We love low-key nights at local wine bars that don’t involve a taxi to get home. Sager + Wilde and 40 Maltby Street are already tried and tested, but there are some new kids in town that might be closer to home. These neighbourhood spots bring both old faithfuls and familiar faces of London’s wine scene to new locales.
While the east’s wine credentials are well represented, we haven’t heard as much from the south. That’s set to change with the opening of Good Neighbour in Camberwell. Just one week old today, Good Neighbour is the first solo venture from Australian chef Paul Williamson (Soho House Group, WC Clapham), with charcuterie, pizzettes and cheese ruling the small plates menu. Five wines feature on a specials section, and don’t miss the five bottles for £25 – we’ll be using it to try some wild card vintages.
Opening in May, Vins, the new project from Vinny Burke and Hugo Thurston (formerly of Shoreditch’s Jago) will be a natural wine shop with a 20-seater restaurant in Canonbury. The small kitchen, fronted by young chef Emils Fjodorovs, will offer seasonal European cooking, paired with up to a dozen cuvées available by the glass. You’ll also be able to buy a bottle from the shop to drink in the restaurant (caves à manger style), with the addition of a nominal £10 corkage charge – try something special!
And yes, there’s news on the grapevine from P.Franco: Clapton’s finest are taking over Ellory’s former site in Netil House (right by the new Mare Street Market) with Bright. They’re bringing in William Gleave (the chef that helped put P.Franco on the food map back in 2015) and Peppe Belvedere, and the new location is set to operate with a bar in front, and fully fledged restaurant in the back. We’re likely to see a departure from P.Franco’s super intimate induction hob setup, but that also means seats will be (a little) easier to come by. We say the more the merrier from Hackney’s most convivial crew.
Drink up! Wine-ing local is the new going out.
Photo: © Matt The List / Matt Hickman
