Bruno is a swanky wine bar and shop that's found on the outskirts of Hackney, just a stone's throw from Victoria Park. Bruno is open all week, with a restaurant that serves hungry diners from Thursday through to Sunday. The current resident chef is Anna Søgaard, who brings delicate flavours and dishes to Bruno.
If you're looking for a cosy, neighbourhood bottle shop, then you've found it in Bruno. It's the sort of space where you sit at wooden, intimate tables, with simple bar stools and white walls donned with shelves of the good stuff. Whether you're looking for a spot for a date night, or an afterwork drink, pull up a chair and explore Bruno's various menus.
Small snack plates lead the way on the menu, with nocellara olives, truffle and pecorino nuts, chorizo grignotins and salame parmesan grignotins. Bar plates include a deliciously salty and sweet brie and honey pretzel, along with pate en croute and a charcuterie and cheese selection. There's a great selection of locally sourced wines, fizz, and a lovely choice of orange wines, which are on the rise in popularity, each of these available by the bottle or the glass.
Anna and her team pair together some incredible textures, with plates of sardines served with butter beans, confit tomatoes, grilled onions and purslane. Smoked cods roe is harmonious with tarawa, roasted pink fir potatoes and pickled shallots and a tender duck breast is served with cardamom and mole. For an indulgent treat at the end of the night, choose the chocolate ganache with olive oil caramel and sea salt. On the other end of the chocolate spectrum, the white chocolate ganache is topped with shaved apricot and macadamia for a super sweet pairing.