Every neighbourhood needs one. The eponymous Vins has created a gem of a community restaurant, which – appropriately enough – has a superbly composed wine list as well as a kitchen that serves up solid grub. One thing the pandemic has taught us all to value is our local area. Why bother going in to central London if you live in Canonbury and can simply visit Vins?
The owner/ manager had only a brief moment towards the end of our recent Friday evening meal at Vins to talk to us, but his passion for his project is evident. Testament to the success of Vins was that he appeared rushed off his feet all evening, with the majority of the 25 indoor covers occupied, not to mention several of the tables on the outdoor patio, which is a superb spot for local people watching. There’s clearly a good reason why people come here – and seemingly return. The venue functions in some ways as a community hub, selling wine to take home as well as to consume on the premises.
The approach from Vins is consistent with the current culinary zeitgeist, emphasising the local and seasonal wherever possible. The menu is kept beautifully simple: a handful of snacks followed by three starters and three mains, with one option in both sections ticking each of the meat, fish and vegetarian boxes. Pricing is reasonable, at c£10 for the former and less than £20 for the latter. My dining comrade and I opened with some padron peppers, artfully accompanied by yoghurt and harissa. Onto the starters and my dish of the meal – a mackerel paté served with kohlrabi and radish, and finished with a smoked paprika crumb – would not have been out of place in a fine dining location in town. The paté was moist and tasted inherently of the sea, while the vegetables kept things fresh and the paprika topping constituted a genuine novelty. While all our other dishes were enjoyable, I sensed none quite hit the heights of this one. The beetroot that accompanied my pork belly main felt discordant, while my vegetarian comrade struggled to get too excited about her risotto.
These quibbles, however, hardly seemed to matter as we settled in to the conviviality of the atmosphere, so much so that we initiated a conversation with the couple at the neighbouring table. The wine kept flowing and there would be every reason to come just to sample Vins’ selection. The list changes with apparent regularity and emphasises boutique producers with an emphasis on natural and organic wines. Highlight among the glasses sampled was a superb Italian Syrah which showed remarkable grace despite its relative youth. It was a pity when the venue shut at 11. Were your reviewer to live in Canonbury, he would be returning tomorrow.