There’s something ‘curiously’ glamorous about a wedge-shaped building, born from urban necessity and made to fit just right. This is no ‘flat-iron’ but Curio, with its oversized dark green awning and oh so European-style street-side tables, has been turning my head for months. Somehow – busy – I just hadn’t made it down to Preston Circus, despite the quick hop-skip from my abode.
Dipping My Toe In
A little while ago, I met my friend Becs there for a morning coffee. An excellent flat white to the good, we were tempted to share a cardamom pastry (caramelised croissant trimmings with aromatic cardamom) which, it turns out, is a delicious destination all by itself. Following such a strong start, dinner and drinks felt like the obvious progression…
Midway through the school holidays, my partner and I were in need of some ‘time-out’ and a date at Curio felt like a plan. We wandered through a positively balmy Preston Park – hoping for a glass of good wine, a plate of good food and some grown-up conversation. All the signs were promising…
First Impressions Last
The styling at Curio is simple and lovely; dark green ceilings, twinkling lights and hanging plants with three walls of windows looking out onto the lively local scene. Reinventing the wheel this is not, but then the wheel works pretty well, so… We were given the perfect little table for two, facing each other but with an excellent street view for those ‘lost in thought’ moments. Most tables were filled with happy diners enjoying the playlist, vibe and all the other tasty trappings on offer.
Wine-list Zeitgeist
Owner Paul came straight over to talk about wine – it’s his great passion and the wine list is both excitingly surprising and well-considered. Leaning into the vogue for natural, organic, biodynamic and orange wine, Curio doubles as a bottle shop (order online and pick up in-store) and may well become your go-to for that next purchase – especially if you’re lucky enough to be local.
With an eye on sustainability, Curio also, very unusually, offers wine on tap. Sceptics are likely to be pleasantly surprised. I’m a convert. Though – wine in a can – that’s another matter.
We started with some fizz. I tried the Pét Nat rosé from Slovenia. My first taste of Slovenian wine and very nice it was too. Fresh, fruity and textural with plenty of character, it was a perfect way to kick start the evening.
Made For Sharing
Curio’s menu is tapas-style, designed to match appetite, companions, and the drinks list of course. It speaks of some excellent, local, foodie partnerships with Curing Rebels, The Flour Pot, and Milkshed Coffee. We’re in distinguished company here!
A dish of plump green olives with tiny slivers of citrus rind and a plate of bresaola (cured with grapefruit, bay and spices then soaked in lapsang souchong and kefir) was an elegant place to start.
Relaxing into the rhythm of the place, as plates arrived, we grazed through them. We smiled, we chatted, we drank. A plate of ‘gildas’ – little skewers of anchovies, pickles and olives were fun to eat, while the juicy, rebel-aged-ham-topped pan con tomate was a mouthwateringly fruity-fresh taste of summer.
Rebel Rebel
Moving on to white wine, we tried the bright, citrus-fresh Txakoli from the Basque Country and the house Verdejo from Spain which is one of Curio’s signature tap wines.
It’s soft and green, with balanced acidity and very drinkable.
We ordered – and loved – the Imam Bayildi (an unctuous, savoury aubergine ‘dip’) served with green chilli and fresh focaccia which trod the perfect line between oil and bounce with the right level of salt on the tongue.
And a dish of silky, woodfired peppers served on smooth, creamy stracciatella and soft herbs. Then another plate of excellent charcuterie – rosy coppa, beautifully marbled and cured with Milk Shed coffee grounds, molasses and burnt hay, giving exceptional balance to the flavour.
‘Bread Bread!’
Unusually, we skipped dessert in favour of a more savoury treat to round off our meal. A trio of British cheeses served handmade crackers, chutney and ‘bread bread’ (apparently this is bread, made using leftover bread – very tasty and worth asking about). There may have been more wine and there was definitely a rather exciting Italian digestif, though the details escape me…
I’d say Curio somehow manages to be both on-trend and quite timeless. And don’t we all aspire to that!
I’m going back to try the affogato, the cocktails, and probably everything else on the menu. You know when you just like something, in an uncomplicated way. In fact, if you can’t find me this summer, I’d say Curio’s a pretty good place to start.
