Bastardo is a neighbourhood wine bar tucked beside Lardo on Richmond Road in Hackney, offering bold, low-intervention wines alongside honest Italian snacks. It presents itself with a lively edge and promises an approachable but not sullied introduction to the world of natural wine.
Inside, the room is sleek with vintage-tinged touches. There is a large street-facing window lined with potted olive trees, tiled surfaces that glint under soft lighting and an open-front bar that exudes relaxed cool. The atmosphere feels urban and confident without pretense, as though the space was born from the neighbourhood rather than imported wholesale.
The menu embraces simplicity and quality. Small plates include stracciatella on anchovy toast, smoked almonds, olives and the occasional fried fritto. Troughs of freshly made pasta are served for sharing—short cuts tossed in olive oil or tomato sauce—that pair naturally with the wine’s flavour profiles. The content shifts often, inspired by seasonality and spontaneous enthusiasm rather than fixed menus.
Wines take centre stage. Around seventy bottles rotate regularly, twenty of which are available by the glass. A playful mix of skin-contact, organic and experimental bottles from across Europe share the list with more restrained, vinous staples. Guests are encouraged to ask questions, with staff always keen to conversation rather than lecturing.
Staff are warm, informal and well versed. They move fluidly between bottles and dishes, making suggestions using down-to-earth language and encouraging exploration.
Bastardo is a neighbourhood bar that wears its wine flag proudly but lightly. It feels like the kind of place where experimentation is not only welcomed but actively shaped by whoever shows up that night. With its easygoing energy, thoughtful hospitality and lust for flavour, Bastardo offers Hackney a wine bar that is natural, unforced and entirely of its moment.