Clerkenwell wine bar Emmanuelle comes from chef, restaurateur and sommelier Yuma Hashemi - he’s the man behind the much-loved Drunken Butler, and in fact, you’ll find the restaurant across the road on Rosebery Avenue. The latter started life as a fine dining restaurant that blended a range of French, Persian and International influences, but has since evolved into more of a neighbourhood Persian restaurant, developing a cult following in the process.
Emmanuelle is more informal than the restaurant, and has been designed to feel like you’re sharing a glass of wine with a friend in their lounge. The room feels cosy and intimate thanks to an array of antiques and interesting ornaments, as well as comfortable seating. Chief among them all is a huge rattan armchair that once starred in famous 70s erotic thriller ‘Emmanuelle’, and gives the wine bar its name.
The wine bar gives Hashemi license to explore a passion for small, independent winemakers around the world, and he wants Emmanuelle to be a place for people to explore and learn about wines. Masterclasses, tastings and talks will be hosting by winemakers throughout the year, offering a chance for wine lovers and novices alike to learn about something new.
Most of the time, though, the bar is open for walk-ins only, and holds 24 covers for guests. A wide-ranging wine list covers swathes of new and old world wine regions and shines a light on small-scale producers, covering natural and biodynamic wines as well as sparkling and Champagnes. As well as the wine list, the bar also has a cocktail list that focuses on negronis, made with a range of vintage gins, vermouths and Camparis sources from the fifties, sixties and seventies. A small selection of French-style charcuterie boards and small plates is available to nibble on, as well as a few Persian specials, such as noon-panir-sabzi (bread, cheese and herbs), aubergine, cucumber and rose with flatbread, as served at The Drunken Butler.