Vintry & Mercer’s summer rooftop pairs Château Minuty cuvées with seasonal British cooking and views across the capital.
For those travelling from Côte d’Azur to London this summer, the Mercer Minuty Terrace offers an unexpected point of familiarity. The view is unmistakably British, stretching from the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral to the glass summit of The Shard, but the pale pink wine arriving at the table comes directly from the Saint-Tropez peninsula.
The rooftop sits above Vintry & Mercer, a boutique hotel on Garlick Hill in the historic centre of the City. Its name references the wine and textile merchants that once worked in the surrounding lanes, making its summer partnership with Château Minuty particularly fitting. For the season, the hotel has given its open-air terrace a Provençal identity, pairing the estate’s wines with a modern British menu designed for long lunches and warm evenings above London.
Minuty requires little introduction on the Riviera. Founded in 1936, the 200-hectare estate is based in Gassin, overlooking the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, and has become closely associated with summer on the Côte d’Azur. Its bottles are a familiar presence across beach clubs, hotel terraces and restaurant tables throughout the region.
In London, the terrace serves Minuty Prestige Rosé by the glass or bottle, produced from Grenache, Syrah, Rolle and Cinsault, alongside the citrus-led Prestige Blanc. Those settling in for the afternoon can move on to Château Minuty Rose et Or, while the house’s Prestige Rosé and Château Minuty 281 are also available by the magnum—a format that feels especially well suited to a rooftop gathering.
The food remains firmly rooted in Britain. The latest menu draws on seasonal produce and seafood from around the country, with starters including cherry tomato gazpacho, stracciatella with Isle of Wight tomatoes and Cornish crab toastada.
Larger dishes bring greater substance without losing the summer focus. Roasted chalk stream trout is served with English asparagus, wild garlic, peas and a white wine sauce, while a salt marsh lamb Barnsley chop comes with pea fricassee, wild mushrooms and potato terrine. There is also a Cornish lobster and prawn roll finished with caviar, alongside a vegetarian options such as barbecue courgette dish with romesco sauce, quinoa and pistachio dukkah.
Dessert continues the seasonal approach through berries, cherries and tropical fruit. The berries Eton Mess combines mascarpone Chantilly with berry gel, while the dark chocolate mousse is lifted by mango, passion fruit and toasted coconut. A Black Forest ice cream sundae brings together soft serve, brownie and cherry compote for a more indulgent finish.
The appeal lies in the meeting of two recognisable summer traditions. Minuty supplies the Provençal spirit, while the kitchen keeps the experience connected to its London setting. There is no attempt to recreate Saint-Tropez wholesale; instead, the terrace takes one of its most familiar pleasures—a chilled glass of rosé outdoors—and gives it a distinctly metropolitan backdrop. The result is an experience that’s quintessentially London in its setting, and unmistakably Provençal in the glass.
