Reviews Sager + Wilde

The Sunday & Monday BYOB without charge is an amazing deal - as is the free (and delicious) Bloody Mary that comes with the lunch and brunch menu. Food was all excellent - the smoked brisket & fries is worth coming here for on it's own. All this on a lovely sunny terrace. What a great place.

Outstanding wine list and very competent staff who know what they're doing. If only we had that calibre where I live in Australia- it's badly needed. Keep up the great work guys :)

Some of the best food in London, I recommend this place to everyone!

Good service & caring staff. Outside area is very enjoyable and perfect for a good time. Great quality wine. Recommended.

Amazing & creative tasting menu, staff super sweet & caring. We'll definately come back!

I had a lovely time there for my birthday celebrations. Wonderful staff with fabulous service. �

The Woodford Reserve Lounge at Sager + Wilde (at Paradise Row restaurant/bar/terrace not the Hackney Road wine bar) offers a subdued earth tone retreat from the world with a lofty perch above the Bethnal Green bustle. I dropped by recently for an elbow bend at the new lounge with Head Bartender Marcis Dzelzainis – recently nominated for the International Bartender of the Year award at the Tales Of The Cocktail Awards in New Orleans – and Woodford Reserve Brand Ambassador Tom Vernon. Marcis shared a few of his more notable Woodford cocktail recipes while Tom informed about what’s doing over in Versailles, Kentucky – home of the Woodford Reserve Distillery.

Sticking with Paradise Row, we headed back to Bethnal Green last Friday night for what turned out to be a very boozy evening. First up, were pre-dinner drinks and we decided to head to Sager + Wilde, the restaurant version of the brilliant wine bar in Hoxton where we'd had our second date.

It was just warm enough to sit outside - although the bar inside was very inviting - and soak up the music from Mother Kelly's next door. Any place that plays The Rolling Stones followed by Jimi Hendrix gets in my good books. Although when the sun went down, the heaters came on and there are plenty of blankets to wrap up in.

Whilst Sager + Wilde are praised for their brilliant wine list, we couldn't resist the cocktails which are divided into 'Long drinks', 'Burnt', 'Rocks', 'Fizz' and 'Straight up'. Of course, we were instantly drawn in by the promises of mescal and whisky and could look no further for the next forty five minutes.

For him, the Olive Oil Old Fashioned with a clear, slick and smooth lasting finish. For me, the Burnt Milk with burnt clarified milk, bay leaf, mescal, burnt caramel syrup, cassia and clarified lemon - an alcoholic creme caramel that I could have drank for days. And did, seeing as between us we ordered another two. Along with the Grand Cru - burnt lactic syrup and cognac that, when drank after the accompanying sparkling wine, left an intense, rich flavour in the mouth. And also the Burnt Maple which brought together burnt maple syrup, rye whisky, mescal and walnut bitters. All but one served in beautifully heavy tumblers with a single, thick ice cube. No fripperies, no flounce - just pure unadulterated alcohol.

Had we not been skipping down to Bistrotheque for dinner, we would have stayed all night and washed down this cracking sounding bar menu.

May 12, 2015 Mission is definitely not a mission. It is a handy little spot tucked under a railway arch in Bethnal Green. Serving fantastic brunch, light lunch and delicious dinner. It also has great wine, which should be the case considering it is from the winetastic award winning husband and wife team behind Sager + Wilde . On a sunny afternoon, before a walk around East London, along the canal with our last stop being London Fields, we stopped off at Mission for fuel. First the obligatory bloody mary which was delish; then delicately scrambled eggs with morel mushrooms. Tasty. Valentina opted for mortadella and duck egg croque madame. Filling. The food was in the perfect setting of their outside terrace with the sun beating down. Being away from the main streets, it is so nice and chilled here. Service was informal and friendly. Diners were a mix of locals and other East London visitors. Mission is a great start to a long sunny day in East London. Highly recommended. Mission Arch 250 Paradise Row London E2 9LE T. 020 7613 0478 hello@missione2.com http://www.missione2.com/ Tweet at missione2 Insta at mission_e2 Sammijo Editor & Lead Writer. Geeky chic with a love of Xbox, Flickr, Spotify, Samsung, Patty & Bun, Langley's No 8 Gin, Wordpress, Netflix, Hoxton and H&M. You Might Also Like The power of Peruvian food December 18, 2014

We had a bit of a mishap to begin with. I had made a booking for 9 but when we turned up the hostess couldn't find my booking. I got out my phone which luckily had some battery on it and found the email with the booking confirmation, which she glanced at and tried to dismiss as it didn't show my name. It was hard to tell if she didn't believe we had a booking or if she was saying that someone (not her) had made a mistake. I managed to click into the email and show her my name, whereupon she apologised and said they would fit us in somewhere. She offered us a table by the door - not ideal on a chilly night. And then, somehow, she spotted my name on the system! She was almost suitably embarrassed and blamed being a bit of a technophobe before leading us to our table.

We'd had a large and lovely lunch at Launceston Place so we weren't here to pig out. Just some light refreshment to recharge and soak up all the alcohol we'd been drinking since lunch. So we got a couple of dishes with our drinks and said we'd likely get some cheese after - we had duck pappardelle and goose terrine.

The duck pappardelle, which was a big reason for me wanting to come was my least favourite - it was on the bland side and the duck was quite dry. The goose terrine was the opposite - meaty and fatty. Of course, we did get some cheese as well. We had the lightest, most subtle and creamy goat's cheese. For someone who can only take a smidgen of goat's cheese before finding it overpowering, this was the perfect type. We had a robust cheddar, which could have been a little creamier - it felt like it had hardened a little in the open air, and also a blue cheese which again was just the right intensity for a novice blue-cheese eater like myself.
I would probably have swapped out the crackers for some bread but it was still a good cheese plate.

Wines, it goes without saying, were a joy to drink. This is what Sager + Wilde are all about after all.

So, Mission was lovely. It really was. And yet for me, I didn't fall in love. There was just one thing wrong with it - it wasn't Sager and Wilde. Being a much bigger operation, it doesn't have the same friendly quality that the little wine bar has. Sager and Wilde just has a certain je ne sais quoi, which has made it one of my favourite bars in London, bringing me back time and again.

Mission is one of the few new restaurants that have popped up under the rail arches in Bethnal green.
They serve a fantastic menu with food intended to be shared but also works well just ordering entrees and/or mains. The servings are great sized for the price as well.

Their selling point is the insanely extensive Californian wine list. More Californian wines by the glass than I have seen at any restaurant. Plus a huge list of cellared wines. Fortunately the staff know their stuff about the wines and will expertly recommend what to have with each meal.

It was really busy as it was a Thursday so I would suggest making reservations!
The outdoor courtyard is also really nice just for drinks if you weren't after dinner.

Mission is the new "Californian wine bar and kitchen" from the popular duo of Michael & Charlotte Sager-Wilde. The name refers to the Mission grape variety, the first to ever be planted in California. Their small but perfectly formed wine bar (Sager + Wilde) on Hackney Road has been a huge success, and this time they are back with more than just grilled cheese sandwiches. James de Jong (previously at The Drapers Arms) is their secret weapon, bringing "Californian-style cooking with Italian influences" to Bethnal Green.



All the arches on Paradise Row are more or less the same plot, so it's interesting to see how differently they all approach the design. At Mission, you arrive right in the heart of the dining area, with the wine bar behind separated by some exotic plant life. Looking down on it all is a mezzanine reserved for private functions. Some of the best bottles are stashed up here too. Lighting is just on the right side of the romantic / too dark to see your food line, even as early as 7pm.



Let's chat about the drinks first. There's the wine of course. Of all the booze groups, wine is the one I know least about, but Charlotte, Michael and the rest of the staff were on hand to fill in any gaps. At any rate, it's an excellent list. Then there's a small but interesting selection of bottled beers including contributions from North Coast & Pine Street, two Californian breweries.



But what's this? £4.50 cocktails? Grab a "three sip" Sazerac / Manhattan / Rum Old Fashioned / Martini - a great idea which I'm surprised I haven't seen elsewhere. I always find a full-sized cocktail looks a little out of place on the dinner table, and tends to hang around too long. I guess I could drink them faster of course...



Anyway, on to the food. We started with 'Nduja Arancini (£6.50) - difficult to divide between three, but worth the effort. This was joined by Duck Pappardelle (£8.50)- simple but effective. I would happily eat a boat load of this. Our third small plate was Octopus, Farro, Tomato & Aioli (£8.50) - a generous portion of garlicky goodness and a contender for best plate of the evening, though not advisable for first dates!


Then came the Salt Ox Cheek with Lentils & Salsa Verde (£15). Three hefty pieces of wonderful meat arrived in the most glorious sauce. Great value, high quality sharing food. I hope it's still on the menu when I return. We followed this with Rabbit Leg, Pancetta, Polenta & Girolles (£17) - very popular on the other side of the table, but not in the same league as the Ox Cheek for me. More-ish Garlic & Rosemary Potatoes (£3.50) kept everything company.



A pair of guys near us went straight for the Lamb Scottadito (£37) that we had been eyeing up - supposedly for two or three, it could easily have fed a small town. Food jealousy ensued.



Not for long though, as my Dulce de Leche Cheesecake with Honeycomb arrived. I'm sure the Lemon Sorbet with Prosecco on the other side of the table was nice enough, but there was only ever going to be one winner in that fight. It was one of the fluffiest examples of the genre I have ever had the pleasure of demolishing, with a subtle vanilla flavour backed up by the supporting cast on the plate.



Considering this was Mission's first evening of service (soft opening and all that), everything ran extremely smoothly, staff were calm and friendly (one smashed item was cleared up before I even managed to turn my head), and the food was confidently dispatched. It opens fully on Monday September 15th, and will no doubt be busy from day one, so get booking!



N.B. They are also opening up for brunch at the weekends, see you there.

Fabulous selection of wines but careful, your choice can make the meal a bit too expensive. Menu is short but very well cook. It was super quiet when went there so had a good chat with the hostess who helped us with the wine. Very nice place but if you are a fuzzy eater maybe not for you. (Men toilets were broken so there was a queue for the only one available, every single time.)

Love sager+Wilde at paradise row. It’s nice to sip some wine during summer and enjoy some of their delicious food. Enjoyed the pasta portions, especially the ragu. Starters were nice but a bit small. Great selection of wine. Lovely staff. Good value overall and nice place!

Great place. Really flavourful food and fantastic service. Wine is also really good. Tiny bit pricey but worth it

We really enjoyed our dinner here on Friday night. I've been before in the summer and it's great with the outside tables but the inside is also really nice and cosy. The waitress' were helpful in explaining the dishes and any questions we had. Between the two of us, we shared the ricotta with tomato, with some focaccia (really nice), smoked beetroot, tardivo and hazelnut creme (great crunch and flavour), crayfish with agretti and fennel (fresh), veal with risotto and bone marrow (rich but good), venison with horseradish and some greens (meat was perfectly cooked and flavours worked well) and ricotta rhubarb fritelli which was tasty.

Lovely and extensive wine list ! Service was also excellent but food was a bit bland and lacking some flavour

Amazing value, brilliant food and wine. Pasta is unreal as is the cheese board and desserts. Would recommend

Amazing food with lots of creativity and love. Rustic meats Elegance. Unbelievable wine! The cocktails are delicious and nicely presented. Ambience is great outside and inside eating in this trendy yet down to earth place. Good service and always a hit.

Really enjoyed a last minute Monday date night dinner here! It was also EOTHO (eat out to help out) still - the restaurant extended into September, & 3/4 of the place was full. Had the scallops & creamy peas (amazing!) & burrata pistachio with peaches (nice flavor combo though the peaches were a bit hard) as starters. And the nduja tagliatelle & lobster pasta. I preferred the tagliatelle but honestly - both were quite delicious. There are 2 options for dessert - we chose the lemon tart over the tiramisu, & I quite enjoyed it. It was very zesty & the blackberries added a nice touch. 3 glasses of wine, 2 starters, 2 pasts, & 1 dessert = £76 with the promo. Also loved the decor in the place - candles, open windows that led out to the porch seating area, dark wood + people watching.