+44 (0)207 734 4545
www.arbutusrestaurant.co.uk
It’s not so much what Arbutus offers in the way of wine pairing but the fact they give you the wherewithal to work it out for yourself by offering all the wines on their list by the 250ml carafe. The food is really top notch too.
Aubergine
11 Park Walk, London SW10 0AJ
+44 (0)20 7352 3449
This smart Fulham restaurant survived the departure of Gordon Ramsay to become one of the most reliable places to eat in town thanks to the French-inspired cooking of William Drabble and smooth-as-clockwork wine service. They’re also one of the first London restaurants to introduce a serious beer list. The set price lunch which includes half a bottle of wine and water, Gavroche-style, is just 34. A bargain.
Le Cercle
1-5 Wilbraham Place, London SW1X 9AE
+ 44 (0)20 7901 9999
Sophisticated Parisian-style basement restaurant on the Chelsea/Knightsbridge border run by the same team that own Club Gascon, Cellier Gascon and Comptoir Gascon in Smithfield (also good wine venues). Every dish of the modern French tapa-style menu is paired with a wine (all French, mostly obscure). They also serve a vodka flight too (see xxxx)
Typical matches
Cassolette of Pine Morels with Chateau Simone Palatte (a Provencal white)
Malibu cake, ctirus variation, coconut sorbet with Clos Thou, Supreme de Thou, Jurancon
Green and Blue
Green & Blue, 38 Lordship Lane, East Dulwich, London SE22 8HJ
+44 (0)208 693 9250
www.greenandbluewines.com
One of a innovative new wave of wine bars whose owners have a mission to make you drink better. Food is limited to what owner Kate Thal charmingly describes as some “seriously good bits and pieces” - cheese, cold meats and fish (they don’t have a chef) but if you’re down Dulwich way it’s a great opportunity to explore wines you haven’t tasted before. They also hold regular wine tastings. (Thal also consults at Cru in Hoxton which has a similarly interesting list)
The Greyhound
136 Battersea High Street, SW11 3JR
+44 (0)20 7978 7021
www.thegreyhoundatbattersea.co.uk
This wine-oriented gastropub is well worth crossing the river for. Owner Mark van der Goot is seriously into his food and wine matching. “Time is taken to ensure that all the food at the Greyhound is wine-friendly" he states on his website. "Many of the dishes can be matched to individual wines by the glass” Food is simpler than it was at one stage - British with Italian influences.
Pied-a-Terre
34 Charlotte Street, London W1T 2NH
(44) (0)20 7636 1178
www.pied-a-terre.co.uk
Smart, serious modern restaurant just north of Soho. Owner David Moore has long been committed to matching food and wine which features in a regular ‘menu degustation devised by Aussie chef Shane Osborn. Pricey (except at lunchtime) but good.
Typical matches:
Pan-fried foie gras with carrot and cumin puree, caramel foam and balsamic jus with Domaine Schlumberger Pinot Gris Grand Cru Kitterle 2004
Assiette of salt marsh lamb with confit turnip, turnip cream, chicken jus with hazelnut with Qunta de Roriz 2002, Douro, Portugal
Ransomes Dock
35-37 Parkgate Road, London SW11 4NP
+ 44 (0)20 7223 1611
www.ransomesdock.co.uk
Long established Battersea Modern British restaurant with awesome cellar, described by wine-loving chef-patron Martin Lam as “A list of wines for drinking and enjoying with other people, not simply a chequebook wine list designed to impress guide book inspectors” Great favourite with the wine trade.
Roussillon
16 St Barnabas Street, Pimlico, London SW1W 8PE
+ 44 (0)20 7730 5550
www.roussillon.co.uk
Sometimes their ideas are a bit OTT (see Matching for Minors) but chef Alexis Gauthier has a 10 year track record of offering interesting food and wine matches, especially with vegetable-based dishes and, during the nearby Chelsea Flower Show each May, with flower-based ones. Wine pairings are available with each course of the tasting menu
Vinoteca
7 St John St, Smithfield, London EC1M 4AA
+44 (0)20 7253 8786
www.vinoteca.co.uk
Small, cosy, bistro-like wine bar opposite the iconic St John's which scooped the award for Best Wine Bar in this year's (2006) Time Out Eating and Drinking Awards. Hearty rustic cooking - the chef trained with Simon Hopkinson - and thoughtful pairings with every dish.
Typical matches
Slow cooked neck of pork, melted white onions, cider, mash and sprout tops with Heinrich Red 2004, Gernot Heinrich (Austria)
Selection of cheeses, apricot and rosemary relish, homemade oatcakes with Marsala Superiore Riserva, Curatolo (Sicily)
Out of but within easy reach of London
The Crooked Billet
2 Westbook End, Newton Longville, Milton Keynes, MK17 0DF
+44 (0)1908 373 936
John Gilchrist used to work at a restaurant called 1812 in Brown’s Hotel where he was famous for serving every wine on the list by the glass. Amazingly he’s managed to pull of the same feat at this traditional country pub in an unprepossessing village just outside Milton Keynes. You can order a flight of 3 different wines to accompany their award-winning cheeseboard.
The Harrow at Little Bedwyn
Little Bedwyn, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 3JP
+44 (0)1672 870871
www.theharrowatlittlebedwyn.co.uk
Roger Jones is a passionate wine enthusiast with a real treasure trove of a cellar which is particularly strong in top end Australian wines. Which makes it hard to know whether to order by the bottle or the glasses that are recommended with each dish. You can also buy wine to take away at retail prices
Typical matches
Fresh timbale of Isles of Scilly crab with Tamar Ridge Riesling
Fillet of Wild Sea Bass, Chorizo, Clams & Baby Spinach with Palacio Quemado Crianza 2003
Hotel du Vin
www.hotelduvin.com
There are now 8 hotels in the Hotel du Vin group including Brighton, Henley Tunbridge Wells and Winchester and while they aren’t quite the brilliant value they once were to stay in they’re still a great place to go to drink well. All have well-trained sommeliers and offer a comprehensive ‘Ecole du Vin’ programme of wine events and tastings
Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons
Church Road, Great Milton, Oxford, OX44 7PD, England
+44 (0)1844 278881
www.manoir.com
Like any 2 Michelin-starred hotel you’d expect Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir to have a good list but because of his keen interest (and strong views) on wine he always goes that extra mile. Recently he and his sommelier have overhauled the list to remove wines he considers too high in alcohol and tannins for his food and has also introduced some beer pairings. He’s also now holding food and wine courses where you can learn to match and cook with wine.
The Vineyard at Stockcross
Stockcross, Newbury, Berkshire RG20 8JU
+44 (0)1635 528770
www.the-vineyard.co.uk
Given the extraordinary range and depth of this California-dominated winelist you’d expect to see more of these gems offered by the glass but perhaps with the arrival of Claire Thevenot from the Hotel du Vin group that will happen. Their talented chef John Campbell is certainly knowledgeable about wine and they do - highly unusually - carry food and wine pairing tips on their website
Comments: 0 (Add)
RSS
