The Winchester (Bar, Restaurant, Club)

After battling my way through the harsher elements of a chilly and sleet filled February evening to get to north side of town, I was relieved to step into this cosy and relaxed restaurant-cum-pub, and being only a comfortable 7-minute walk from Angel station (hoorah for the Northern Line) the venue earned a few extra brownie points.

With tiny, sparkly lights and candles amongst a backdrop of brick walls and leather sofas, the warm, romantic atmosphere that descended upon me as I arrived definitely hit all the right notes. The Winchester was surprisingly busy for a Monday night – local regulars, chilled out 20 to 30-somethings, plus an occasional tourist popping their head around the door – and it made me wonder if it really was a Monday night. And what was it like during the rest of the week?

I’m sure this little venue creates a building vibe as it plays host to various DJs in the latter part of the week in the adjoining basement club. According to the other diners, their favourite night is actually the regular Sunday event when a number of soul singers and a live jazz band strum up a bit of a buzz downstairs.

OK, for the foodies amongst us, the pan-fried scallop and prawn starter, alongside the grilled halibut steak with cream of balsamic and veggies, are absolutely scrummy (that’s my word for yummy!). In the dessert section, there’s a comfortable choice featured on the menu. My personal recommendation would be the toffee sticky pudding with vanilla ice cream if you’ve got a sweet tooth.

The resident chef is Italian and this reveals itself through the menu, which changes every week for the lunchtime customers, and every 3 months for the evening and weekend diners. Auralio Vignere explains: “We really just try to keep it casual here, with a friendly vibe. We change the menu regularly to keep the customers taste buds entertained. I would say that all this is a kind of British gastropub blended with Mediterranean influences. I like to extract both Italian and Spanish elements, and implement them into the cooking,” he continues, in an expressive manner. “You know, cooking and eating are two of my main passions, apart from making love, so through the menu I just really want the people here to experience that passion and fire when they dine.” Well, well…very interesting, a chef that expresses his passions through his cooking, and I must say, it’s certainly evident throughout the flavoursome dishes.

The Winchester has a reasonably large wine, champagne and drinks menu, however I noticed that the waiter recommended the same bottle to a few different guests in a row - the Alameda Sauvignon - which is fine if you like a dry white wine but doesn’t really show off the extent of the selection. Having said this, the customer service was good on the whole and the atmosphere was kicking (in a good way), so I’d definitely pay this joint another visit.
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