Hilliard's charms

Hilliard

Hilliard is a small cafe-bistro, just off Fleet Street. It's an oasis of quality and personality, amongst Fleet Street's sea of tiresome chain eateries. I eat lunch there a few times every week, which always brightens up the day. Well executed, unfussy food, with careful sourcing and interesting twists. By way of example, today's lunch special was Scallops, with Pancetta, cherry tomatoes and salad, all for a fair £6.25. Delicious!

My eye has been drawn several times to the inviting wine selection, available to drink on the premises or as an offsale, with 25% discount in the latter case. Today, I managed to track down co-owner Frances, who explained that her husband Spenser is the man behind the list. Mr Hilliard (For it is he) sources small parcels of interesting wines (mostly from classic old-world regions) by buying at auction, or from other obscure sources. So, today I decided to take the plunge with an attention grabbing 1996 Beaune Premier Cru (Les Coucherias). The produc…