Highbury gets a brand new wine bar (and added poutine) with Conviviale

Late last year, Islington wine bar Vins closed after eight years in Canonbury. But now a new wine bar is getting ready to emerge in its place, as Conviviale has just opened the doors. 

It comes from Cat Barry, who's new to hospitality, having quit her job in tech a couple of years back, but brings with her a love (and collection) of wine. Originally from Montreal, "another great city with great nightlife, energy and food scene", her aim is to bring some of that vibe to the local area. 

Starting first with the wine, Cat has long had a love of wine and has been amassing her own collection. But if you're expecting another natural wine bar (there are quite a few in the area), that won't be the case here.

"There are some natural wines on there, but it's more classic and focused on a lot of European, obviously, being in London, but there are also some of my favourites from North America, from South Africa, from other parts of the world as well. So it's pretty broad." She'll also be adding bottles from her own cellar onto the list, "just trying to share things that maybe folks wouldn't have, that you wouldn't normally get to try." You can also expect to see a few premium options on the list at Conviviale, as well as local beers, including Hackney's Howling Hops. 

On the food side, there will be cheese and charcuterie boards, and it sounds like they'll be well worth a look. "Some of our staff have quite eclectic backgrounds, and there are a few cheesemongers. So our cheese selection is definitely up to point". The boards were available at an earlier pop-up, but for the main opening, they'll be adding a few new dishes, including a pork chop with mustard, maple syrup, fennel & cabbage and steamed mussels Thai style.

And, given her background, there will be poutine. She says it will be "a really nice one. We're making our chips in the house. We're making our own gravy, and we've sourced some really great cheese to go with that."

As for the space itself, Conviviale will have a new bar counter and they've been working to make the room brighter. It was a shame when Vins closed, so it's great to see something new opening in its place. Wine bars really are back in vogue at the moment, and this is one that should be well worth checking out.