Summer’s come early to Charlotte Street.
And we’re not just talking about the warmer weather, which has set off the al fresco dining klaxon and sent a wave of tables and chairs cascading along the pavements.
We’re talking about the arrival of July.
It’s a sophisticated but peppy new wine bar that comes to you from a couple of Berliners, whose roots in hosting lockdown supperclubs go some way to explaining the homely atmosphere they’ve created in their first bricks-and-mortar venue. Fearlessly muscling into Fitzrovia’s most restaurant-heavy territory, Charlotte Street, it’s fair to say they’re definitely bringing something different to the area.
You’ll find July parked opposite the elegant Charlotte Street Hotel and its flickering gaslit lamp-posts, within touching distance of Norma, Carousel and The Ninth. And with its cluster of outside tables, the stools hugging the bar and the counter looking out over the street, July makes for a glorious little pit-stop for a pre-dinner glass or two.
The wine list – put together by Honey Spencer (AKA the woman behind Sune, AKA the hottest sommelier in town right now) – is filled with rich pickings from low-intervention vineyards across Europe, including a strong showing of Austrian Riesling and Grüner Veltliner. There’s also a concise but inviting line-up of apéritifs including a nectarine spritz and a melon negroni, which you can order alongside the requisite cheeseboard, charcuterie and olives.
Venture into the space a little further, though, and you’ll find that July is also very much a place to stay for dinner, too. The wine bar area gives way to a sky-lit dining room commanded by a huge mural (hand-painted by artist Orfeo Tagiuri), with lovely soft lighting dousing the area in romance. And below that, there’s an even more intimate wood-cocooned space filled with cookbooks and wine bottles, which – along with the soundtrack of reggae, hip hop and R&B emanating from the vintage speakers – gives you the feel of dining in someone’s (very beautifully decorated) home.
© Safia Shakarchi
The founding duo, Solynka Dumas and Julian Oschmann, have bussed in head chef Holly Hayes to man the stoves. She was the former sous at the excellent 40 Maltby Street, and here she’s stepping up to run her own kitchen. Her equal parts French and German menu – inspired by the Alsace region which so heavily influences the wine list – is quietly impressive, with subtle flavours suffusing dishes like braised sausage with sauerkraut, herb dumplings in broth, and the fantastic rhubarb & custard crêpe.
And as one last twist, the team at July have swivelled their attention away from Sunday Lunches in order to do big, feasting-style Saturday lunch and dinner instead, including a succulent whole Fosse Meadows chicken, served with delicately braised baby leeks, Riesling pink fir potatoes and homemade mayonnaise. Sunday roast on a Saturday…
…and July in spring.
NOTE: July is open all day, Monday-Saturday, for breakfast pastries, lunch & dinner. You can find out more, and book, HERE.
PREVIOUS PERK: Nudge Members got 50% off the food bill on 25th (dinner), 26th (dinner) and 27th April (lunch and dinner). Not a Nudge Member yet? Sign up for a free trial here.
July | 10 Charlotte Street, W1T 2LT
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