Enjoying the Nyetimber Summer Terrace at Angler, Moorgate

Just how back in May I found you the place to drink gin outside in the city this summer, today I’ve got a newly opened spot for you which is the place to drink English Sparkling Wine in London this summer: Nyetimber‘s pop up English Sparkly Wine terrace at Angler, the Michelin starred restaurant at the top of the South Place Hotel, just around the corner from Moorgate Station, and a stones throw away from Liverpool Street (if that is part of your daily commute!) To celebrate the launch of such a fantastic place, the other week I joined the Nyetimber team for an intimate tasting, exploring all of their different sparkling wines you can enjoy at the bar.





We all know Nyetimber for their Classic Curve, which is usually what you’ll get when you order a glass of Nyetimber in a restaurant (my first introduction to it was when a group of us got rather tipsy on it at Rosewood London’s Slow Brunch!) and it is what you can buy in most Waitrose stores. It’s clean, crisp, and gives French champagne a real run for it’s money. It’s why the future of English Sparkling Wine is so exciting (a true perfectionists product – English wine has had a bad rep for so long, but you know the winemakers have got it right when they simply let an entire harvest of grapes rot on the vines because they deemed them not of a high enough quality to pick!) and it is what you should start with a glass of while you browse the menu of other sparkling wines and bar snacks for something a little bit different.

We were taken through the history of Nyetimber and our tasting by brand ambassador Daniel Story who did a fantastic job; however, if you’re not familiar with who Nyetimber are and what they do do check out their band story on their website. Something that struck me the very first time I set foot in a winery is all the care and passion that goes into every bottle. Whatever you’re drinking, we live in the world of smartphones; when you sit down at a bar and order a special wine, take the time to learn a little bit of their story.

Two more Nyetimber wines you need to try a glass of that are a little rarer (I certainly did not know they made them until the tasting!): their Blanc de Blancs and their Demi Sec. Their Blanc de Blancs is a single vintage wine with toasty flavours made from just Chardonnay grapes; one to open for a toast at a really, really special occasion. Turning to food pairings, their Demi Sec was a revelation: another 100% Chardonnay it relies on the grapes natural sweetness for a slightly honeyed wine that is officially my new favourite dessert wine.

Finally, call me a bit of a Millenial stereotype but I think sparkling wine is just that little bit more special when it is pink. However, Nyetimber’s sparkling rose is unlike any pink sparkling I’ve ever tasted; Daniel was right on the money when he said it is more like what you’d expect a chilled, sparkling red to be like than a rose. There are some spicy, sophisticated notes there, as well as the expected fruity ones that make this something a bit more special. If you have to try just one glass (you can order just a glass of the Classic Curve and the Rose, but the Blanc de Blancs and Demi Sec come by the bottle) of English sparkling, try this one.

Shall we talk about the food? While twice I’ve been out and drunk more Nyetimber in one sitting than was strictly sensible without getting a hangover for it (I’ve found it is magic that way!) bar snacks at a summer pop up are very, very important. As I mentioned, Angler is the Michelin star restaurant at the top of South Place Hotel. While their main menu looks insanely good and is somewhere to bookmark for a real blow out meal, the small menu of snacks they’ve put together for the Nyetimber terrace are excellent, and a great, slightly more affordable taste of the restaurant inside. Sadly because of the cheese I skipped a slice of the Taleggio, Preserved Tomato and Basil Flatbread with Herb Pesto (though everyone else polished these off rather quickly!) but I really, really loved the perfectly cooked, slightly different Crispy Cornish Squid with Green Peppercorns and Ginger, perfect with a spritz of lime paired with the Classic Curve.

However, the two snacks you really can’t miss out on are the Rabbit and Chorizo Rice Balls with Dried Tomato Mayonnaise (which are not actually what were pictured, we tried a vegan version, but they were so, so creamy, delicious and addictive I just know the meatier ones will be even better!), and the Iberian Ham Croquettes, with a very more-ish Black Truffle Mayonnaise. You can’t get more decedent on a weeknight than an after work date night on the terrace with a bottle of Nyetimber and more than a couple of plates of these!

The Nyetimber English Sparkling Wine terrace will run until the rest of the summer (there is no fixed end date yet, so the more popular it is the longer it will stick around for!) and you can check out the full menu here. I really do recommend booking! If, sadly, you can’t get a table this summer you can find a full list of restaurants in the UK where you can enjoy a glass here.

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