Speciality coffee by day, natural wines by night…
…whatever side of noon it is, it seems that Bar Crispin’s mission is to get you buzzed in the most delightful way possible.
You’ll find it occupying a small sleeve of a space on Kingly Street, just off Carnaby, amongst got bustle of dozens of other places. But despite this, it doesn’t announce itself in bright red neon like its neighbours to the left, or opposite. In fact, it has nothing written on it at all, just a small sign in the window. This is the kind of place you need to seek out.
If the name sounds familiar, that’s because it comes to us from the people behind the excellent Crispin restaurant & wine bar in Spitalfields. This one’s smaller, but just as nice. You can fit maybe a couple of dozen diners in at a push, in a space that seems to have been ripped out of the late eighties, with zig zag geometry permeating every aspect of the design – the walls are zig zagged, the mirrors are triangular, the wine is caged in angular iron shelves, even the candlesticks on the table are punctuated by a jagged crinkle in the middle. It’s weirdly lovely.
It all opens up at 8am most mornings serving up pastries and coffee from Assembly Roast (based in Brixton). Then, when things tick over into the later part of the day, the 150-strong wine list comes out to play. The bottles are all natural, and are curated by sommelier Alex Price (formerly of members club Annabel’s). She’s put together a lineup of European-led numbers that span from dependable Old World regions like the Loire, to newer producers from places like Tenerife, Sicily and Greece. The bottles aren’t cheap, but there’s plenty available by the glass.
Pairing it up, there’s a menu of small plates cooked up by chef Fabien Spagnolo (Frenchie, Pollen Street Social, etc.). Like the wine, it’s all broadly European, and includes the likes of Neal’s Yard cheeses; pig’s head croquettes with hot plum sauce; brown crab toast with trout roe; and a giant ball of burrata dressed in a fruity Le Coste olive oil.
And finally, if, for some reason you’re at a wine bar, and don’t fancy any wine, then you’ll be happy to know that they keep a couple of bottles of pre-mixed cocktails – Negroni and Vesper Martini – in the freezer, perfectly chilled and ready to pour.
NOTE: Bar Crispin opened in June 2021. You can find out more, and make a booking at their website right HERE.
Bar Crispin | 9 Kingly St, W1B 5PY
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