French wine bar opens in London's Shoreditch

Published: 02 October, 2012

Advertising magnate Edwin Chan has opened an exclusively French wine bar and restaurant in Shoreditch, London.

It is the second venture for Chan - an advertising specialist from Asia who gave up his business to pursue his love of French wine and food. In 2007 he opened Edwin's in Lyon and after 18 months of planning he has opened a London venue.

Chan said: "London is the ultimate city to prove you can hack it."

But he added that Michelin stars weren't part of his plan. "I'd probably turn down a Michelin star," he said. "My loyalty is to my customers, I'm not into celebrity-hype."

Both restaurants only serve French wine and Chan added: "I have no intention of mixing it. I truly believe the best wines are French."

The menu features "classic French and Lyonnais dishes" including Salade Lyonnaise, Escalope de foie gras pan fried and French charcuterie and cheeses. The wines on Edwin's list are privately imported and sourced by Edwin's Lyon.

The list features 3,000 bottles from 70 different producers representing the major wine regions of France. The producers are rotated so that there are 20-30 on offer in the bar at a time. Bottles range from £20 to £35, with grand wines from £48 to £65. Top wines are priced at around £100 per bottle. The venue offers a range of wines by the glass from £4 to £6, with champagne at £9.

Chan has designs on New York for another venue but he said there was no time frame and London was the priority at the moment.

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