This rapacious den of iniquity, tripped out in red leather and walnut wood, is a real treat for local oenophiles – or even those that have travelled. Its spectacular selection of wines, Champagnes and sakés are the main calling card, served alongside a concise but winsome menu. A bevvy of passionate sommeliers are at hand to help you on your journey – indeed there are few finer collections of saké outside of Japan.
Wines can be experienced in a range of different sized glasses and carafes, making it possible to have a taster of, say, the superb 2018 Lynch-Bages Blanc de Lynch-Bages, 2009 Chateau de Beaucastel, 1998 Chateau Musar or 2001 Chateau Angelus, all in one evening. And there are normally bin end bottles on sale, too.
Food is simple but no afterthought: seared Hokkaido scallops with wakame, fennel, yuzu and Champagne butter sauce, preserved winter truffles, Salers (semi-hard cow's milk) cheese and toasted sourdough sandwich or foie gras with heirloom beetroot and Amao strawberries. Weekend brunch is a 90-minute fiesta of free-flow wine and wine-based cocktails selected by the somms.