Passione Vino

Passione Vino really does what it says on the tin. If you’re looking for palpable wine passion, you don’t have to look much further than Passione Vino’s bespectacled head honcho Luca Dusi. You won’t have to look hard either - ‘I’m here seven days a week,’ he beams as he visits tables, pouring glasses of trademark cloudy prosecco.

Plied with aforementioned prosecco, the atmosphere is one of hedonism. The dinky azure entrance to Passione Vino belies how big the place is. PV is four floors of unfiltered fun, from the boozy wine-tasting basement to the private dining area upstairs, complete with ceiling map of Italy so you can pinpoint the provenance of what’s in your glass. The more you drink, the more labyrinthine Passione Vino feels, with something new and exciting around every corner - a secret staircase behind a mirror, sprawling, tree-like light fittings made from metres of copper tubing and portraits, everywhere, of the many winemakers that Luca has championed over the years.

Food is a recent addition here, which puts Passione Vino firmly amongst London’s gastro-wine bar set. Luca and chef Pascal Lazzarotto are both northerners, from Verona and Padova respectively, and the menu is exactly what you’d expect to eat in those cities: duck ragu with bigoli (like spaghetti but thicker), baccala mantecato (whipped salt cod on crispy polenta) and spezzatino di manzo (beef stew). It’s refreshing to see northern Italian food done with such authenticity in London - every plate is delicious and only gets better as you sup through one of Luca’s bottles. A special shout out goes to the pasta pomodoro - it’s just pasta, tomatoes supplied by one of Luca’s Sicilian winemakers, and salt, but it’s simplicity is perfection.

That rather sums up Passione Vino, really. This isn’t the same experience as a P Franco or a Primeur - the ‘Venetian grandma cooking’, as they call it, is there as a supporting act to the wine, which is the real star. If you’re looking for a place to discover your new favourite wine, you’ve found it.

Passione Vino is a long-standing independent wine shop and bar in Shoreditch, which added casual dining options to its roster in the summer of 2021.

Found on bustling Leonard Street, Passione Vino (which translates as ‘passion for wine’) boasts bright blue frontage and is run by Luca Dusi, a wine expert who has dedicated more than eighteen years to his craft. Once inside, you will find a ground floor wine shop, as well as three separate spaces to enjoy drinks or food: an apartment space on the top floor which features a sprawling map of Italy across the ceiling, a hidden high topped bar behind the shop front, and a lower ground level that’s dotted with tables and chairs.

The kitchen here is overseen by chef Pascal Lazzarotto (formerly of Hill and Szrok and Lyle’s), who has curated a daily changing menu of homespun Italian dishes. On your visit, you might come across dishes such as Veneto-style polpette made from feather blade, whipped cod served on thin slices of crisp polenta, or brisket boiled over seven hours as a bollito. There are a few fresh pasta plates to dig into as well, including Frittata di spaghetti with parmesan and Asiago cheese.

As for the wine, expect a list that is made up of small Italian producers, with the producer’s portraits lining the walls of the bar, highlighting how seriously Passione Vino takes its relationships with suppliers. Highlights from the list include Riflessi Rosi 2019 by Eugenio Rosi which boasts tasting notes of berries, red apple peel and herbs, as well as Avita Ciro’ Rosato Calabria: a coppery coloured rosé that is finely bitter and boasts notes of blood orange.

There is no official menu or drinks list at Passsione Vino - simply let Luca know your preferences and he will guide you.