Cabotte
Founded by two of London’s most well-known sommeliers (Xavier Rousset and Gearoid Devaney), Cabotte is an ode to Burgundy nestled in the City of London. Opened in 2016, it boasts a wine list featuring over 1,000 wines, the majority from Burgundy.
Below is an extract from Douglas Blyde’s review, written before lockdown:
Founded by two Master Sommeliers, Cabotte is named after the small stone huts dotting Burgundy’s vineyards which offer workers refuge from the harsher elements. Located on Gresham Street, the restaurant itself offers City workers a happy haven from unsettled markets.
The minds behind are blues guitarist and charity marathon runner, Gearoid Devaney who is also the director of Flint Wines, and Xavier Rousset who became a Master Sommelier at just 26 years old. They met on a merchant-organised visit to producers, Dujac and Rousseau in 2000. “My first wine trip and Gearoid’s second,” recalls Rousset. “None of Gerard Basset’s head somms could go so off I went, bonding with Gearoid at 4 am at Le Galleon nightclub. On returning to the hotel, Gearoid assumed I knew Beaune inside out just because I was French and we promptly got lost, wandering around the ramparts…”
Formerly a Be At One cocktail bar, Cabotte has been skilfully reimagined in a way perhaps best described as polished rusticity, complete with textured plaster, a shiny vine sculpture and backlit mirrors. “We’ve both spent time in venues dressed as penguins but wanted a more relaxed vibe here,” says Devaney.
Best savoured from huge Zalto glasses, the comprehensive Burgundy-focused list includes 800 handpicked listings from the territory including the broad ranges gleaned from Cabotte’s partners.
