Rubedo
Stoke Newington, London
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East London has no shortage of sweet little indies specialising in the-funkier-the-better natural wines and modern European small plates. Yet Rubedo, a tiny, zinc-table neighbourhood spot on Stoke Newington Church Street, stands out for several reasons: the warmth of the service; the unwavering seasonality of the ingredients; and the personality it stamps on a classic concept. It’s familiar but fresh. We were immediately impressed by the array of drinks, including homemade cardamom tepache (a fermented beverage involving pineapple peel), Little Pomona cider by the bottle, and a rotation of six wines by the glass (among them a bone-dry Austrian field blend and sparkling red). The owners are sharing what they love, rather than playing it safe. Rubedo’s menu celebrates what’s good right now, going ‘more than organic’ where possible when it comes to sourcing. To begin, saucisson and coppa are homemade and cut to order, while a fritto misto of red pepper, cauliflower, broccoli, radish and more has batter as light as a fairy’s wings just clinging to it, so the vegetables sing. Main courses tip into comfort food territory: schnitzel Holstein, poussin with aïoli, a tranche of pork and rose veal lasagne with a sweet, fresh, tomato vodka sauce. Prices are kind (the most expensive dish was £21 on our visit). There’s just one special: perhaps grilled sweetcorn at its peak. For dessert, fresh grilled apricots accompany Sinodun Hill goat's cheese, and there are cherries with the chocolate crémeux. We can only show you a seasonal snapshot. Visit at any other time of year, and you’ll find menus and specials tailored to the calendar. The way it should be. Those wines will repay adventurous exploration: from volcanic Sicily to the Jura, Valencia to the Auvergne, everything on the list is innocent of chemical or mechanical treatments, and many of them are free of sulphur dioxide. Other-worldly fragrances and bizarre shades of white are to be expected, and prices are mostly on the reasonable side for the quality.
