Even with already being one of the best wine bars in North London, Provisions on Holloway Road is now providing something even better: a pintxo bar.
It’s called Topa, and it’s taking over the Provisions space every Thursday, Friday & Saturday night as of 21st September. The idea is for it to be a San Sebastian-style restaurant, serving up a menu of Basque dishes cooked up by chef Simon Shand, who is fresh off the pans as kitchen commander at at Michelin-starred Shoreditch restaurant Leroy.
Now, it should at this point be mentioned that Topa is just one of the many hats that this venue wears, because as well as being a wine bar it’s also a deli by day, with shelves brimming with artisan produce from across Europe’s tastiest corners. The whole place has a delightful mercantile charm about it, with the heady aroma of fresh cheese & smoked meat intermingled with the eclectic array of treats lining the walls. And in the centre of it all is a long, candlelit table, with enough room to fit about two dozen diners at a time, plus a few standing.
Those fantastic ingredients will be going into the Topa menu, where you’ll find the likes of chorizo cooked in cider; rich slow-cooked crab, leek & Cognac txangurro tarts; earthy summer wild mushrooms and raw egg yolk; zippy seabream ceviche with orange & dill; and hake with orzo, saffron & courgettes. And to follow, there are cheese platters loaded with the deli’s specialities, and a fig, almond & brown butter sponge topped with crème fraîche.
There will of course be plenty of wine to go with all of this, including some lovely Txakoli (a light & dry Basque sparkling) to go with a selection of French & Italian numbers. Which is a nice segue back to the name Topa, which in Basque means cheers. But in the eateries of San Sebastián that word carries more weight than a mere clink of the glass – it embodies the spirit of a relaxed, convivial, and casual atmosphere. The kind you can lean into while eating & drinking with your friends. So to that we say…
…topa.
NOTE: Topa is set to open on 21st September at Provisions Holloway Road. It’ll be open every Thursday-Saturday night thereafter. You can find out more, and make a booking at the Provisions website.
Provisions Holloway | 167 Holloway Road, London, N7 8LX
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