Recently opened wine bar Bottles at Old Spitalfields Market does a smart wine list with a wine-smart staff and brilliant kitchen preparing perfect plates for pairing.
The Bottles wine list isn’t lengthy but expresses deep knowledge and appreciation (particularly when it comes to Italian wines), which reflects the fact that every member of the staff is a sommelier. To be sure, the server during my visit guided my drinking buddy and me with kind expertise along our way of catching up over a few glasses of wine with small plates. We were especially pleased with a few reds from Puglia, and I enjoyed a chance to taste a Riesling from Slovenia.
I believe every wine is available by the glass. Most wines cost £7 per glass with plenty priced at £5.50 or £6 and a range of wines just over £7 or well above that. Cheapest bottle on the menu is less than £25, the most expensive more than £100.
As for food, it’s top quality too with beautifully presently dishes designed for sharing and made to match casual drinking. The menu is a collaboration with SOOD Kitchen, whose chefs boast prior experience working at Chiltern Firehouse and Taberna do Mercado. Dishes I devoured most gleefully included a watermelon and veggies gazpacho (£6.5); octopus with red pepper sauce, potatoes and olives (£12.50); asparagus with broad bean purée, almonds, lemon and mint (£7.50); and gorgeously yummy ‘cacio and pepe’ supplì (rice balls with pecorino and mozzarella, £5.50).
Service was efficient and friendly during my visit. Setting was comfortable and pleasant. Bottles is now my first choice for meetings folks for friendly drinks in Spitalfields.
Bottles is located at 67 Brushfield Street, London, E1 6AA. Find out more at bottleswine.bar.
