"By day, Half Cut Market is a classic shoppy-shop, but by night the bouncing ‘90s playlist is turned up and the mood is set to Fun with a capital F. Plates of deep-fried quail are hoovered by mullet-sporting sorts, and flirt sessions are sponsored by a seemingly never-ending supply of lambrusco and pét-nat. Basically, this Kentish Town wine bar is a wine-sloshing good time, especially for a couple of hours grazing with someone you fancy." - jake missing, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna, heidi lauth beasley
"Rome has piazzas, Lisbon has praças, and London has stylish stretches of grey pavement. Half Cut Market is very much the latter. The restaurant and wine bar lives between Kentish Town and Caledonian Road and, despite its inconspicuous location, revels in maintaining a fiendish energy powered by two-for-one Thursday martinis and delicious cheesy flatbreads. A good time is a given—just try and keep your calendar clear for the next day." - rianne shlebak, heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, sinead cranna
"Half Cut Market is a wine-sloshing good time. 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 bouncing ‘90s playlist is turned up and a plate of a deep-fried quail is hoovered by mullet-sporting sorts. It’s the kind of lambrusco and pét-nat runaway train this bit between Kentish Town and Caledonian Road didn’t know it needed." - jake missing, daisy meager, sinead cranna, rianne shlebak, heidi lauth beasley
"Perfect for: drinking natural wine and plotting your festival aesthetic If you’ve got a thing for wandering into a shop and accidentally dropping 40 quid on something orange and something artisanally crunchy that was once a potato, chances are you already worship at the pét-nat altar of Kentish Town’s Half Cut Market. Still, according to us and anyone in possession of a pair of Tabi pumps, sipping lambrusco is a hobby that can only be improved upon by sweltering short shorts weather. If you’re also in the market for small plates, you can reserve one of the tables out front, but we’d also happily hover for a prime drinking spot on their self-dubbed York Way Riviera." - 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. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Pause Unmute 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 at 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 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. photo credit: Jake Missing" - Jake Missing