I know this great little place in Covent Garden…Dalla Terra

Posted by winesleuth in Food and Wine, Italy, wine bars | 0 comments

I know this great little place in Covent Garden, it’s called Dalla Terra. It’s easy to miss even though it is in the heart of Covent Garden, just off Long Acre as a matter of fact. Dodging my way past the throngs of shoppers and tourists, I turned off on to a sleek corridor of shops which ended in an open stone courtyard, surrounded on all sides by some very beautiful architecture. Dalla Terra’s glass fronted facade announces its presence in big white blocky letters.

Stepping inside though, it’s very inviting, warmly lit with walls of wine lining both sides of the interior. One side of the room has individual tables  whilst the other side has a long communal table, ending with a table for two situated right next to the glass walled wine cellar. There’s also a long bar at the back of the bar if you just fancy a few bar snacks.

It’s a wine bar that specializes in small Italian wine producers. They range from the big boys like Banfi and Gaja to small, natural wine producers. As many of you know, I am sceptical of natural wines but there are enough good ones to justify having them on a list and Dalla Terra has some winners.

We were there for some wine and food matching. Dalla Terra has a full menu as well as cheese and charcuterie platters.  We tried  a fab dish of marinated hake before moving onto a “board” of meat as it’s termed at the restaurant. Dalla Terra sources as much of their food from Italy as possible and the charcuterie plate was a bonanza of salami! They offer a salami and cheese board paired with 5 different red and white wines and is available for only £20 – bargain and well worth it!

The cheeses as well were all Italian. We picked a red wine to go with the cheeses, a Valpolicello, Kairos  from the producer, Zyme. A rich, textured wine, bursting with flavour, a succulent wine, I loved it. We picked it off the shelf. Dalla Terra is also a wine shop so you can either buy the wine to take away or pay a small corkage fee to drink it there.

They have over 180 wines to choose from so you’re bound to find something and if you need guidance, Giuseppe, the owner is usually on hand to give advice. They also serve over 30 wines by the glass, those enomatic machines sure are handy!

A peaceful Italian wine oasis in the midst of all that is Covent Garden madness, Dalla Terra is a very welcome addition to the neighbourhood.

Dalla Terra, 25 Slingsby Place, London, WC2E 9AB

020 7240 8811