Now open for lunch, leaf teas and espresso coffees!

I have loved sleeping in these last two years, don’t get me wrong. The thing is, since French Head Chef Jeremie took over our kitchen in March this year, I’ve been getting more and more requests for us to do a lunch as well as dinner service. So, roll on the day time opening…
As of next week, 31 August, we’ll be serving lunch, from £5, Tuesday – Sunday, 12noon – 3pm, at artisan & vine. Here’s what’s cooking:

£5 LUNCH
Mussels in a white wine sauceSalad Lyonnaise: poached egg, bacon, croutons
Omelette – with ham, cheese and/or mushroom with a side salad
Tomato, mozarella and pesto on toasted ciabatta with a side salad (V)
Goats cheese tart with French dressed salad (V)
Dolcelatté stuffed mushrooms with garlic mayonnaise (V)
Croque monsieur – cheddar, béchamel and ham with a side salad
Smooth chicken liver pate with toasted bread with a side salad Bruscetta with fresh tomato, basil with a side salad (V)
Plus daily specials

£7 LUNCH
10oz gourmet beef burger
Classic chicken Caesar salad
Salmon fishcake with poached egg, hollandaise sauce & side salad
Seasoned lamb kofta with tzatzki, pita bread and side salad
Vegetable pasta with creamy tomato sauce

Our full dinner, snacks and sweets menus will also be available during lunch time opening hours.

Our new lunch menu and day time opening hours bring with them the need for some exciting new non-alcoholic beverages at artisan & vine.

Firstly, we’re finally getting that espresso machine in. You’ll soon be able to drink fresh Illy cappuccinos, lattes and espressos in our comfy sofas with great music.

Secondly, having conducted some extensive taste testing we’ve selected some gorgeous, natural leaf teas that we’ll now be serving at artisan & vine. The black tea I’ve selected is from one of the last few tea gardens in Kenya to produce leaf teas (others supply teabags grades). Our chai whole leaf tea is infused with cinnamon, aniseed, ginger, black pepper, cloves, chicory roots, cardamom seeds and cardamom pods. We have whole leaf earl grey and peppermint, as well as a special balancing infusion made of cinnamon pieces, cardamom, liquorice roots, coriander, fennel, ginger roots, and rose petals. Your favourite leaf tea will be served with an individual filter (pictured), for you to control exactly how much infusion you’d like.Of course our new teas and coffees will be available whenever we’re open, so are also perfect for a relaxing evening out.

Eat Out Manifesto continues on

The Eat Out Manifesto we started as a part of election fever back in April continues on. We like to keep our election promises :)

To recap:

1. We believe that all Londoners should be able to eat out any day of the week, regardless of occasion or cause for celebration.

2. We believe that Monday through Thursday should provide the same, if not better, opportunities for eating out as over-crowded week ends.

3. We believe that outstanding wine should be available with every eating experience, and enjoyed without compromise.

To fulfil these ideologies, we pledge to offer all customers the opportunity to enjoy a Prix Fixe menu of £11 for two courses or £13 for three courses, any day of the week.

Click here to see menus on offer as a part of the Eat Out Manifesto.

artisan & vine’s Eat Out Manifesto

Damn straight I’m getting in on electoral fever!

Here’s our Eat Out Manifesto:

1. We believe that all Londoners should be able to eat out any day of the week, regardless of occasion or cause for celebration.
2. We believe that Monday through Thursday should provide the same, if not better, opportunities for eating out as over-crowded week ends.
3. We believe that Friday is better when it starts with sparkling wine.
4. We believe that outstanding wine should be available with every eating experience, and enjoyed without compromise.

To fulfil these ideologies, we pledge to offer all customers the opportunity to enjoy a Prix Fixe menu of £11 for two courses and £13 for three courses, every day of the week.

Click here to see the menus on offer in our Eat Out Manifesto.

2010 Wine Patio & Spring menu additions

Hurrah! FINALLY we got to plant the flowers for the 2010 Wine Patio. For those new to our beloved suburban wine bar, the Wine Patio is our most excellent advancement on the traditional Beer Garden. The trees you’ll recognise from previous editions of the Wine Patio: our crabapples have mercifully survived their 2nd winter out front of artisan & vine and are now in gorgeous pink blossom.
I’m trying to build my dream week-end afternoon: fresh homemade light meals, delicate rose wine, and a flower drenched Wine Patio to sit and enjoy it all in. To make it happen, we’ve introduced some fab new menu items: a gorgeous range of fresh ciabatta sandwiches, made-as-you-like omelets, Croque Monsieur, Salad Lyonnaise, and a host of other perfect Spring bites.
The new light meals menu will be available 12 noon – 3pm week ends and 6pm – 10pm every night. Click here to see our full food menu.

Image: is it safe to say Spring is here? The blossoms say yes!

We've gone crackers... (past tense?)

A friend of mine has a friend, Miriam. Miriam is a foodie. She went crackers long before we did.

Today Miriam brought in a range of her handmade crackers - chilli cheese, herb & cheese, rosemary & garlic. We tasted; they're perfect for wine.

We'll be stocking them from Friday on... come by for a taste of additive free, home made perfection!

PS - yes, Miriam was subject to the standard artisan&vine new supplier interview:

1. show us your product, how does it taste?

2. what's your story? (subtext: where's your passion)

3. what's the story of the product? (tastes like inspiration)

4. what does it cost? will it represent great value for our savvy customers?

Image: homemade crackers!

New things and newsy things

I sometimes wonder if I spend too much of my life trying new things. I’m absolutely obsessive about it. Long ago I used to do something of a “self check” that I’d done at least one new thing a day… I reckon I’m clocking one new thing an hour these days, without even trying.
The addictive thing about trying new things is that 9 out of 10 times the result is positive. When it’s not entirely positive, it’s a learning experience.
Last week I started blogging & I tried updating the blog every day. This is a bad bad bad idea. A terrible idea. Working 16hours a day, on a quiet day, is already enough… Henceforth my blog shall be something like a weekly update during one of our quieter shifts (such as this Saturday afternoon). We’ll try this something new anyways.

So much happened this week I’m not sure where to begin!

We launched our new food menu; this is something we plan to keep fresh by evolving every couple of weeks

We also got some more positive press; this time in the online industry newsletter by Wine+. This latest article is the opposite of an anonymous review: I was asked by the good people of Wine+ to write this one myself! After hearing about some of the interesting things we were doing at artisan&vine, the Wine+ team asked me to write up our experiences. Our online scrapbook includes a snapshot (along with shots of some other nice articles about artisan&vine), click

here for the full article, including fantastic commentary from someone I have massive respect for, Peter McCombie, MW.

Our boiler broke… which is obviously very bad news… though our little fan heaters buzz away in the meantime.

In artisan&vine last night: Melanie, wine buyer for Whole Foods Market came by with a group of friends to enjoy some of our wines. Melanie has outstanding taste & has done a great job at introducing some interesting natural wines at Whole Foods, I was stoked by how much she liked our list – particularly the Grand Cru Rose Champagne (£22.40/bottle take home price) from Marguet. The flavour and complexity of this creamy biodynamic rose blows away that of mass produced commercial champagnes; trying it will change your view on champagne. Self-proclaimed devoted regular Tom, his brother Joe & their friends kept us all entertained, particularly when they inspired the entire late night bar crowd to sing happy birthday to David, another of our favourite regulars. Happy 30th David!

Popular buys last night: the 2005 Peyrouzelles (£10.40/bottle take home price) from Domaine Causse Marines in Gaillac, South-west France, is ever popular and last night was no different. In addition to familiar Syrah, is an interesting blend of indigenous grape varieties - Duras, Braucol and Prunelard. Peyrouzelles displays lovely red berries aromas with peppery & spice character. Beautiful fruit flavours are able to shine without being overpowered by tannins.

Picture: our Wine+ On-Trade Insider article, issued 21 Nov 2008

Christmas wines, tastings and menu at artisan&vine

I think that since we first opened in July people have been asking me what we would do for Christmas. We have the fairy lights up all year, so not too much need for additional decoration. In the way of food & wine, here are the answers:

1. Christmas Season menu - £18/person for 2 courses or £25/persons for 3 courses + glass of wine/beer/other: http://artisanandvine.com/uploads/pdfs/Christmas%20menu%20081110.pdf

2. Canapes - which can be booked in advance for any party at £5/person, for 6 canapes/person. These are really popular with all of our party bookings.

3. Christmas mixed case - to buy to take home, we're doing cases of 6 or 12 bottles matched to seasonal foods; we are also happy to make up mixed cases with you.

4. Christmas series wine tasting - every Wednesday night
Turn up anytime between 6pm and 9pm any Wednesday for our fixed price wine tasting with matched food. Each week we show you five wines that match with all of your favourite Christmas foods. Don’t shop blind for your Christmas dinners and parties – know the wine will be perfect! Advance bookings advisable by visiting the bar, calling 020 7228 4997 or emailing welcome@artisanandvine.com. Themed evenings are:
19/11 – Party Safe Bets – these are classic flavours and styles sure to please. Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet, classic port, all your favourites, done in delicate, natural styles. £20/person
26/11 – Parties with Impact – creative wine making styles, unusual grapes – these wines are set to get tongues wagging for days after. Exciting wines with conversation points to match. £20/person
3/12 – Parties for a Steal – this week we present some of our best value wines – all of the quality & authenticity you’d expect from artisan&vine at bargain prices; this week’s tasting is £18/person.
10/12 – Parties with Exuberance – this week we’ve put together a range of our premium wines – pure indulgence in a bottle. This week’s tasting is £30/person.

Picture: interior of artisan&vine; with all of our fairy lights on all year, that cozy Christmas feeling is something we're always happy to have