CASSOULET NIGHTS POP UP IS NOW CONTINUING THROUGH DECEMBER! There is a Christmas set menu for large parties, featuring roast duck.
Right now in Hackney, a chef and a wine company are serving up a pleasingly retro style dinner with warming platefuls of classic French country food. The event, Cassoulet Nights, created by wine company Quite Nice Wines with chef Jacob Rosen, features some fun retro classics. There’s even an old-fashioned dessert trolley which makes its wobbly way over to your table. ‘I couldn’t possibly,’ you say to your fellow diners. ‘Oh, well, maybe I will.’
Chef Jacob Rosen formerly worked at Pitt Cue, the currently City-based enterprise known for its carnivore-pleasing dishes where fat-rich (and therefore super-tasty) mangalitza pork and butter-tender Dexter beef are stars of the menu. No wonder wondrously meaty Cassoulet appeals to his creative side (note: there is an equally delicious vegetarian menu too).
I asked Jacob how this all came about: “Neil and Giulio of Quite Nice Wines and I met in Lyon earlier this year,” he explains. “They had just been given the opportunity to take on a lovely space on Hackney Road. We discussed how we could best use it, given its short time frame, and decided to recreate some of the essence of the French bouchons and bistros we were frequenting in the area.”
Neil brings a wealth of knowledge of small, low-intervention regional French wines and has adeptly paired a selection with the distinctly old-school, French classic dishes. There’s the four-course menu at £35 (either cassoulet or vegetarian options), plus an a la carte selection too. You are also welcome to pop in for drinks and snacks. There’s a faithful backbar (think Suze, Lillet and Armagnac), and it’s all served in a lovely environment, skilfully put together by the team, with attentive personal service. It is also proving to be lots of fun.
The venture will come to an end on 23rd December. Best to book your table now at Cassoulet Nights
