A new and stylish cult of canned fish in bars

Try visiting the most fashionable wine bar of the Millennial generation in Western Europe and you will be sure that there is something new waiting for you here - fun, intertwining flavors and aromas of fish and wine. This is the latest emerging trend in bars and restaurants: canned fish goes well with the best wines. Although Portuguese canned fish is considered the European standard, some American wine bars and restaurants are dominated by French products.

Visit a wine bar in America and you will increasingly find juicy Portuguese sardines preserved in olive oil, anchovies, grilled and preserved cod or even eel , which will soon take an increasingly respectable place on restaurant and bar menus. The salty, umami-rich flavors of the canned fish contrast with the bright, acidic wine. Wines, especially those with a slightly unusual taste, are successfully balanced with appetizers of fish preserved in olive oil. Canned sardines are served with crusty bread, croutons, pickled peppers and lemon wedges, transforming a long-underrated canned seafood product into a high-class, fashionable aperitif.

CANNED FISH IN RESTAURANTS AND BARS

Stems and Skins Bar

A wine and cocktail bar located in Charleston, South Carolina, USA, serving Mediterranean cuisine in a luxurious and elegant interior, started the canned fish movement in American bars. It opened in 2016, offering wine pairings with smoked prawns, mackerel pâtés, real-smoke sardines with pepper, all served straight from their original cans.

The name Stems and Skins refers to the process of making natural wine by fermenting the wines together with the grape skins and stones. The bar menu offers an extensive selection of natural wines alongside classic cocktails and beers, and has earned recognition as a James Beard Semi-Finalist for its outstanding wine and food pairing program.

Adarra Restaurant

In Adarra's early years, the menu featured dishes like stingrays and stuffed calamari. Later, the kitchen enriched the range with preserved fish, supporting the European passion for high-quality, handmade preserves, often distinguished by attractive label designs. Their menu of canned seafood wonders is like a gateway to the cult of canned fish . It features sardines in olive oil, as well as bolder options such as stuffed calamari or preserved calamari in its own black ink. The restaurant's carefully selected range complements each preserved fish with toppings tailored to highlight their distinctive intense flavors, from baguette and lemon to potato chips and hot sauce. In addition to canned fish, the Basque-inspired kitchen also creates dishes that use seasonal ingredients from around the state of Virginia.

Bistro bar N7

N7 Bistro Bar is a quirky French spot in New Orleans that offers seafood and handcrafted cocktails in an eclectic setting with a patio.

The name N7 is associated with the Nationale 7 highway that takes travelers from Paris to the Italian border. Travelers rely on the red Michelin restaurant guide to find small and Michelin-recognized restaurants along this route.

N7 pays homage to its European roots and offers a wine list dominated by small, old-world producers, especially those using natural winemaking methods.

Don't expect to find completely traditional dishes on the menu - here guests change cured or fried meats to smoked and preserved sardines from southern Europe , mackerel or octopus.

Restaurant photography by Nick Hillier