Tom Jeffreys attends the opening of his new favourite place in London.
As far as I’m aware, it was the usually tedious Barney Ronay, a sports writer for the Guardian, who coined the phrase “pre-sherry sherry”. Since reading that – in a piece about the correct manner for England cricket captains to fall on their swords with dignity and poise – I’ve yearned for the opportunity to partake of this pre-sherry sherry.
Now, I always have a bottle of Tio Pepe in the fridge – I find it a most comforting presence – but simply having two glasses of Tio Pepe on the trot doesn’t de facto render the first one “pre-sherry sherry”. A pre-sherry sherry is, I think, a glass of sherry that one has before embarking upon a serious bout of sherry drinking. And that, it may surprise you to hear, is not something I do that often.
But then, at last, the opportunity arrived. Camino – an award-winning Spanish bar and restaurant in King’s Cross – has only gone and announced the news that we’d all been waiting for. In cahoots with sherry giants Gonzales Byass, they’ve opened London’s first sherry bar, and it’s basically the best thing that’s ever happened. Tucked away opposite the restaurant, in a little courtyard near the station, the tiny little Bar Pepito manages to be about as authentic as possible, without ever sliding into pastiche territory. Tiled floors, old barrels, bits of art on the walls: all have been shipped over from Jerez, the home of sherry, to create that authentic bodega vibe.
And so to the pre-sherry sherry: a nice glass of chilled Tio Pepe. Crisp like my starched collars and dry like my wit, it’s the perfect start. Plates of chorizo, cheeses, and assorted cured hams and things are a splendid accompaniment. From here we move through the sherry range, through amontillado, oloroso seco, palo cortado and oloroso dulce to the sticky date-syrup sweetness of Pedro Ximenez. I fall rather in love with the oloroso seco and a 1968 Vintage Oloroso which the MD of Gonzalez Byass cracks open for our benefit. All the while we’re brought a selection of tapas dishes appropriate to the sherry at hand. There’s smoked cod, anchovy and chilli skewers, and my personal favourite, carpaccio of venison with artichoke confit. Good lord, it’s delicious.
The wonderful thing about sherry is not only its versatility – it goes with so many different foods – but also, surprisingly, its accessibility. Unlike claret say which is so bloody complicated, sherry types go in a fairly distinct direction. Pale, dry fino then gradually getting darker and sweeter until the dessert-strength PX. This linearity makes it an easy drink to get to know, but also a rewarding one. With its charming atmosphere and fantastic staff – Pauline in particular is incredibly helpful and interesting on all matters sherry – there’s no better place to launch your voyage to sherry love than Bar Pepito. My new favourite place in London? Most probably.
19th March 2010.
www.camino.uk.com/pepito
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