After months of anticipation – and a string of successful pop-ups – Ebi Wines is finally open.
I went along on its first night, when it seemed like every Londoner was making a beeline for the nearest pub to watch the football. I, meanwhile, was in search of a quiet glass of wine, well out of earshot of any pre-match commentary.
The new Clerkenwell wine bar comes from Raku Oda, a highly respected sommelier and Master of Wine who’s previously worked at Heston Blumenthal’s three-Michelin-starred The Fat Duck. Over the past year, he’s gradually built a loyal following through a series of wine tastings hosted at the Islington hair studio Teto, where he and his wife, Tomoko, ran the concept while searching for a permanent home.
That home is a handsome red-brick building on Rosebery Avenue, where Ebi Wines now operates as both a wine bar and bottle shop. Named after the traditional Japanese word for the colour of grapes, it’s bijoux in size, with a bar and open-plan kitchen that dominates one side of the room, while seating is spread along a yellow-tiled bar, a window nook just big enough for two, and a handful of tables that can accommodate groups of up to eight.
The wine list spans every colour – sparkling, white, orange, rosé and red – alongside a sweet wine and sake. Raku’s pop-ups have showcased producers from everywhere from Wiltshire and Wales to Tenerife, New Zealand, Italy, Germany and Austria, and the list here continues in the same globe-trotting spirit. I ordered a sparkling German pinot noir from Weingut Eppelmann: rich and generous, but with enough acidity to keep it light and wonderfully refreshing. Sitting at the bar watching Raku work, it was impossible not to notice the care and attention that has gone into every detail. Every glass arrives with a small, handmade coaster, the cutlery is Japanese-designed, and slender brushed-metal shelves are lined with books on art and ceramics.
The food offering is intentionally restrained: olives, homemade crackers, British cheeses, British charcuterie, and chilled tomatoes served hiyashi-style, generously seasoned with salt and a splash of soy sauce.
And in an area already peppered with great places to eat (Quality Wines, Quality Chop House, Vesper, The Eagle, Morchella, Sessions Arts Club), now there’s a great place to drink that’s not just the pub.
NOTE: Ebi Wines is open from Wednesday to Sunday. You can find out more and book a table (for groups larger than 4 and up to 8) on the Ebi Wines website.
Ebi Wines | 5a Rosebery Avenue, EC1R 4SP
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