Small plates and glasses of wine are the perfect pairing at Passione Vino
What do we need to know about Passione Vino?
For twenty years, wine importer and wine bar founder Luca Dusi has been doing things differently. His Shoreditch wine bar, Passione Vino, stood out for being the only bar in London without a wine list. Instead, the schtick was that guests talk about the wines they like and their budget, and then staff recommend their favourite wines that fit the brief. It's always meant that when we went there, we ended up trying something new and delicious that we hadn't had before.
Fast forward two decades, and now Luca is the proud owner of two wine bars, with the addition of this new branch in Exmouth Market, which opened up just before Christmas.
Where exactly is it?
It's taken over the space on Clerkenwell's Exmouth Market that used to be occupied by tattooist Family Business. They've moved to the premises next door and as they did, apparently designer Mo Coppoletta gave Luca the nod that their previous space was going to be free, and so might make a fabulous new bar. Fun fact: Mo was also the original designer for the Passione Vino logo back in the day.
The nearest tubes would either be Angel or Farringdon, both a ten-minute walk away.
That large window got progressively fogged up as the evening went on and the bar filled up.
What's the space like?
It's a lovely light-filled building directly on the market. The main bar is at the front - if you want more of an interactive experience, the bar would be the place to pick. There's also a fabulous, conservatory-style private dining space at the back that would be great for groups and will be used for tastings too.
Inside the bar
The private room at the back
So the wine list is Italian?
It is predominantly, although not exclusively, Italian, with bottles "imported from small artisan natural wine producers across 95 different wineries in Italy".
On a cold January night we started out with a fabulously fruity Dirupi OLE' Rosso di Valtellina DOC (£50 for a bottle to drink in, £10.50 a glass) and finished with a mineral-packed glass poured from a magnum of I Custodi Aedes Etna Bianco DOC which they had already opened in the fridge (£57 for a normal-sized bottle, £11.50 a glass). That magnum should change weekly, so there's always something fresh and new on offer.
Presumably, there's food too?
There is. Chef Pascal Lazzarotto has put together a lovely menu that marries Italian small plates with some amazing selection of Italian cheese and charcuterie. It's just the kind of food you want with wine. And if you're thinking of dropping by at lunchtime, there's a shortlist of sandwiches using that produce, like sliced ox tongue with Verona-style parsley and anchovy sauce.
Here's a selection to give you an idea of what might be on when you go.
Stracchino Vincentino with house-made EVOO and preserved aubergine (£13) - we hadn't had this Lombardy cheese before which Culture magazine describes as "like cream cheese and Brie had a baby", but it went brilliantly with those sour, pickled aubergines.
Padova Porchetta with a winter radicchio salad (£14) - a very, very generous plating of paper thin meat which was maybe the best porchetta we've ever had in London.
Sicilian red prawn tartare with orange dressing and capers (£22) - another huge plate, this time packed with amazing prawns from Mazara del Vallo that immediately blow any other red prawns you've had out of the water.
When it comes to the cheese and charcuterie element, you can pick and choose them individually; portions range in price from £9 to £18. Alternatively, you can get them to put together a board of both for you, as we did, which also comes with chutneys and the like.
Our board (£28) included two ages of Pecorino along with a gorgeous soft La Tur Tre Latti cheese from Piedmont. We also had some Finocchiona from Tuscany and Coppa Lunga from Parma.
Overall thoughts:
Heading down to a new wine bar in the first week of January when the temperature was below zero and it was raining, we felt pretty sure that we'd be the only ones there. We couldn't have been more wrong. The place was almost full by 8pm with a nice mix of groups and couples firmly rejecting the concept of Dry January.
Staff are great at getting you out of your wine comfort zone, and the food is excellent. Exmouth Market already has a good wine bistro in 51 Cave à Manger, but there clearly is plenty of appetite for a new wine bar there too and Passione Vino fills the gap nicely. We'll definitely be back.
More about Passione Vino
Where is it? Passione Vino 58 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QE
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @passionevino
Hot Dinners dined as guests of Passione Vino. Prices correct at time of publication.
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