Who Pan-Fried Ramon Rabbit?

Welcome to the Quality Wines newsletter & a long weekend en España, Hellas e Italia. The half term escape, a place in the sun. Pink skin and a pint at Lineker’s, We’re all going on a European tour!

Belying it’s neutral reputation, Swiss chard cosplays as Greek dish horta. Long cooked, verdant & chlorophyllic greens are dressed with barrel-aged feta, pine nuts & plenty lemon.

Marinda tomatoes & blood oranges of Mount Etna are steeped in oregano, olive oil & lemon, there’s talk of black sand terroir & a Spring in step.

Pappardelle with a chicken liver ragu & 36 month Parmigianno Reggiano is available at lunch and dinner while spaghetti alla puttanesca is our ‘Espress Lunch’. Made famous as the dish served in the back streets of the Quartieri Spagnoli, this is the most fun you can have at lunchtime, Tuesday to Friday, for £15 with a glass of wine, beer or soft drink on the Farringdon Road.

Fillets of steamed hake get a garnish of chickpeas, spinach & Catalan romesco. Traditionally served with calcots, the sauce is rich with almonds, piquillo peppers & sherry vinegar.

Whole rabbits have been halved. Shoulders, legs & ribs fried separately in cumin, oregano, thyme, bay & paprika, Watership browning. They all together go into the oven for a session of mingling before being served alongside their offal, potatoes & a green salad. A dish for two named conejo en salmorejo from the Canary islands and, nought to do with Andalucian soup, sibilance or salmorglio, so don’t get me started!

And, finishing before this week is out, a homage to the Harry’s Bar carpaccio. A dish of thinly sliced, raw, fillet of beef, charmingly patch-worked with vinaigrette. An accommodation to a Countess placed on a proto-keto diet and created at Harry’s by owner Giuseppe Cipriani in 1950, all washed down with the driest of martinis. Serving Mediterranean fare to a sleuth of writers, actors & artists, bon vivants & debaucherous drunks of the time, Quality Wines opened its doors in 2018.

This week’s ‘Saturday Set Lunch’ £29, for 3 courses, served alongside our a la carte menu.

Focaccia

Purple Sprouting Broccoli & Romesco

Roast Chicken Leg with Chickpeas, Spinach & Allioli

Blood Orange, Chocolate & Almond Cake

Hoping to see you all soon.

Marcos, Nick & the Team