Previous SlideNext Slide

Size rarely matters at Merenda. Prefer that wild-ferment fiano by the half-pour? No sweat. Table of three morphing into five? Party on. This easy-going energy permeates everything in the room, from the staff to the records they flip.

Posters plastered along the entry immortalise parties and banquets past, many of them collabs with chefs, winemakers – heck, even other wine bars. Chalkboards advertise the day’s drinks and dishes: the former starring interesting small-batch producers, the latter headlined by towering blocks of potato focaccia, all squish and fluff.

Clams get chummy with guanciale, slips of oyster mushroom and a considerable amount of black pepper. Crab and house-made bottarga make for a briny treasure hunt among rustically cut tagliatelle, and pale-green shavings of puntarelle meet the fruity-savoury bite of preserved lemon dressing. It may be on the small side, but Merenda sure is mighty.