Half Cut Market

"This bottle shop and wine bar in Kentish Town is where London’s chilled red wine supernovas learn their low tannin ABCs. The sommelier co-owner manages the big boy wine list at Mountain and this place offers a day-to-night chilled red trajectory. By day, you can stop by for a ready-to-chill bottle and accidentally drop 40 quid on meme-coded merch and nibbles. By night, you can blame the upbeat ‘90s playlist for the fact you compared a Lamoresca to a Spice Girl." - heidi lauth beasley

"London’s landscape of cutesy shops, that are also wine bars, that also serve a small plate or three, are a runaway train fuelled by a seemingly never-ending supply of lambrusco and pét-nat. Still, Half Cut Market does all of these things very well—and it’s something that the bit between Kentish Town and Caledonian Road didn’t know it needed. By day it’s a classic shoppy-shop, where £20 vanishes more quickly than a bag of artisan crisps on the Heath, but by night the neons come out, the bouncing ‘90s playlist is turned up, and a plate of a deep-fried quail is hoovered by mullet-sporting sorts. It’s a fun place to be on a Friday night, especially for a couple of hours grazing, but Half Cut also has some chops to it. There’s some serious sommelier experience attributed to its ownership in the form of managing the wine list Mountain and, although not everything on the changing menu is a knockout, there’s a tonne of potential here. That deep-fried quail and charred cabbage with comté custard show a seriousness about food too. More than anything, Half Cut Market is having fun with it all—and that shouldn’t be undervalued. Food Rundown photo credit: Jake Missing Chicken & Turnip Skewer This chicken thigh is tender and a little charred, while the turnip adds a subtle pepper note. It's a juicy, salty skewer that feels a little yakitori-inspired. photo credit: Jake Missing Fried Quail With Green Goddess & Hot Sauce This deep-fried quail is a standout dish and a great example of Half Cut's kitchen having fun—and making delicious food. The batter has a definite crunch, the green goddess sauce is suitably herby, and there's a welcome zing of hot sauce on top. We could shovel this. photo credit: Jake Missing Spring Cabbage With Comté Custard There's no lack of charred cabbage featured on the menus of London's small plates cartel, but this is undoubtedly the only one we'll ever give a second thought. Cheesy sauce goes a long way on many dishes but here, a comté custard combines with breadcrumbs and the smoky edges of cabbage to make a sensational bite." - Jake Missing