REM*E*DY. noun. cure – medicine – drug – medicament – medication verb. cure – heal – repair – redress – correct – mend – rectify.
The Remedy is a neighbourhood wine bar and restaurant located in Fitzrovia, close to Fitzroy Square. (This neighbourhood used to bring on anxiety because the Institute of Masters of Wine is located there). It has always been relatively quiet in the day and I imagined filled with locals in the evenings.
Two friends (David Clawson and Renato Catgiu) that met whilst working at Terroirs (also a restaurant and wine bar in London) are behind this brick-lined cosy hideaway. It’s a place to stop in for a drink and a meal before heading out into the night. The small restaurant was brimming and happy but thankfully not cramped on what may have been one of the hottest days of the year.
I brought a girlfriend along and we started off with a ‘Suze and Tonic’ that was appropriately refreshing. One of the owners, David, came over and told us about Suze, which is a bitter made from the gentian root (an alpine plant). It was a discovery and will definitely be ordered again as an aperitif-remembered by its neon yellow colour and subtle bitter, herbal notes. David showed us their impressive back bar vermouth selection; some of them brought over from America in his suitcase. This pretty much frames the rest of the dinner.
The Remedy takes care in sourcing produce from top end suppliers, which means that dishes are seasonal and of high quality. Not much manipulation in the kitchen is needed in order to let good produce shine. There is authenticity in the dishes that have roots in Mediterranean cuisine such as grilled octopus, burrata, vitello tonnata, friggitelli, peppers and deep fried gnocco served with prosciutto. The latter were my favourite; a nibble that involves wrapping soft fat veined slices of fragrant prosciutto over deep fried dough puffs.
As for the wines, we had a glass of Vermentino by Il Torchio Bianco from Liguria that was light-bodied and easy going, and an orange wine (Baglio Bianco), from Sicily. Something that is proving to be very popular now, orange wines are white wines made like a red wine with extended skin contact. The orange colour is a result of the compounds in the grape skins and oxidation. I have tried many and even though the taste isn’t for me (I find them grippy from the tannins and bitter on the finish), it definitely is a popular revived wine style that is generating a lot of buzz. If you would like to explore this style of wine, The Remedy is THE place to go to find a great selection. The meal ended with a classic-affogato shot of espresso poured over Nonna’s fior di latte gelato. It’s a rare treat to have fior de latte (milk) gelato in London, it’s my go to flavour in Italy, so I would revisit The Remedy for this treat.
Go to The Remedy to catch up with friends or colleagues, when you are too lazy to cook and want to nibble your way to fullness with authentic dishes made with excellent produce. There is an extensive drinks list that has something for everyone and a large selection by the glass to explore.
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