“Wine is about conviviality. When you come visit us, you will find yourselves in Italy for a few hours,” says Luca Dusi, the Verona-bred founder of Passione Vino.
Since 2003, Dusi has been supplying wine to restaurants across the United Kingdom, specialising in Italian producers. In 2015 he opened a physical Passione Vino wine bar in Shoreditch and now, he’s expanding his business into a different, more residential area, with the launch of a second bar, on Exmouth Market.
The space was last home to a tattoo studio by Mo Coppoletta, a fellow Veronese, who recently moved to a different location. Before handing the studio over to a real estate agency, Coppoletta asked Dusi if he was interested in taking over. “I went to see it not as a friend or a customer, but through a different set of eyes. I wasn’t particularly looking to expand, but when you find the right property and you feel the energy, you have to go for it,” says Dusi.
The former tattoo shop, now transformed into an elegant space with moody lighting, features a five-metre-long bar made of Veronese red marble. Dusi was determined to preserve the existing space’s legacy: patrons will notice tattoo-related artwork among the many wine bottles on display.
When asked about the vision for the new location, Dusi is clear: “We are drastically going back to our roots.” Just like the first Passione Vino, the bar forgoes a traditional wine menu. Instead, staff ask customers to explain what flavours they are looking for, and bring to the table three bottles they think might hit the mark. “I want to help you expand your comfort zone and have you try new wines that you otherwise wouldn’t know.” Going to Passione Vino is almost an educational experience, where you come out knowing a little bit more about wine than you did walking in.
When it came to developing the food, Dusi and his long-time chef Pascal Lazzarotto wanted to create something new and interesting. From there came the idea of a sandwich-led menu. “Think old-school style, meatballs and smoked ricotta, or grilled octopus with mayonnaise. We’re sourcing the finest Italian ingredients we can find while appealing to Londoners’ palates.”
The food is displayed in glass case like in a traditional Italian deli and is entirely prepared at the bar. The dishes are no fuss, but that doesn’t mean they’re not interesting. “We want to offer the best products, the freshest produce, made in the simplest ways.”
After 20 years operating in London, Dusi is especially proud that he has stayed true to his roots, his values, and his heritage. Passione Vino remains a champion of Italian terroirs and culture, never straying from its original vision. “I could’ve taken the easy route, but that’s not me, and that’s not Italy. Italy is complicated, it is a labyrinth, and that’s what we wanted to bring.”
Passione Vino
85 Leonard Street, EC2A 4QS
02034870600
Hours:
Wed to Fri midday–10pm
Sat 4pm–10pm
