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Londoners have plenty to thank the Italians for: great coffee, Aperol spritzes, more on-trend restaurants than you can shake a breadstick at – and now this picture-perfect wine bar.
Bottles is located on the edge of Old Spitalfields Market and boasts an impressive wine list; it’s tight, focused and reflects a deep knowledge of the grape, with emphasis on Italian wine, of course. Those eponymous bottles have been sourced from independent producers and small vineyards, and if there’s anything that tickles your fancy, you can buy one to take home from the wooden crates that line the bar. The space is a moodily lit stretch of brick walls, wooden counters and leather stools, with an outside area backing on to the market and a cosy basement should you want to settle inside.
All the waiting staff are sommeliers, fully equipped to chat through the options. They let me taste-test a few flavours, before I opted for a smooth, savoury Puglian red. My companion went for a white from Abruzzo, and it’s fair to say, both hit the spot. Wine is served by the glass (in 125ml measures only, might I add) which range from a palatable £5.50 to a whopping £23. Should you want to make an evening of it, though, you can tuck into a bottle from just £20.
Most wine bars tend to operate on the cheese and charcuterie model, but Bottles has teamed up with southern Italian restaurant concept Sood Family to create a menu of stylish, wine-friendly small plates listing flavours like ‘tomato elixir’.
Wine bars in London are a dime a dozen, but finding one that possesses knowledgeable staff so happy to help with suggestions, tasters and top-ups – now that’s a harder feat. Grazie mille!