So while we were excited to bring you news of the opening of Escocesa on Stoke Newington Church Street a week or so ago, seems we'd completely missed another new opening from recent weeks, Rubedo.
Rubedo, as owner Federico Carafoli tells us, is a natural wine bar restaurant. "We created Rubedo to share our passion for natural wines and quality food. Our goal is to promote the hard work and the talent of a (growing) bunch of people who treat nature and its products with the utmost respect.
What that means in practice is that their wines "have never seen any mechanical nor chemical treatment, be it in the vineyard or in the cellar. They are the direct expression of the soil, the vine, the climate, the tradition and the hard work and talent of the winemaker."
That ethos is extended to the food offering too. "Our goal is to go as far as we can in sourcing unadulterated naturally grown ingredients. The style of our cooking is European bistro food and the menu is dictated by season, freshness and quality."
As to who's in the kitchen, chefs Pascal and Harry worked together for almost a year at Lyle's. Federico himself is a scientist-turned restaurateur whose PhD looked at the antioxidant properties of red wine. He does have a rather useful mentor in his oldest friend Pierre Jancou whose responsible for creating well respected Parisian natural wine bistros such as La Cremerie, Racines, Vivant and Heimat.
A look at a recent menu features dishes like deep-fried artichokes with tarragon mayonnaise, wild mushrooms, radicchio, egg and Berkswell and Ink-braised cuttlefish with grilled white polenta and sorrel.
Rubedo is now open at 35 Stoke Newington Church Street, London N16 ONX. Opening hours are Tues-Thurs 6.30pm - 11pm; Fri-Sat 12pm to 10.30pm and Sunday 12-3pm. Telephonoe 0207 254 0364. Keep up with their news on Twitter @rubedolondon
