Passione Vino Clerkenwell, London
Luca Dusi outside Passione Vino © David Loftus
Luca Dusi’s dinky vinoteca Passione Vino has been an east London landmark for 10 years, loved for its soulful approach to food and wine and eccentric interiors. Its new offshoot, in Islington’s Exmouth Market, is housed in a former tattoo parlour that once belonged to Dusi’s friend, the designer (and fellow Veronese) Mo Coppoletta. “I want it to be the kind of place where you walk in and just think, ‘I want to eat and drink everything,’” says the Italian.
Visitors are greeted by a 5m-long Veronese red marble bar groaning with bowls of mozzarella, boxes of tomatoes, charcuterie and a rattan basket of Puglian Altamura loaves “for really gourmet sandwiches”. There are also a few small tables and a shop in the corner selling wines to take away.
Passione Vino’s Luca Dusi © David Loftus
