Happy Friday guys! Today’s post is not a recipe one but a food related, can’t be any other way. 🙂
Last week I visited Vins Wine Bar in Islington, a restaurant that’s been on my radar for a while and I finally got to go there. So pleased I did!
About Vins..
Vins is an intimate restaurant & wine bar in Islington, near Canonbury station and Newington Green. It is the perfect date night spot showcasing elegant European cooking and old world wines from small batch growers using artisan techniques.
93 Grosvenor Avenue, Canonbury, London N5 2NL
Next to Canonbury Overground Station https://www.vinsrestaurant.co.uk/
The atmosphere..
It really struck us how intimate and peaceful the atmosphere is, in contrast with the buzz of Islington high street. We instantly felt welcome and relaxed and really hungry. 🙂 It’s ideal for a romantic night out where you can enjoy a good company, tasty food and delicious wine.
The food..
We started with Sourdough bread with treacle butter and Padron Pepper with Yogurt & Harissa. They were both absolutely delicious – never tried treacle butter before but I loved it so much I think I’ll try recreate it at home. The treacle butter spread on a homemade sourdough bread was divine!
The Padron Peppers were sweet and crunchy as they should be, served with creamy yoghurt and just a tiny bit of harissa for a kick. We couldn’t get enough of them but had to stop because we wanted to try the rest of the dishes. 🙂
After that, we had the Duck ham & Bavette Steak. The steak was served with beautifully seasoned cauliflower, grilled lettuce and freshly made chimichurri, all perfectly complimenting the tender flank steak. Delicious!
The Duck ham – salty duck strips, served with asparagus, potatoes and pickled onions. Just gorgeous and bursting with flavour. I really enjoyed it’s saltiness and texture. I believe it was cured, but can’t say for sure. 🙂
We couldn’t get away without ordering dessert to complete this lovely dinner. We had Strawberry Panna cota with almond biscotti and Chocolate cremeux, lavender, orange polenta cake with pistachio nuts.
To be honest, I can’t say which one I preferred. They were both different but so so satisfying. The silky Panna cota was quite refreshing and light. On the other side, the Chocolate cremeux was indulgent, with intense chocolate flavour, pure heaven for chocolate lovers. The hint of lavender, orange polenta pieces and pistachios were a great addition and made this dessert truly delightful.
Our dinner was accompanied by a beautiful glass of Riesling and a Syrah. The restaurant offers a huge selection of old world wines from small batch growers using artisan techniques, to pair your meal.
The service was excellent, our food arrived in no time and staff was polite and very friendly. What’s more, this wine bar has a covered terrace where you can enjoy some wine and light bites – how good is that for the coming Summer months.
I’d recommend Vins with both hands, if you guys haven’t been there yet, you should. It simply is a hidden gem where you can satisfy your foodie cravings and enjoy amazing wines in the perfect atmosphere with excellent service.
