At 28°-50° Maddox Street sommeliers pair the constantly changing modern-European menu with one of London’s most unique wine lists. Busiest during Thursday and Friday afternoons until late evenings, this exceptional wine bar offers surprisingly excellent value for money.

Stepping into the newest addition to the 28°-50° family, the atmosphere at the stylish Mayfair Wine Workshop and Kitchen on 17-17 Maddox Street is homely, warm, friendly and fun. Focusing on comfort and excellent service, guests can choose to dine next to the front window or grab a table further at the back. As a testament to their commitment to service guests are even allowed to eat at the bar. This makes things less intimidating for solo-diners who might be tempted to pop in for a glass of their favourite vino and something to eat.

Dining solo or with a companion, you are very well looked after and attended to without constant disruption. The Assistant Restaurant Manager explains “we provide our guests with the best possible service whilst we at the same time want them to feel relaxed and not observed“.

When it comes to the food, the menu is constantly changing to match the seasonal produce with a few dishes being ‘untouchable’.

The salmon gravlax, for example, is one of the most popular dishes which, according to the Assistant Restaurant Manager, always stay on the ever-changing menu on requests from the guests.

And it is not hard to see why, it is the perfect starter – three slices of premium salmon, home made slightly crispy rye bread served with a dijon dressing.  The Nordic-inspired dish is paired with a fruity Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, Mt Beautiful 2014, which brings out the salmon flavour with its undertones of pineapple and mango.

If you feel like your wine knowledge is below par, the sommelier helps to pair every dish with a matching wine and is also happy to give an easy-to-understand breakdown of where the wines are from and why they match the food.
For example for the scallops which are served with wasabi sauce, pickled cucumber and daikon we have the Argentinian wine, Torrontes El Abasto 2016, which is light and crisp wine bringing out the freshness of the scallops.

The wine which is offered by the glass, carafe or bottle even come in a 75ml glass. This is a great serving size for guests wanting to try a few different wines relying on the extensive knowledge from the sommelier. To ensure optimal wine pairing the sommeliers are constantly working closely with the executive chefs to ensure the food matches the wines.

For the main course, my dinner guest and I try the Fish of the Day which is served with chickpeas, chorizo and kale and paired with a Bourgogne Blanc, David Duband 2011. We also try the Yellowfin tuna which is served with a soy lime glaze, mouli and ginger. To bring out the lime and ginger in the dish a Riesling, The Courtesan 2015, is suggested which works really well with the ‘Asian’ flavours.

For guests with a sweet tooth there are six different desserts on the menu. One of the best-sellers is the classic Eton Mess which is served with a raspberry sorbet and rose water for a fun twist giving it a light and sweet taste and interesting texture. The classic strawberry pudding is paired with the sweet wine, Pacherenc du Vic Bihl, Ch. Aydie 2014.

A new item on the menu is the Blueberry cheesecake. It is both sweet, light and creamy all at the same time and is paired with an aged Mosel Riesling, Spatlese, Nr.9, M.Molitor, 2003.

Downstairs the fairly new cocktail bar (less than a year old) is hiding for those who fancy something a bit stronger.  However, the bartenders have cleverly ensured each cocktail contains some sort of wine element like grape infused gin to stay true to the wine workshop ethos.

There is also another dining area next to the cocktail bar which is cosy and secluded. A separate area can also be sectioned off for private dining parties. The private area opens up to a separate courtyard where guests can enjoy some fresh air.

Apart from a large selection of wines served by the glass, there is also a ‘Collector’s list’ with high-end wines served by the bottle for true wine enthusiasts.

For more information visit www.2850.co.uk/maddox

17-19 Maddox Street, Mayfair

Email: maddox@2850.co.uk

Telephone: +44 (0)207 495 1505