What drink to orderThe wine, naturally. Those rolling solo or new to this natural-wine thing should head straight for the chalkboard menu. The dozen or so by-the-glass options cover the organic-winemaking spectrum, from naturally carbonated fizz – the French call this style pétillant naturel, or pét-nat for short – to lighter European red wines and hard-to-classify winemaking experiments: anyone for a sparkling “ambrosia” made with wildflower honey and merlot? The standard practice when drinking in a group, however, is to take it in turns to browse the shelves and fridges and pick out a bottle to share – all wines have both a takeaway and drink-in price (the takeaway price plus corkage) scrawled on them in chalk. Otherwise, the bar also stocks beer and cider plus a small range of spirits and liqueurs
What to pair it withJust as French, Italian and Spanish wines dominate the bar’s inventory, Mediterranean flavours beat at the heart of the kitchen. One part of the menu is dedicated to share-friendly small plates such as deeply flavoured pork, fennel and duck terrine, while the likes of prawn and scallop spaghetti and steak frites starring grass-fed sirloin with golden chips make fine main dishes. Whatever the size of your party, don’t miss the deeply tanned, house-baked sourdough – it’s crunchy, savoury and plays nicely with pretty much the entire menu. A vibrant pop-up and guest-chef calendar ensures the dining is as engaging as the wining.
