‘Nest Cellar’ sounds like two very different places in one.
And in a way, it is: it’s the more casual, wine-focussed offshoot to Nest – a critically-acclaimed, tasting-menu only restaurant in Shoreditch (which is absolutely worth a visit in its own right).
You’ll find it tucked into the side of the main restaurant, with its own entrance and the alluring glow of flickering candles emanating from the windows. Much like Quality Wines – the annexe to Quality Chop House in Farringdon – the idea is that you can enjoy a couple of restaurant-quality snacks alongside your wines, all of which have been personally selected by the team and focus on low-intervention growers.
The space itself shares the cosy, slightly rustic feel of the main restaurant – cocooning, sludgy green walls, stools pulled up to high tables and a slab of polished, naturally shaped wood forming a counter in front of the window. And with space for just 20 punters at a time, it’s an exceptionally intimate spot.
On the menu: a changing selection of New World wines, with plenty available by the glass (starting at about £6.50), and a couple of rare finds and bin ends for the connoisseurs. If you’d like a little nudge, try something from the restaurant’s monthly wine pairing scrawled onto the blackboard, which’ll introduce you to more unusual numbers like a cloudy Austrian pét nat, or a Slovakian red that’s served chilled. There’s a handful of cocktails to save your skin when you discover you’ve taken a first date who hates wine to a wine bar. And to add a little ballast to the booze, you can snack on Nest’s famously good soda bread, cheese & pickles or a seasonal terrine while you’re there (which are all obviously top quality).
Nest Cellar is walk-in only, making it an ideal spot for impromptu drinks after work, or squeezing in an aperitif or nightcap around a dinner reservation.
Just remember when you need to leave – it can be very tempting to start nesting.
NOTE: Nest Cellar is walk-in only, and is open on Tuesday evenings 5.30-10.30pm, then 12-10.30pm Wednesday – Saturday. You can find out more on the Nest website.
Nest Cellar | 374-378 Old St, London EC1V 9LT
Love low-intervention plonk? Check out our favourite natural wine bars in London