Noble Rot Wine Bar & Restaurant review ★★★★★

Dan Keeling and Mark Andrew have been stirring up perceptions of the wine world for some time with their ‘accessible, anti-snobbish and down to earth’ magazine, Noble Rot. Seamlessly blending in-depth discussions on really interesting wines with interviews and articles from the likes of John Niven, Kate Spicer and Mark Ronson, Noble Rot magazine attracts subscriptions from around the world and is a must-read for wine aficionados and casual appreciators alike. Now they've opened up a wine bar – and it has everyone talking.
Head chef Paul Weaver (formerly of the masterful St John Bread & Wine) has, with consultancy from Stephen Harris (chef patron of Kent's Michelin-starred The Sportsman) created a concise menu specifically designed to complement the Noble Rot bar's world-class wines.
Thanks to Noble Rot’s Coravin System, which allows you to pour single glasses of wine without opening the bottle and causing oxidisation, there's an eclectic selection of over thirty fantastic wines at Noble Rot to try by the glass, along with a large bottle selection of mature and difficult-to-find offerings. With staff from esteemed establishments such as Hawksmoor, The Clove Club and Sager & Wilde, diners can be sure of expert advice.
We were persuaded to step outside our usual comfort zone of Chilean reds, and tried a bottle of Telmo Rodriguez, ‘Almuvedre’ from Alicante. It was bold and fruity yet not too tannin heavy which made it remarkably drinkable. As soon as we had full glasses in our hands, a plate laden with bread was deposited in front of us. We always think you can tell a lot about a place by the effort they put into the bread and butter, and at Noble Rot it was a seriously impressive start. Gloriously oily yet light focaccia was followed by slivers of soda bread, all malty crunch and complex flavours. Finally huge hunks of sourdough were the perfect thing to mop up the juices from the next plate to arrive; the famous slipsole with smoked butter. The sensitive cooking of the fish and pool of smokey, chilli laced butter in which it sat, was a masterclass in trusting the quality of ingredients to do the talking. Usually drinking red wine with fish would be considered sacrilege, but we're glad we trusted them to persuade us otherwise as the two paired perfectly. Main courses of roast celeriac with apple and cream cheese, and a slow cooked lamb dish to die for only served to further our delight.
Next time we visit, we want to try the turbot braised in oxidised 1998 Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru, and work our way through the dessert list which includes treats like an intriguing warm chocolate mousse, and an Earl Grey junket (a type of set custard) with shortbread.
Whether you choose to work on the wine list in the bar with a bowl of olives and a plate of charcuterie, or make yourself comfortable in the restaurant you really can’t go wrong – and you might just discover your new favourite vintage.
Noble Rot take reservations, but they also keep some tables aside for walk-ins, so it's always worth dropping by.
Click here to book a table