The Good Food Guide 1989 - first entry
Owned by the next-door print-shop, this handy wine bar has the feel of some of the 1960s Soho coffee bars and night-clubs – Les Enfants Terribles or La Poubelle – but has a 1980s persuasion in food. A sensibly short menu buys cleverly in the area – pasta from Lina’s in Brewer Street, cheeses from Camisa’s in Old Compton Street – and stays within the realms of tomato and Mozzarella salad; charred duck breast with walnut salad; smoked ham and mustard sauce; Greek yoghurt with honey and fresh fruit. ‘It is almost an anti-restaurant – no name over the door, no décor, no service but honest food’. House Spanish and French on a 60-bottle list, £6. CELLARMAN’S CHOICE: Rioja Contino, Gran Reserva ’80, £8.50
The Good Food Guide 2011
Dedicated followers of fashion may come and go, but Andrew Edmunds just keeps on rolling, peddling its Dickensian, candlelit charms to legions of devotees. The clubby Soho interior smacks of a 70s wine bar (especially if you're in the shadowy basement), there's wood-chip on the walls and everyone sits elbow-to-elbow, but who cares when the kitchen is on song and the wines are hitting the spot. The daily menu promises generosity and value in the shape of goose rillettes with red onion compote, plates of gnocchi with Gorgonzola, walnuts and courgettes, pork belly with celeriac mash, and – to finish – St Clements and almond cake. Wine-loving owner Andrew Edmunds has put together a cracking list, bursting with quirky discoveries, boutique bottles and bargains galore. Prices start at £15 (£3 a glass).
