Alex Young and George de Vos have just announced their new natural wine shop Stable Wines will open in Essex Road this December.
The duo also run ice-cream parlour and bar The Dreamery, which adjoins Goodbye Horses on Halliford Street.
Named after a song by Q Lazzarus, they opened the bar in the former Oxford Arms pub in summer 2024.
The duo’s new venture is housed in a distinctive glass-enclosed space with a custom-made counter by Leopold Banchini hewed from the same oak tree as the bar at Goodbye Horses sat on carved volcanic stone from Mt Etna – beneath an Isamu Noguchi rice paper light shade painted by artist Lucy Stein.
The counter will feature an ever changing selection of natural and progressive bottles handpicked by Wine Director, Nathalie Nelles (Goodbye Horses/Ex-Noble Fine Liquor), and General Manager, Fred Clelland (Ex-P Franco/Tutto Wines).
Stable Wines follows Goodbye Horses’ dedication to ‘zero-zero’ wines where nothing is added, and nothing removed.
Nathalie will offer her expertise, guidance and tastings as the ground floor shop becomes a place to drink and linger.
A staircase tucked away behind the counter takes guests down to the subterranean bar and dining space below.
Housed in a former bank vault, the labyrinthine space has been preserved, with hidden corners, arches and a main vault with original iron railings.
The vault room will boast octagonal sculptural shelves stacked with rare and unusual bottles while a circular table seating six offers a more private experience for small groups.
The four candle-lit arches will each have their own banquette seating ten, with speakers providing an atmospheric soundtrack as they sip their drinks.
To accompany the wine there’s a changing menu of artisanal cured meats and cheeses and small plates including Goodbye Horses staple the cheese toastie.
Alex Young said: “We’re drawn to the unexpected, things that surprise. This lost greenhouse off Essex Rd, hiding a staircase to a labyrinthian cellar, is exactly that.”
George de Vos added: “Wine and food, of course, will be a central part of Stable Wines, but so is the sound, light and feel of the space. It’s a place to taste, linger, and slip out of the world for a moment.”
Stable Wines opens on December 1 at 344a Essex Road, Islington.
