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September 13, 2017
Toast
Seli Shamma is the sommelier at Toast on The Shore.

Crumbs! Leith’s first wine café is pouring on The Shore. Raise a toast to Toast.

The wine café actually opened in the first week of August. Having bedded in, their official launch is this week.

Located in a former art gallery, Toast is very much a wine café as opposed to a wine bar.

And what’s the difference?

Breakfast to last orders

Well, for a start, Toast opens at 8am every morning, except for Sundays when it opens at 9am. It is also child and dog-friendly; both of which set it apart from most wine bars.

After all, there aren’t many wine bars which will happily serve your eight-year-old eggs Benedict while you gargle your first coffee of the day.

I guess another difference is that there is as much emphasis on the food as the wine at Toast.

Head Chef Lizzie Arber previously worked at the Garden Museum in Lambeth. Apparently, Gourmet Magazine voted the museum as one of the top ten best museum restaurants in the world.

Possibly a niche category but not one that we are going to sniff at.

Along with her team, Lizzie is creating a menu using seasonal ingredients sourced from local suppliers.

With a background in vegetarian and vegan cookery, the chef promises ethically sound dishes that are ‘good enough to entice even the most hardened of carnivores’.

From classic breakfast dishes in the morning to artisanal salads, soups and sourdough sandwiches at lunch, sharing platters and tapas-style plates in the evening, there will be something for any time of the day.

Toast serves biodynamic, organic and natural wines

The carefully curated wine list is predominantly, biodynamic, organic and natural. Of course, customers are welcome to buy by the glass or by the bottle.

Sommelier Seli Shama can also create a bespoke tasting menu to suit individual tastes.

A hand-picked selection of craft beers sits alongside a short but intriguing cocktail list.

Owner Zak Hanif commented: ‘Toast’s philosophy is to welcome everyone at all times. One table may be enjoying flat whites and cake, whilst the next are drinking craft beers, and another is sharing a charcuterie plate with a bottle of wine. The uniting factor is the unfaltering quality of everything we will be serving.’