Humble Grape Crouch End | Over 400 Bottles of Organic and Biodynamic Wine
The people at Humble Grape may be humble, but they’re certainly not short on confidence…
Following on from their other incarnations in Battersea, Fleet Street, Islington, Canary Wharf, and Liverpool Street, they’ve opened a sixth branch in their series of unpretentious wine bars – here in Crouch End.
And despite all the glory and rave reviews, the team haven’t lost sight of what made them such a success story in the first place, with the focus once again being on biodynamic wine from lesser-known vineyards, in a friendly and relaxed setting that’s welcoming and accessible to all (as one of the best dog-friendly restaurants in London, even dogs are allowed to come, just not to drink…).
The HG family has some of the best-stocked natural wine bars in London, and Humble Grape Crouch End boasts around 400 sustainable bottles sourced from relatively unknown wineries. The family-run ones, the independent ones, the small scale ones, all driven by similar organic principles. You’ll get to swirl Romauer chardonnays from the Napa Valley, German rieslings and an orange wine from Slovenia, and if you really want to get to know the funky stuff, ‘Tasting Tuesdays’ allow you to sample four of their favourites that week for £16.
The food, meanwhile, is designed to enhance what’s in your glass with a menu of small of plates including the return of old favourites like the slow cooked halloumi with tomato ragù and the chilli fried chicken with cauliflower leaf kimchi, plus bigger dishes for bigger appetites like flat iron steak, Sunday roasts, and chicken breast with leeks and kohlrabi fricassee. And not forgetting this is first and foremost a wine bar, there’s the option to go bottomless on Saturdays, enjoying unlimited glasses of vino from that week’s hand-picked selection.
Image credit: Humble Grape
In terms of the layout at Humble Grape Crouch End, the action is split between three areas: a front bar (good for back and forth wine chatter with the staff); a cork-clad dining room with oak tabletops (good for well, dinner…); and a 12-seater cellar room where you can dine within arm’s length of the bottles (good for special occasions). There’s also a 20-cover terrace for when the weather’s up for it. Of course, at the heart of all this are the real stars of the show: the staff. They all love their wine and are equally fond of talking to you about it, so don’t be shy in asking them for some expert guidance (and to be honest, they’ll come to you anyway).
Remember, they’re not short on confidence…
NOTE: Humble Grape Crouch End is open daily, with no corkage on bottles from the bottle shop on Mondays. You can book a table on their website HERE.
Humble Grape Crouch End | 4 Topsfield Parade, Crouch End, N8 8PR
Since we’re on the subject of grapes… here’s a list of all the other amazing wine bars in London