Best Wine Bars: London
For a long time now, London has been considered one of the drinking capitals of the world. Whether it’s a cocktail from one of the world's best bars; a local craft beer, or a delicious glass of wine... England’s capital has you covered.
Here is a round-up of some of our favourite wine bars in London...
Sager & Wild is headed up by Michael Sager and his team who are true champions of small, boutique producers. The company now operates out of two sites; their original grassroots venue on the Hackney Road, and under the arches on Paradise Row, Bethnal Green. Wherever you choose to go, you can be sure you will be met with a loaded wine list, delicious small plates and a super friendly team who really know their stuff! Evenings in here are easily sipped away when the lighting drops and the candles flicker.
A true champion of the natural wine scene right here. Situated just a couple of doors down from Sager & Wilde’s flagship site on the Hackney Road, Charlie and Tom at the Laughing Heart have created one of London’s coolest spaces for getting lost in wine. When you walk in, you have two choices: proceed into the relaxed dining room and get involved with some serious grub, or descend to their Cave - no reservations needed, just good wine and good company. If you land yourself there on a Saturday night, there will probably be a DJ doing his or her thang... did somebody say wine and vinyl?
Drop down into Soho and you are NEVER short of a place to go for a drink. But we have found that whilst Soho is awesome for pubs, eateries and cocktails, the wine scene in this part of London has been lacking (excuse us, Andrew Edmunds sir...). So when Antidote opened its doors, we were thrilled! Light, bright and airy with a deli-style offering of cold meats and seasonal small plates, Antidote offers a wide range of wine with a fabulous selection of natural and skin contact styles alongside their main focus: France.
If you are in London, then you would be foolish not to check out Gordon’s Wine Bar, the oldest of its kind in London. Situated on Embankment, make sure you get there early in the summer, as the outside seating area fills up very fast. Gordon’s offers an approachable selection of wine, and they pour Sherry by the glass or carafe straight from the tapped barrels behind the old bar. Inside there is a deli, with plenty of meat and cheese to choose from. Tall people watch out, this place is old school, watch your head on the eaves. Gordon’s should be on the sightseeing bus route, it really is that special!
Total legend John Baum has taken this site, which is an old cellar in the arches in Farringdon and turned it into something quite spectacular. This is probably the most rustic place in London to enjoy a glass of something delicious. Charcuterie is on the menu, however, it is John’s sharp palate and access to exclusive wines that he imports himself that gets our juices flowing. Step back in time at The Winemakers Club.
For these guys, the letters ‘WC’ take on a double meaning. More importantly, they stand for two of our favourite things: wine and charcuterie. However both sites in Clapham and Bloomsbury are of particular interest - they are converted victorian WC’s or Water Closets. Who would have thought it, these places are seriously cool and extremely cosy. It is easy to get lost underground at either of these bars for a very long time. Lovely small ‘tapas’ style plates and a diverse wine offering make WC a must-visit if you are in the right part of town.
Perhaps one of the bigger success stories of the UK’s wine scene in the last decade, Vagabond now operate across ten sites (we were about to say “in London”, but there is a gorgeous Birmingham site now too). Vagabond offers a wine-drinking experience like no other. They have taken the concept of enomatic machines and turned them into something that is worth revisiting. This is wine on tap at its best. Rock up, load up your (Oyster style) card and stick it in the machine. Don't forget to put a wine glass under the right tap though... we haven't made that mistake, ever.
This place is fast becoming an East London institution. From the team behind some of our favourite London eateries, P Franco feels like a home away from home. Walk-ins only, if you want to ensure you get a spot here, we advise clocking off a bit earlier to bag yourself a seat! One goes to P Franco to chill out, it’s not about silver service, or to have somebody hanging on your every move. You arrive, you order a few small plates (the kitchen opens from Thursday to Sunday) and indulge in a bottle of wine or two whilst you feel like you're at a dinner party.
If you find yourself in Covent Garden and in need of a glass of wine then there is only one place you need to know about: 10 Cases. Wine Buyer Alex Pitt is fast gaining a reputation for being one of the sharpest palates in the game and the 10 Cases wine list is absolutely singing! Why ‘10 Cases’ we hear you ask..? Historically the crew would only commit to 10 cases of a given wine in a bid to keep their wine list new and fresh. We are pretty sure they still take this approach, but there is also a fabulous core range that runs through the spine of the wine list. So don't worry, if you have something delicious here, it’ll probably still be there 10 cases later! Drink and/or dine in the Cave À Vin or the Bistrot a Vin, or even book out the delightful underground private dining room, it doesn't matter, the food and wine at 10 Cases are always on point, and so is the service.
Looking for a truly authentic, rustic wine and food experience? Head to this place folks. This is the personification of home cooking with a seriously exciting wine offering. 40 Maltby St is owned by Gergovie Wines; a specialist importer with a focus on natural tipples that un-employ the use of chemicals and fertilisers, and so on. So a trip here is never wasted if you're into vino and you would be hard pushed to find a lot of these bottles elsewhere. No reservations, get in there early and settle into your cloudy wine as the trains rumble overhead.