Chris and I were very pleased to see that the Independent on Sunday ran a little news piece about our new concept for Cafe A Vin. and this led us to musing as to when it was that we first became so interested in natural wines and biodynamic wines. You may or may not know that I am virtually tee-total and much of the reason for this is because many wines simply do not agree with me - I love them but often the feeling is not mutual. I am sure that many of you will agree with me when I say that too much wine coupled with late nights, early mornings a full time job and three children means that one cannot tolerate a thumping headache, especially an alcohol induced headache.
So I have opted for sobriety, however at weekends when Chris and I are occasionally 'off-duty' we do like the odd tipple and especially a good wine. A very dear friend of ours who has for a long time been deeply into natural wine suggested that we try them, as he found that the very low levels of sulphur in the wine production greatly reduced the post wine-drinking headache. So we gave it a go and from that moment I was hooked and not to overlook the fact that many of them taste superb. Without wishing to dumb it down completely if you have the time you should visit this very good website which explains more about natural wines and biodynamic wines.
Owning a restaurant has its perks and one of them is that you can introduce new ideas - not for gimmicks or to attract press attention, but because you discover something that you love and you want to share it with others. Cafe A Vin is a fabulous restaurant in which to do just this and I'm so pleased that in the Cafe we have a lovely new list which has many natural and biodynamic wines on it. I would urge you to give them a try, some can be a little challenging, not always presenting as one would expect, but if you try them and don't like you can always go for something more familiar. As I believe that on our list there is a wine to suit everyone's taste-buds.
The Long Launch retrospective this week looks at the Cafe and the bar, and it's interesting to see how our ideas have changed.....
The Long Launch Retrospective - French Restaurants London
As we all know a great bar is the heart of a great restaurant, and not being people who like to take chances we have three. Perhaps the most exciting is the 6 meter long, pewter bar that will become the focal point of the Cafe de Luxe. Terence Conran commissioned the piece and called it the 'voluptuous, feminine pewter bar, some of you will remember it from his restaurant Aurora at the Great Eastern Hotel.
We couldn't resist snapping it up at auction and congratulated ourselves on what we considered to be the bargain price of £5,000. We soon realized that relocating it, storing it and having it professionally polished have increased the cost to a more eye-watering £35k. Still it is a joy to behold and will be further complimented by our bar manager, Riccardo Andreotti who we have managed to persuade to head east, after many years in Park Lane. He has the easy charm and charisma that one has come to expect from a top barman, and as Sara can testify makes a mean Vodka Martini.
We have had a tough time choosing which draught beers to have on, and are still undecided, but one thing we have sorted out is the aperitivo time from 5.30 to 7.30. This is a really special time of the day, and we have taken the idea from the bars of Milan, Turin and Vienna where amazing cocktails and aperitifs are mixed and served with house canapes. It's a lovely time where you can relax and unwind and catch up after work. Actually, we will be half-tempted to join you.
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