The newly re-opened Mess Cafe on Amhurst Road Photo: © Janice Pearson

Mess Cafe on Amhurst Road has reopened with a brand new look and the same enthusiastic local support. The inside is clean, modern and somewhat more spacious than the old version. Some changes to the interior mean that it’s less cramped, less squeezing by things to get to other things including the toilet, and said toilet being a good deal more pleasant to visit!

During my first return visit, I was surprised to see that the menus had not changed. A few days later, I went back to find new menus with the identical line up. Although this is somewhat disappointing – I had hoped the changes would bring in a few new items – the quality of the food remains very good, with the “Create your own breakfast” top of the list of things I really missed.

Mess Cafe is a bright oasis in the middle of some more traditional “caffs” and Turkish grills. Hackney Central could use a bit more verve and energy any way you look at it. Welcome back!

Mess Cafe
38 Amhurst Road 
Hackney (Central) 
E8 1JN

The Butchers offers a wide selection of ales and beers. Photo: © Hackney Citizen

As the respectable young lady that I am, a few months ago I’d tend to pass this pub by with a fast pace and perhaps even a shudder. The joint was known pre-April for its late-night licence, and it ain’t for nothing that its nickname was The Flying Bottle (or, to those less in the know, “that dodgy pub on the corner”).

But when I visited last Friday, I hardly recognised the place. Thanks to its massive glass windows, I could see from the street that all that was happening inside was that nice people were drinking nice beer, having nice conversations and eating nice food. Why wouldn’t I want to go in and join them?

This modern Free House is now looking spic’n’span outside and in. Antique themes are clearly represented through wooden classroom tables and church seats (with space on the back for your prayer book/copy of the Hackney Citizen), exposed brick walls on two sides and the most charming stained glass windows. However, Fornasetti’s famous face wallpaper on the back wall, the open-plan kitchen in one corner and rather bright lighting add distinctive modern touches that remind you that you’re in Stokey’s trendiest new bar.

A trendy bar that also happens to provide a very, very impressive selection of real ales, ciders, beers and wines. Four ales are served permanently on tap – Jaipur, Urban Dusk, Hophead and Dark Star American Pale Ale, and guest ales change with each week – when I visited those being guzzled in the short-term were Brodie’s Americana Fountain, Thornbridge Pollards and De Koninck Original.

Add to that a wide selection of beers (eight on tap), ciders (three on tap permanently plus one guest), squillions of bottled brews plus a pretty decent wine list, there’s frankly more than enough choice for me, and probably for you too. Thankfully the staff are trained in all things beer, plus there’s a handy menu going round with two lines of appetising description for each beverage. However could I resist Mort Subite Kriek 4.5 per cent, which, “enriched with cherries, matures soft in oaken casks”?

“This area is really nice,” Kosovanborn manager Yll Rozhaja, told me. “It’s really up and coming. There are people here who know about ales. The only way to attract them is by bringing new ones.” And if you talk to him about what you want to drink, he’ll do his best to make it happen.

Yll constantly checks online forums and blogs to see what people are saying about his bar – then implements the necessary changes to ensure his drinkers stay satisfied.

Though I didn’t try the food, others on my table had given the wild mushroom risotto the thumbs-up before my arrival. Leafing through the menu, I saw that it offered grub such as a charcuterie board, grilled prawns, the Jolly Butchers burger, fishcakes, plus enough stuff to keep a vegetarian happy for a couple of visits. Mains are around a tenner and desserts £4.50, and there are also daily specials and Sunday roasts.

And so as I sat absorbing the chatty-and-not-rowdy atmosphere of the new-style Jolly Butchers – there’s no telly and the music’s barely audible – I felt glad that there was a place on my doorstep offering proper ales and a calm, friendly setting in which I could experience them. I was 100 per cent sure I’d be popping in again soon.

The Jolly Butchers
202-204 Stoke Newington High Street
N16 7HU
020 7241 2185

Family-friendly Frizzante Cafe at Hackney City Farm Photo: © Lucy Andrew

Big blue wooden letters span the railings spelling out ‘Hackney City Farm‘.

They are splattered in paint and decorated with children’s hand prints – an indicator of the clientele you can expect to find in Frizzante, the Italian cafe-restaurant nested amongst the farm’s land.

There are hay bales galore and free-range chickens running wild. We passed a pottery-making workshop on our way into the restaurant for Saturday brunch.

We walked into a buggy brigade. Toddlers’ tears dripped into the puddles of baked beans which had amalgamated on their high-chairs. Yelps and screeches pierced the air. It became clear why Frizzante won Time Out’s ‘Best Family Restaurant’ in 2004.

Incidentally, it was actually a threesome of trendy teenage girls who sprinted ahead of us to secure the last available table. Undefeated, we politely asked a middle-aged couple if we could share their table. They agreed, albeit reluctantly.

We plonked ourselves down, hopes high despite the havoc surrounding us. If you come to eat in the Hackney City Farm you can expect nothing less than the yummiest of mummies – ordering meticulously for their young, who can barely swallow home-made baby-food, let alone differentiate between the meat of an organic corn-fed chicken and a pig raised on grains and greens.

If organic is your thing – Frizzante is your place.

From a selection of veggie and meat breakfasts, butternut squash pot pie, braised neck of lamb and green lentils, amongst other delights, I opted for the soup of the day whilst my companion chose the Farm breakfast: 2 free-range farm fried eggs, char grilled English back bacon, two English pork sausages, sautéed champignons, roasted vine tomatoes with oregano, and two slices of granary toast and butter.

The menu states that all meat is sourced from independent farms in Kent and Essex.

After placing our order at the counter, said companion returns with two piping hot lattes.

I took a stroll around the cafe, eyeing up the home-made chocolate truffles on the counter sitting next to the deliciously creamy-looking gelato in a selection of flavours, which I imagined would be a dreamy companion to one of the freshly-baked cakes displayed in a glass cabinet.

I returned to our table and we waited for our food. And we waited. The couple sitting next to us were served three breakfasts instead of two – and the combination of breakfast bits were not as they had ordered. They were disgruntled, to say the least.

Our neighbours upped and left before even touching the rounds of toast in the basket and as I grew ever more ravenous and impatient, I was tempted to do my bit for the environment and eat their leftovers – to avoid food waste – of course. Fortunately, after gentle dissuasion, I relaxed and our food arrived.

My soup looked rather like a vat of gruel – unappetising and vast – but had the most pleasant of flavours and textures; the lentils and potatoes perfectly complemented by the sprigs of rosemary.

The hunks of granary bread were slightly toasted and there was plenty of butter to layer thickly on top before dunking it into the soup.

The food was scrumptious. We ate every last scrap on our plates and then walked back out through the farm’s entrance into the brightly shining sun and clear blue skies, which perfectly mirrored our moods.

Hackney City Farm
1a Goldsmiths Row
London E2 8QA

Telephone: 020 7729 6381
Email: farm@hackneycityfarm.co.uk

Reg. Charity No. 291211

Tuesday nights at the Stag’s Head have a close-knit feel Photo: Lucy Andrew

Did you know that knitting has made a big comeback? I didn’t, until I was invited to sit with the knitting club at the Stag’s Head – a Tuesday night ritual where nibbles, the odd glass of wine, a healthy bout of chatter, and of course, working your needles furiously, are all compulsory.

I’ve come down to find out for myself what the Stag’s Head is all about after hearing muffled rumours it holds its own version of blind date, serves up free sausages, and tells NME writers to wait in line.

“We don’t have guest lists and we don’t do VIP, we just treat everyone the same,” says Matthew Graham, the pub’s owner and the man behind this revamped Hackney establishment.

“We’re not looking to be trendy. We want bands and reasonably priced drinks. Music is what we’re all about at the end of the day – folk, metal, whatever, we’re open to anyone who wants to get up on stage and be heard,” he explains.

Matthew unveiled his new vision of a pub hosting cheap gigs and shunning any music-cool hierarchy back in May last year. “I want to keep the old boys happy. They’ve been coming here a lot longer than we have and I’m hardly going to turf them out.”

A regular for 30 years, Michael Hughes said, “I knew the guv’ner before him and the one before that. One thing that can definitely be said is that it’s a lot busier these days. They treat everyone the same, whether it’s us guys or this new lot.”

And by this lot he means the gatherings of twenty-somethings who descend on the pub every night, and of course, the knitting club, who tell me their one-year anniversary, is around the corner in March.

“Anyone’s welcome to join us if they fancy a bit of knitting and a natter,” says Esther Berglund who founded the club.

But why the Stag’s Head? “We do chop and change as to which pubs we meet up in, but this is our mainstay. They’re really accommodating here and we stick to our usual table, right next to the fire,” says Claire Squared. “And right beside Stanley.”

Stanley, I learn, is the name of the club’s creation of a knitted stag’s head bust mounted on the wall, currently being tried out for auditions on Harry Hill’s knitting factor (honest!).

Despite the juke box, the dark wood panelling and the pub’s original features, I’m beginning to feel like I’m in someone’s living room as the night wears on. Everyone appears to have nicknames for each other, and everyone’s happy to openly chat and bark jokingly at one another.

It’s as though a group of mates came across the building one day, took over, and have been partying in there ever since.

Whether they’re having a film night, playing blind date, inviting a few bands over, or just chilling out with a beer or two. It’s a bit of a playground for us adults, and you’re more than welcome to get a little bit raucous.

Don’t come here if you’ll eek at the sight of peeling wallpaper, turn your nose up dusty carpets, or want to strut yourself around the bar and feel important.

It’s as Matthew, owner extraordinaire, put it: “It was crucial for us to keep all the original features. We just wanted to refresh the pub and make it somewhere we wanted to have a drink.”

And it’s looking like everyone is in agreement – the old boys, the staff, the quizmaster, and the knitting club.

Oh, and there are free sausages. You just have to be quick to get one.

The Stag’s Head
55 Orsman Road
N1 5RA

Telephone 020 7739 6741

Bottle Apostle’s general manager, Tom Jarvis

“Good all-rounders” seems like a good a place to start in our series of articles. Below are four wines which can all be drunk on their own or can be paired successfully with a wide range of foods.

Stanley Estate’s 2009 Sauvignon Blanc is a first release from a former grape supplier to many big names in Marlborough, New Zealand.

Maybe it’s beginners luck, but this is a belter; all passion fruit, citrus and gooseberry. The fruitiness makes it flexible with food; the Sauvignon Blanc grape shares flavour compounds with capsicums, which seems to help the wines take on dishes with a chilli kick as well as salads. At £11, it’s what I call “value posh”; perfect to take to a dinner party when you have no clue about the menu.

From the Languedoc coast in Southern France comes the dry white Picpoul de Pinet which is starting to feature in top restaurants due to its crisp lemony flavour; a great aperitif or partner for fish and seafood, I also find it works well with a creamy soup. The 2008 from Domaine des Lauriers (£8.90) is a fine example.

On to reds. Beaujolais suffers image problems but we have a really healthy following for it at Bottle Apostle! The tangy 2008 Beaujolais Rouge from Andre Colonge (£8.30) could be chilled for ten minutes for extra refreshment. Perfect for fish or lighter pork dishes, it’s a great compromise for people who don’t drink whites.

The final player in the quartet is the lush, full-bodied O. Fournier Urban Malbec 2008 (£8.25) from Mendoza, Argentina. With bright cherry fruit with hints of chocolate, it starred at a recent dinner matching wines to Chinese food. That it’s just right for a juicy steak can be taken for granted!

Cheers!

The Hackney Pearl offers a haute cuisine menu and lengthy wine list

Nestled amid the industrial buildings of the Wick, the Hackney Pearl looks from the outside like an unassuming café. The haute cuisine menu and lengthy wine list may thus come as something of a surprise to those who wander into the new establishment.

The Pearl is the creation of erstwhile artist James Morgan, who opted to start an eatery on the grounds that “people love food and art, but food pays better”. James cut his teeth in some of Australia’s finest restaurants, before coming to London “to look at pictures”. He ended up at St John in Clerkenwell, where he worked front of house for five years before branching out on his own.

Having lived in Hackney for 10 years, James chose the Wick partly because he was attracted by the idea of serving a clientele that includes local artists. The Pearl’s offerings are priced accordingly, as affordable as they can be whilst maintaining quality. His aim is simply to have “a good local that people can come to again and again”.

For those who only want tea, the Pearl will provide your brew in a vintage china cup with teapot to match. Alternatively, you can tuck into a three-course gourmet meal.

On Tuesday nights £10 will buy you a glass of wine and a main course, and the bar’s off-licence allows you to bring home a bottle or two of what you have sampled. On the third Thursday of the month, guest chefs from across London will be showcasing their talent, and on Wednesday nights diners can eat to the accompaniment of live music.

Is the opening of quality café and bar a sign that the Wick is losing its edge? James thinks not, yet he has ambivalent feelings about the prospect of the changes in store for the neighbourhood: “The regeneration of an area rarely benefits the people who are already there.” Like many others, James fears for the artistic community that forms the backbone of his clientele, “the artists don’t believe they are going to be treated well in the area”, he says, “they believe they are going to be priced out, and that would be a crying shame”.

For the moment, however, the art scene is thriving in this sometimes overlooked corner of the borough, and the Pearl makes a trip to the Wick even more worthwhile.

The Hackney Pearl
Oslo House
11 Prince Edward Road
E9 5LX

The Cat and Mutton, Broadway Market Photo: Lucy Andrew

“Broadway Market is no longer up-and-coming, it’s here, and The Cat and Mutton sets the benchmark for what every pub should be like in this area,” says Lewis Shorey, investment consultant, born and bred in Hackney, and another very satisfied customer.

Standing prominently at the top of Hackney’s revived market street, The Cat and Mutton has become quite the legendary drinking and dining institution, not just among the area’s arty types, but also with locals and characters from all walks of life.

“As far as I’m concerned, it’s completely changed the area for the better,” continues Lewis.

“It’s a reflection of how this community has pulled itself together off their own back, and has built something pretty spectacular. I’m telling you, it’s the new face of Broadway Market.”

Wander past at busy times and you can be sure customers will be flooding the place,  spilling out on to the pavement, hovering around the wooden benches or perhaps lucky enough to grab a table inside.

“The place is always buzzing so it has a brilliant atmosphere,” says Danielle Macguire, hairdresser.  So what is the big draw to this once dilapidated building and why has it become the place to be?

Demurely furnished and without any grand offerings, The Cat and Mutton avoids any extravagance, but instead focuses on exposed brick, leather, and vintage wooden chairs and tables.

Towards the rear is the open kitchen where two chefs sweat, refine, and muster up some culinary delights, while the bar stands tall and welcoming with its array of standard bottles of wine, beers on draught and spirits.

Leading up a winding staircase to its first floor, an additional bar has been fitted to cope with the masses and for reinforcement when a party hires it out. And in true Broadway Market style, the pub also hosts life drawing classes upstairs on a Wednesday, as well as a quiz and the occasional comedy night.

So what about these culinary delights? John Parry, assistant manager of the pub summed it up perfectly: “We sell good food all within a great atmosphere, using seasonal and fresh produce. We never buy anything in – it’s all made here everyday by our team which means we can put up a new menu every day.”

Written on a large chalkboard at the back of the venue is the daily offerings, which can include anything from mackerel fillet with quails eggs and horseradish cream, to chicken and crayfish pie, to pan fried calves liver with pancetta and mash.

We are talking top-notch grub to suit the most demanding of foodies, all within the £8 to £15 mark. Alongside the dinner menu, there is also brunch including the usual suspects of eggs benedict and a full English among others, as well as the roasts available on a Sunday which go down an absolute treat.

Even if you just come for a drink, it’s likely you will end up salivating as you watch the dishes being taken to eagerly awaiting diners.

As a regular at the pub, Satmohan Panesar, assistant TV producer said, “It’s just the perfect combination of fresh quality produce and imaginative culinary skills, coupled with friendly and hospitable service which makes The Cat and Mutton the perfect dining experience.”

And it’s not just loyal diners declaring their love for this place. “I don’t come very often,” said Nadia Heidrich, retail manager, “but the food is amazing.” This certainly seems to be something that everyone is in agreement with.

Even the staff get excited about the place. “I actually do tend to spend time here when I’m not working,” says Jessica Morris, waitress. “I love the music, it’s really laid back, and because everyone is really into the arts, everyone brings something a little different.”

Ironically, this is something which may inadvertently put customers off since people are tiring of the arty image-conscious types who can intimidate, and want to relax and unwind without worrying what they’re wearing. Rest assured.

Although you will glimpse the odd one frequenting The Cat and Mutton who thinks they are far too cool, generally customers and staff alike are more than friendly and just want you to feel at home.

One thing that can get a little annoying are the toilets – just one plus a disabled for the girls downstairs, making queuing something you will just have to get used to. But if too few toilets is the only gripe , then what is there to worry about?

The Cat and Mutton
76 Broadway Market
E8 4QJ

More on the Cat and Mutton here.

Oishiii Japanese Eatery, Stoke Newington

Red light emanating from the glass-fronted Oishiii Japanese Eatery on Church Street could almost be mistaken for downtown Tokyo illuminations. I read that as a good sign.

Inside the décor is simple: a mix of whitewash and red walls, modern art, and dark wooden tables. For those who prefer to watch as the chefs prepare their food, there’s also dining bar space with stools.

The atmosphere is buzzy but not overwhelming, so you can eat as well as have a conversation. That said, the popsy music on loudspeaker was just a teeny bit irritating.

Pricing was reasonable, with appetizers averaging the £5.50 mark, 2-piece portions of nigiri sushi around £2.75, 5-piece portions of sashimi £9.50, 6-piece maki rolls £3.65, and hand rolls £3.60.

Mains came in at an average of £8 and desserts were exactly £3.95 each. There were a variety of set menus and bento box options, including teriyaki, but we preferred to order a la carte.

A good, but not excessively elaborate, selection of wines, spirits, and soft drinks was available, along with some appropriately Asian beers. Sake could be ordered hot or cold and, there was even a sparkling variety (something I hadn’t even realised existed).

I am no expert when it comes to this particular tipple, but having opted for the hot Ozeki Ginkan variety on the recommendation of the manager, we were convinced that it tasted drier and more refined than some of the sake we had had elsewhere.

Salmon sashimi, a favourite, was superbly fresh and delicious for all its simplicity. The more adventurous Uni (sea urchin) nigiri really did taste like the sea. Apparently only the reproductive organs are consumed as a delicacy, but whichever gender lands on your plate is not said to determine flavour! We were certainly pleased to have given this one a try.

Breaking for a refreshing ginger palate cleanser, then on to a mouthful of Ikura (salmon roe nigiri) which delivered a rich burst of flavour and that nice sticky fish egg texture.

The Kaisou salad of mixed kelp was an aesthetic beauty; flavoured with soya and lemon for a juicy tang, it felt as if it was probably packed full of iodine, vitamin C, and all sorts of other things that are good for you.

A tempura prawn roll – rice enfolding prawn and young asparagus, and coated with black sesame seeds – was really delicious and could have rounded off the meal nicely for me. But my greedy husband was still hungry and said he needed just one more tasty morsel.

Unable to decide what to sample next, the ever attentive manager recommended what he described as “the best” Dragon Eel Avocado Ura Maki (inside out roll).

I would say, based on the quality all our other dishes, that this delicacy was likely to have been as good as the manager had said it was. But since eel is an endangered species we turned this option down.

In the end we played safe with the main course Chicken Katsu Curry, a substantial meal that could have packed a bit more flavour in order to lift what tasted slightly like water-inflated chicken pieces. But at £6.50 it was still good value. Without room for dessert, we rounded off our meal with a light and warming cup of Japanese tea.

The verdict: Oishiii is a great new addition to the Stoke Newington restaurant scene and, as far as I’m aware, Hackney’s only Japanese restaurant. It’s not Japanese haute cuisine, but it’s certainly a superior neighbourhood eatery that uses fresh produce (really important when it comes to fish), to make tasty food that’s value for money.

Since our visit to Oishiii, the menu has been expanded to include a variety of pork dishes, and we look forward to returning so that we can sample these too.

Oishiii Japanese Eatery
67 Stoke Newington Church Street
N16 0AR

020 7254 3488
info@oishiii.co.uk

Open 7 days a week
Mon – Fri 5pm – 11pm
Sat – Sun 12pm – 11pm

As soon as I arrived, I was hit by a ‘Heavyweight’, one of the many designer cocktails on offer (around £7), mixed by one of the venue’s prize-winning mixologists.

I sipped on a deliciously sweet concoction of rum, raspberry liqueur, and Amaretto topped with fresh raspberries, whilst my dining companion  wrapped herself in a Thai Silk: dark rum, creamy ground almonds, orange, apricot, fresh lime and pineapple.

The cocktails are designed to accompany meals, although I could well imagine stopping in for one of these on its own at the bar, backlit with golden light behind wooden filigree, curled up on one of the leather couches.

The bar is separated from the eating area by gauzy curtains draped over wooden frames.  These gentle dividers further sectioned the numerous dark wooden tables to provide an intimate setting while allowing diners to feel the bustle of the restaurant.  At 9pm on a Thursday evening the restaurant was busy but not packed.

The manager and owner of the restaurant, Atique Choudhury, was on hand to recommmend a selection of Yum Yum’s finest dishes from the overwhelmingly varied menu.

To start, we had the Yum Yum special soup, a warming sweet and sour brew with bean curd which was filling and satisfying, along with the chicken satay accompanied by Yum Yum’s own satay sauce.

Shortly after our starters we were brought a metal lined bamboo steamer full of white rice, as well as Pad Thai Jay (stir fried noodles with tofu), Kang Mussaman (lamb in red peanut butter curry), and Spinach and Fresh Tofu Curry.

The spinach and tofu curry was delicate and tart with lemongrass, yet rich and warming with coconut and chilli.  The sauce was welcome on the Phad Thai Jay, which although kindly mixed at our table with crunchy bean shoots and fresh shallots was still a bit oily for me.

The Kang Mussaman was as delicious as reputed and the remainder of our excessive portion had to be taken home for later consumption.

Owner and manager Atique, began his interest in Thai cooking when several staff at his Church Street South Indian restaurant cooked native dishes.

He pointed out that the vegetarian portion of Yum Yum’s menu is carefully put together as its meat selection.  “Vegetarian food has a different texture.  I notice this because of my background in Indian vegetarian cooking.”

Atique initially trained at Drummond Street’s Bhel Poori House.

I was generously given a copy of the Yum Yum Cookbook (usually £14.95) which includes recipes for the restaurant’s famed dishes, desserts and cocktails.

It contains an ‘acknowledgements’ page, thanking local suppliers for their generosity in supplying textiles for the cookbook’s photo-shoot, along with recommendations for where the intrepid chef can locally secure the exotic ingredients necessary.

The website provides an even more thorough list showing that Yum Yum uses local shops where possible to source ingredients and other supplies.

While we perched at the bar waiting for our cab home, Atique, a restauranteur with a presence in Hackney since 1982, told us about the history of the Yum Yum building.

The Georgian structure, with its grand entrance courtyard currently fitted with several Thai beach style wooden gazebos, was built in 1712 by a prosperous Quaker and Hackney businessman.

He was buried in the back garden in his four-poster brass bed, leading to an escape hatch to the surface, should he awaken to find he was un-dead.  As far as Atique knows, he is still peacefully resting under the Yum Yum car park.

The next carnation of 183-187 Stoke Newington High Street was as one of the first hospitals providing operations with the welcome addition of anaesthetic.

Progressively, it then served as a home for single mothers.  The restaurant has even had visits from some of the 80-plus year old souls that were born there.

When Atique bought the building four years ago to relocate the already successful Yum Yum from Church Street, its most recent use had been as the Social and Legal services department of Hackney Council.

In 2012, Hackney’s Olympic year, the building will be three hundred years old, Atique will have been running restaurants in Hackney for thirty years and he will be fifty years old.  Yum Yum, the hub of his operations, will be the setting for a grand celebration with the local Georgian Society performing tea dances.

The building’s transformational journey from home to hospital to refuge of the socially excluded is continued in Yum Yum where its daily fare of spicy meals and exciting cocktails is complemented by involvements in local societies and our host’s relaxed hospitality.  I certainly found it comforting.

YumYum
183-187 Stoke Newington High Street
N16 0LH
020 7254 6751

Opening times

Monday – Thursday
Lunch: Midday – 3pm
Dinner: 6pm – 11pm

Friday: Lunch: Midday – 3pm
Dinner: 6pm – Midnight

Saturday: Midday – midnight
Sunday: Midday – 11pm

Bottle Apostle’s general manager, Tom Jarvis

Question: What is the most popular wine drunk in UK restaurants? Answer: The second most expensive one on the menu. Boom Boom. Okay, that might be a joke, but it’s probably not far from the truth.

We’re drinking more wine than ever according to the industry body Vinexpo, the UK is the world’s largest importer of wine. But there’s more than a sneaking suspicion that our choices are dictated by what’s on offer in the local supermarket.

For those who know their Claret from their Beaujolais, or want to know the difference, the Bottle Apostle wine shop in Victoria Park Village might well become your retailer of choice.

On entering the shop, the first thing you notice is that there are indeed superb wines to buy. And lots of them. Bottle Apostle stocks an international assortment of wines ranging from around £6 upwards (if you have £500 spare, you can have a bottle of something particularly special). The portfolio is updated with about forty new varieties every month, some of which are exclusive to the shop.

Its sampling facilities are similarly impressive, with two self-service Tasting Enomatics that allow you to sample up to 32 different wines. Although somewhat exotic-sounding, the Enomatics really are easy to use, and you just top up a smartcard with credit and then you can taste at your leisure. So far, so good.

But can an unrefined palate used to a diet of cheap plonk ever find a wine to adore? General manager Tom Jarvis thinks so. “To appreciate wine, you only need to be able to taste two glasses and know that they’re different”.

And Tom knows what he’s talking about. Professionally-trained, he has taught wine appreciation for several years and is a member of the Association of Wine Educators. He genuinely does like discussing wine, and is happy to answer any questions (tip: when a waiter asks if you want to taste the wine, a simple sniff should be sufficient to decide whether it’s corked).

Aside from the sampling and the selling, Bottle Apostle also hosts regular tasting events on particular topics as well as being available for private parties. One such event, Barolo and Beyond: The Nebbiolo Grape in Focus, attracted a group of very mixed ability to sample and learn about the red grape variety predominantly associated with the Piedmont region in Italy.

Like all the other tastings, the event was led by Tom in the shop’s intimate basement cellar. In addition to explaining the background and theory behind the grape, he also encouraged the participants to describe the various flavours they could taste in the different samples. Although there were a few keen beans who had clearly attended such events before, the laid back atmosphere did mean that you could just sit back, relax and enjoy.

Fittingly, the events leave you better placed to access the wines that you love. As Tom notes, “they allow you to define what you do or don’t like, and describe it to help you buy what you really want”.

Bottle Apostle
95 Lauriston Road
Victoria Park Village
London E9 7HJ
020 8985 1549

twitter: bottleapostle