Having a bubble: why Kate Moss and the rest of London are back on the champagne

Why wear a hat when you can don a crown? Who wants cava — let’s just drink champagne. Decadence is back and Kate’s in on the act, says Susannah Butter
Boob job: Kate’s new champagne glass has been modelled on her breasts

London has decided — if something is good, there’s no point confining it to special occasions. In this case it’s champagne that is having a moment. Miley Cyrus is enjoying hers in the form of Pops, the world’s first champagne lolly — how jolly — and it’s even replacing wine on special menus across the city. Kate Moss approves — this month a fizz glass designed from a mould of her breasts was launched at 34 restaurant.

Searcy’s bar is so convinced that this month it ditched sparkling wine in favour of the real deal. Managing director Chris Maddison says this is “because its popularity against champagne has waned massively”.

Champagne sales are up in pubs, bars and shops, according to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association.

We are not saying crowns are the new hats. It’s just that if you’re going to indulge, it makes sense to pick a drink you enjoy, and it doesn’t have to mean taking out a second mortgage to afford it. Champagne is lighter than most wine so you can eat a heavy meal or dirty food and still have enough zip to go out dancing. Leonid Shutov, owner of Bob Bob Ricard restaurant, says: “There is a champagne out there for virtually every dish you can imagine. High acidity levels mean it is ideal for a variety of strong, savoury flavours — salty, fried, rich and even spicy foods.” Bob Bob Ricard, which is famous for its “press for champagne” button at every table, is expanding with new venue Biblioteka in St James Street, which includes a champagne bar.

At Simon Rogan’s Fera at Claridge’s, they have teamed up with Dom Perignon to create a special menu built around the sparkling stuff. The thinking behind it is that the Second Plenitude 1998 Vintage is too good to be confined to just one pre-dinner dose. It enhances the food too. “The champagne is suitable in so many situations,” says Richard Geoffroy, Dom Pérignon chef de cave. “It is perfect as an aperitif as well as with so many cuisines and a variety of courses.”

You don’t have to be eating at somewhere such as Claridge’s, though. This is about getting rid of all pretensions. If you fancy fish and chips head to Randall & Aubin in Soho, where they have just introduced a champagne list — it’s available in half-bottles, too. Otherwise there is Champagne and Fromage in Brixton Market or hot dog hotspot Bubbledogs on Charlotte Street, where there is a comprehensive list of booze to go with every sausage.

Don’t even consider replacing it with cheaper stuff. Peter Weeden, head chef and partner at Newman Street Tavern in Fitzrovia, says: “Good champagne brings a bit more finesse than a prosecco or cava and more persistence of flavour.”

And the hangover is kinder, too.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in