Doug McMaster’s pioneering zero waste restaurant Silo in Hackney, east London, is to reopen this month as a bar focusing on minimum intervention wines.
As reported by the Evening Standard, the Hackney Wick site will temporality be turned into a wine bar before transitioning back into a restaurant later this year. Called Silo x Wine Bar, the venue will reopen on 20 August with a wine list that shines a light on drops from artisan producers.
According to the Evening Standard, among the estates on the list will be Tillingham Wines in East Sussex, run by former Gusbourne CEO, Ben Walgate, and Gut Oggau from Burgenland in Austria, known for its quirky labels.
The cocktails have been created by mixologist Ryan Chetiyawardana using spirits from Copenhagen distillery, Empirical.
To mop up the alcohol, Silo will offer a selection of snacks and small plates, including green pea naan with a roasted tomato dip; grilled cuttlefish kebab with umami dipping sauce; koji quavers and a soy egg with lava salt.
Silo is planning on reintroducing its tasting menu this winter, when it will become a fully functioning restaurant again.
“Silo x Wine Bar is the perfect way for us to invite back guests and regulars, and will help us to segue towards reopening the restaurant towards the end of the year, while giving guests the full Silo experience as soon as we can,” McMaster told ES.
The Silo concept started life as a Brighton restaurant, which, when it opened in 2014, claimed to be the world’s first zero waste restaurant.
McMaster moved the concept to London when he opened Silo in Hackney in November 2019. Shortly after opening, the venue was largely lauded by critics for its compelling combination of a sustainable ethos and delicious dishes.
Last week, McMaster and Chetiyawardana announced that drinks led restaurant Cub in Hoxton will not reopen after the Covid-19 lockdown.
Silo isn’t the first London restaurant to relaunch as a wine bar. Last month Silver Lining in Hackney rebranded itself as an orange wine bar when it reopened.
