Perfect For:

pre-dinner tipple, mid-afternoon drinking, informal atmos, hugely knowledgeable staff, a very civilised way to while away an afternoon

Telephone:

01841 532022

Website:

bintwo.com

Address:

bintwo South Quay, Padstow,

Postcode:

PL28 8BL

Opening
Times:

10 - 9 in summer 10 - 5 in winter

Bubbles galore at binTwo Padstow

A review from Locally Sourced

by Rachel

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No lady could refuse an invite to quaff champagne in the company of gentlemen on a Friday night in the civilised and buzzy town of Padstow. Unbeknown to us, David, owner of binTwo the Independent Wine Merchant and Champagne Bar, was to whisk us away on a journey of Bacchus’ finest, filled with flutes of Dionysian ecstasy.

David’s passion for wine is tangible and rather enviable: “We always have bottles open every day of the year.” Dovetailing with the dedication is the uniqueness of the venue, staff here don’t fit the usual ‘wino/sommelier-therefore-a little-bit-intimidating’ box: “We’re not stuffy, we wear shorts and have house music playing all the time.” And it works: binTwo cleverly echoes the Padstow/Rock vibe that merges surfing with Stein, labradors with Hunters, and 4 x 4s with Porsches, essentially the best in a relaxed environment and no pretension.

Out come the weapons: glasses at dusk (and headaches at dawn). We move through a glorious spectrum of some of binTwo’s finest, starting with the team’s favourite champagne, Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve, elegant yet confident, then a bit of Bollinger, a richer style of champagne. Next the whites: La Strada, a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc that is creamy, overlaid with oak, gooseberry freshness with caraway notes, on to a 2010 Picpoul de Pinet from the Languedoc, a mouth-filling full-bodied , green gold white with quirky lush character. Moving to the reds, a lip smacking Chilean Pinot Noir followed amicably by an uber-smooth Rioja.

The sun sets over the Padstow harbour as we drink and discuss the wines and their respective merits, savouring the luxury of a continental drinking experience based on an appreciation of taste, colour, smell and provenance rather than that famous British tendency to ‘neck it’ and finish up in a hedge (I exaggerate but we’ve all been there).

Interspersed with the top-ups were David’s coffee creations. I say creation, because each cup had all the makings of a work of art. He let slip some of the secrets for making what he believes to be the second best cup of coffee in Cornwall (he modestly awards first place to his mate Hugo at Relish in Wadebridge). These included throwing away the first four shots in the morning and ensuring the coffee moves very slowly through the newly-ground coffee for optimum taste.

David disappears briefly behind the gleaming silver machine and re-emerges with two espressos. Now I have spent a lot of time in Italy and drunk a lot of coffee and am mostly bitterly disappointed with what we get in the UK despite all the gear (and no idea). This was like eating the finest dark chocolate: bitter, yet rich, dark and smooth: liquid black gold. Using a unique blend from Monmouth Coffee Company in London Bridge coupled with Trewithen Dairy semi-skimmed milk, he demonstrated a flat white, with signature shooting heart etched into the crema. Coffee perfection alongside wine perfection. It seems that this man will only settle for the best, be it the simple task of making a coffee or creating a champagne bar with a (big) difference.

David has worked in the wine industry for about 17 years and manager Jen previously managed Majestic Wines, Covent Garden. Walls, tables and shelves are stacked with hand-picked bottles from all over the world and customers can join the wine club to receive a discount off any purchase (highly recommended). Sit outside on the terrace and sup to the views and tunes of Padstow harbour or perch inside if the weather is unfavourable. For a small corkage fee, go off-roading from the menu and choose any bottle from the shelves. For a pre-dinner appetite whetter, there isn’t better (we headed straight off to Rick’s Seafood Restaurant) and for a naughty afternoon tipple, post surf or sail, it is highly recommended.