In terms of its size, Michael Sager’s latest wine bar is hardly a magnum…
…but when it comes to atmosphere & style, it’s the whole cellar.
It’s called Bruno, and it’s a teeny little converted stable in Victoria Park Village, where it is quite literally neighbours with My Neighbours The Dumplings. And for anyone who doesn’t have their finger on the pulse of the London grape-hooch scene, Michael Sager is pretty much London’s resident wine bar whisperer. He seems to have a kind of boozy Midas touch, and his venues – running from Sager + Wilde to Equal Parts – are all absolutely corking. Pun massively intended.
And now, it’s got a star in the kitchen too, in the form of chef Josh Dalloway. (More on that below).
Bruno is named after Sager’s father, and the place seems to have the stately air of graceful ageing about it – step inside the sizeable set of double Dutch doors at the front, and you’ll find an intimate & convivial space with whitewashed walls, an ancient teak bar, and bottles of wine lining shelves lit by the glow of candles & vintage lights. And apart from the clink of glasses and the low hum of chatter, it’s all underscored by the crackle of music from the vinyl player in the corner.
The general idea is that it’s a wine shop by day, and a wine bar by night. Which basically means that if you fancy drinking a bottle in the bar itself, you still buy it the old fashioned way, and they’ll just charge a flat £15 corkage, which can lead to a bargain here or there. The selection is all natural wines bought direct from the vineyards that Sager has built personal relationships with over the years, and he’s thrown in some numbers from his own personal cellar too.
So, on the subject of the food, the kitchen’s just been taken over by chef Josh Dallaway. His CV could double as a kind of ‘best London wine bars’ list, featuring places like 107 Wine, The Laughing Heart, Oranj, and Sager + Wilde, which is where is where he so greatly impressed Michael Sager. Now he’s impressing us all with dishes like jambon buerre gildas; Italian friarelli salad with mandarin & sherry sabayon; Cornish crab with a lemon & seaweed cookie; and comte & brown butter cake. Of course, the menu will change with the deliveries, and will remain short, but small or not…
…hopefully, this will be his magnum opus.
NOTE: Bruno is open now, and Josh Dallaway is cooking there for the forseeable. There are no bookings (unless you count the act of throwing your coat over the back of a chair). Take a peek at the Insta right here.
Bruno | 211a Victoria Park Road, London E9 7JN
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