Swirl - Review - Leyton - London - The Infatuation

"Drinking in railway arches, once a highly questionable activity favoured by anyone who didn’t want their parents to know that their fake ID had finally led to WKD nirvana, is now the ultimate cheat code for finding the best neighbourhood wine bars in London. Leyton’s answer to ‘former archway, present excuse to sip something funky’ is Swirl, a cosy, white-washed bar that specialises in Czech and Slovakian wines. The big green fridge operates as a big green flag for E10 locals in search of a cloudy conversation-starter orange to takeaway, and gossip is exchanged over gildas and glass bowls of Torres truffle crisps. The menu leans more high-brow snacks of the anchovy and comté persuasion, so it isn’t the best bet if you’ve self-diagnosed yourself as ‘famished’. But sampling a bunch of the wines when you’re looking to replace your Chin Chin fixation is a lot of fun. photo credit: Heidi Lauth Beasley photo credit: Heidi Lauth Beasley Food Rundown Gildas X 3 If gildas—the most seductive little snack known to salt-loving kind—are on a menu, it’s safe to say that we’ll be ordering them. But these pintxo classics are particularly great thanks to the glossy, supersized olive that sandwiches the anchovy and pepper filling. Pair with the citric funk slap of the David Kušický Slovakian orange wine. PlayMute video credit: Heidi Lauth Beasley" - Heidi Lauth Beasley