Irish-born chef Robin Gill is to open a tiny Parisian-style wine bar in Brixton Market Row this month. Bottle & Rye will have just 28 covers and focus on minimal-intervention wines from across Europe, back up by a menu from ex-Lino chef Ben Hughes-Green.

“We love how these little gems are embraced by the city,” Robin said. “I’m very excited to be opening my first restaurant in Brixton, an area where I’ve lived for most of my London life.”

The announcement caught many by surprise – not least because Robin and his wife Sarah have only just launched their new Italian-inspired restaurant, Maria G’s in Kensington. They also own Darby’s in Nine Elms, Sorella in Clapham, and Rye by the Water in Brentford, along with the Bermondsey Larder, where they have transferred their team from The Dairy in Clapham, which closed down during the pandemic.

Bottle & Rye is scheduled to open in “mid July”, but curious locals might like to take advantage of the soft pre-launch opening in the next week or two.