Robin Gill is on a roll.
In fact, he’s been on a roll for about the past decade. He first opened The Dairy back in 2013, and with its focus on seasonality, local ingredients, and frequently changing menus, managed to become one of the most influential restaurants in the city. In the intervening years, he’s cut the ribbon on similarly vaunted places like Sorella, Darby’s, Maria G’s, and now, Bottle + Rye.
You’ll find it parked on the entrance to Brixton’s Market Row, where the parade of shops & restaurants meets the street. Inside, the place is small, with an elbow of counter seating bent around the tall Parisian bar that very much defines the space – it’s a wine bar through and through, and a handsome one at that.
Bottle + Rye differs from its siblings in that Gill has actually taken a step back from cooking here, and instead invites a series of exciting chefs to come and do their thing for a couple of weeks at a time. Taking over from the hugely popular Rice Paddy pop-up is chef Lee Westcott, who hardly needs an introduction…
…but if he did, it would probably go something like, “one of Britain’s most talented exciting chefs, having cut his teeth at the likes of Noma, Per Se and Restaurant Tom Aikens; scoring rave reviews for his solo debut; and comfortably winning a Michelin star within 7 months for his Herefordshire restaurant Pensons.”
The only thing he doesn’t have, currently, is a place to cook. So while he’s scouting out the perfect site for his next project (an East London pub, apparently), he’s here at Bottle + Rye for the next six weeks or so. The menu is fittingly French on the whole, with a few British and European interlopers. Buttressed by bread fresh from the in-house bakery, there’s Cantabrian anchovies on toast; aged sirloin tartare; and a hearty bouillabaisse to share with a few jugs of chilled wine on weekends.
Credit: Adam Lynk
Westcott’s thrown a few new additions into the wine cellar here as part of his residency, but being a wine bar, there’s plenty of choice here. The selection at Bottle + Rye changes regularly, leaning heavily towards largely low-intervention bottles, and prices start at just £6 for a glass.
And if you fancy something stronger? The cocktail list is all original (although they’ll happily shake up almost any classic you care to request), and features the likes of a Mushroom Martini with thyme and truffle oil.
It’s one for the seasoned drinkers.
NOTE: Bottle + Rye is open now, Tuesday to Saturday. You can find out more, and make a booking, right HERE.
Bottle + Rye | 404-406 Market Row, Brixton SW9 8LD
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