Wine Is the Supreme Credo

 
No food, only wine is listed on the menu at the Il Vino wine restaurant in Paris. Enrico Bernardo, Best Sommelier in the World for 2004, has turned catering convention on its head and made wine the focal point of his concept. Nevertheless, chef de cuisine Davide Barilone plays his supporting role so well that, in early March, his creations were rewarded with a star from the Michelin food guide. At this Mecca for wine gourmets, which opened in 2007, minimalist design and discrete pale grey, wine red and midnight blue are the dominant colours. Down below, under a pane of glass lies the dimly lit wine cellar, which proudly shelters 1,500 wines, 80% of which are from Europe, with the majority from France. Il Vino, which spans an area of 130 sq m, can seat 40 diners, employs a staff of 15 and is open 7 days a week, catering to approximately 60 guests, on average, per day.
 
Total investment: € 1.1 m. Price range for wine and an à la carte meal: € 22-36 (starter) and € 39-58 (main course). Three different menus are on offer: the ‘fast' lunch menu with three wines (€ 50), a surprise menu (€ 75) featuring four ‘secret' wines and a luxury tasting of top French vintages, which includes five of the most famous wines in the world (€ 1,000). Average bill: € 70 at lunchtime and € 115 in the evening. The wine is the only item on the bill, for Padrone Enrico aims to follow his concept through to the end.
 

 
www.ilvinobyenricobernardo.com
 

 
| 15 April 2008 |