Raku Oda in Ebi Wines
So this is the wine bar from the ex-Fat Duck sommelier?
That's right. Ebi has been popping up on and off for the past year or so, as a passion project from Japanese sommelier Raku Oda. Now it's a fully fledged wine bar that's already piqued a lot of people's interest.
Where is it?
You'll find it down Rosebery Avenue, midway between Clerkenwell Road and Farringdon Road. The nearest tube station is probably either Holborn or Russell Square, although it's also a quick bus ride from Angel too.
Where should we sit?
This is a small bar, so there aren't all that many options. There are a few seats up at the front window and some counter seating along one wall, and then there's a handful of tables to choose from.
Inside Ebi Wines
What's on the list?
Wines by the glass are written up on a board by the door, with two to three options in each category - sparkling, white, orange/rose red, sweet and sake. There's also a larger list available if you're going for a bottle. Having checked the by-the-glass list two weeks on from our visit, it's already changed, which means there's always a reason to pop back in.
Ruku talks us through the wines by the glass options.
What should we have?
When you've got such an experienced sommelier at your disposal, you'd be mad not to hand over at least some of the decision-making to Raku. That's what we did and we ended up trying four wines by the glass, including a sparkling Blanc de Noir from Eppelman, a chilled organic red from Domaine Michel Lafarge Bourgogne and a Grace Koshu Kayagatake made in the shadows of Mount Fuji.
Is there food?
There is some light snackage, yes, including a choice of British cheeses or charcuterie and also some homemade crackers.
We went for the hiyashi tomatoes, a traditional ice-cold tomato salad which was perfect on a heatwave day.
Ebi's charcuterie plate.
Overall thoughts:
Ebi may be a small, independent wine bar, but it retains some of the gravitas of Raku's three Michelin-starred background. We very much appreciated that thoughtful service, with bottles turned to display the wine labels to the guests the minute the wine is poured, and the short but interesting chat about our choices once the wines arrived at the table. If you're a Londoner that's at all interested in good wine, then there's no question, you need to pay this a visit.
More about Ebi
Where is it? 5a Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4SP
How to book? It's walk-ins only
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @ebi_winebar_shop
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