One of London’s most charming Italian restaurateurs, Luca Dusi, is to open a second wine bar ten years after launching his cult hit Passione Vino.
Dusi’s second venue will occupy a former tattoo parlour in Exmouth Market and, like the first, will operate as an intimate wine bar, bottle shop and restaurant.
Passione Vino has become a cult favourite since opening in Shoreditch in 2015. There, Dusi avoids a wine list and instead offers diners his favourite wines from across Italy alongside pasta dishes, charcuterie and cheeses.
Dusi said he will again represent the best producers from his homeland at his second location, “challenging palates with unexpected discoveries” and “sharing stories that bring bottles to life”.
At the new wine bar, where many of the original features of the former tattoo parlour have been maintained, fine Italian sandwiches will be served in lieu of pasta.
The chef Pascal Lazzarotto has created a menu that calls for two of Italy’s most beloved breads: schiacciata, the thinner, crispier cousin to focaccia (and used by Soho’s new sandwich shop All’Antico); and altamura, a chewy sourdough from Puglia.
Sandwiches will be filled with ingredients such as oxtail, smoked trout, cotechino (pork sausage), and sardines.
Dusi said he is proud to have inherited the site, formerly owned by the Italian tattooist Mo Coppoletta, and said he will breathe new life into the shop and take inspiration from their joint Veronese heritage.
“Passione Vino has always been about more than wine,” he told the Standard. “It’s about people, connections, and discovery. With the new bar in Clerkenwell, we’re expanding the family.
“We’re bringing across everything we love from Shoreditch, adding new bottles, new flavours, and new experiences, all while celebrating the incredible history of this building. We can’t wait to welcome people in. Ciao!”
Passione Vino Clerkenwell will open in November at 58 Exmouth Market, EC1R 4QE, passionevino.co.uk
