David Howden has been in the hospitality industry for many moons, with a passion for food, friends and sustainable farming that combined in The Pointer in Brill, which won the 2018 Michelin Pub of the Year. These days, Dave's passion is Dave's Wine Bar. With a focus on great food, a warm atmosphere and plenty of creativity, Dave's Wine Bar is the perfect place to stop for great drinks and a bite to eat in Aldgate. Not just another wine bar, Dave's comes with heaps of uniqueness and serves local, seasonal and often traceable food.
The food menu is small and simple. It kicks off with nocellara olives, crunchy broad beans, salted almonds, Snapery East sourdough with house butter, Welsh rarebit and a plate of charcuterie. There are bigger dishes on the menu, and these include a delicious combination of burnt leeks with whipped goat's curd and black truffle, along with Cornbury beef tartare with rosehip and parsley, and pork tenderloin with potato Anna, and an apple and prune puree.
Don’t skip the sweets and cheeses at Dave’s Wine Bar, and be sure to order the creme brulee, or something more rich with the hazelnut, rhubarb and chocolate cremeux, whilst sorbet scoops offer a refreshing finish. The cheese plate contains five British cheeses with black Iberiko tomato chutney and sourdough crackers.
Of course, the drinks are very important at Dave's, and it's no surprise with the words wine bar being in the company name. Cocktails kickstart with Sage and Bubbles, a pairing of vodka with Fernet Branca, sparkling wine and sage foam, whilst the Tequila & Rose Punch offers something a bit more indulgent, blending together tequila, rose wine, Earl Grey, coconut milk, bergamot and agave.