We've compiled a list of 29 of London's finest wine restaurants, including those that specialize in organic, biodynamic, and sustainable wines as well as more traditional fare.
After decades as the punchline of yuppie and pretentious urbanite quips, the wine bar is back among London's top pubs. London has a flourishing scene due to a more democratic approach to what's in the bottle and a denial of the snobbery that is frequently linked with wine. Here is our list of the top wine bars in London, which range from Homemade East End establishments to traditional pubs in Soho.
Trullo, Islington
One of our all-time favorite Italian eateries in London is Trullo, which has a dimly illuminated, cozy, and intimate eating area on Upper Street in Islington and serves some of the finest pasta outside of Rome. The group has since installed a small wine lounge next door. Thanks to design work by the same team, Day Studio, the atmosphere is largely the same; there are cozy places to relax and warm illumination throughout. It's a wonderful place to enjoy a drink before or after dinner before going to the primary attraction next door, of course. But it's also a lovely place to stay the night. Sharp skin contacts or buttery whites by the bottle may be on the wine list, which is scrawled in chalk on the chalkboard on the rear wall. It's important to note that the costs are fair as well - £6 for a drink of wine this good these days is a joy to our ears. Ask which manufacturer the team is currently praising when ordering antipasti like Devon crab, burrata, or Maldon oysters; each month, a new farmer or vineyard is featured. James Sarah
Address: Trullo, 300–302 Saint Paul's Road, London N1 2LH
URL: trullorestaurant.com
Cave Cuvee, Bethnal Green
Owners Brodie Meah and Max Venning oversaw the debut of their natural wine selection for national distribution, one of the quickest pivots of London's lockdowns. Under their Bethnal Green store, they debuted the Parisian-inspired Cave Cuvee in the summer of 2021. The small venue's disco light and funky music selection are a perfect match for the similarly funky biodynamic wines on offer. Ask the staff for suggestions from the constantly-changing list of bottles on the go, and make sure to sample the incredibly sentimental Happy Endings ice cream sandwich before you depart.
Address: 250a Bethnal Green Road, London E2 0AA, Cave Cuvée
url: shopcuvee.com
Grays & Feather, Covent Garden
A container of wine is similar to a picture in that the more you know about it, the more you can see, says the menu at Grays & Feather. This sparkling wine-focused pub has fully accepted this motto. A prosecco is described as "peaches on bread," and a vintage reserve is described as "biscuits dipped in honey" on plates. Keep a duplicate close at hand so you can return to it as needed. There are eight pages of various types of fizz from around the world to be discovered, with a focus on unusual vintages from small and unheard-of experimental winemakers you're not likely to find elsewhere. These sparkling wines ranges from traditional biscuity Champagnes to weirdly wonderful sparkling reds. The selection will vary as Gray makes new finds, but favorites from our stay included a celebratory sparkling Italian red with notes of cherry and coffee and a delightfully dry and herbal Pinot Gris and Sauvignon mix from New Zealand. Enjoy seasonal small dishes with a strong emphasis on cheese and seafood, both of which are effective at reducing the acidity that is frequently present in sparkling wines. Through Olivia Holborow
Address: 26 Wellington Street, London WC2E 7DD
Dial +44 20 3948 4900.
Internet address: graysandfeather.com
Bottles Wine Bar, Spitalfields.
On the outskirts of Old Spitalfields Market is the Italian wine tavern Bottles, owned by Franco Mancini and Daniele Marano. The two have already established Bottles & Battles in South London's newest culinary destination Mercato Metropolitano, so they are experts at establishing a laid-back imbibing atmosphere. Bottles is an even more modern interpretation with piles of recycled fruit boxes, exposed masonry, and brass embellishments. Two large shared tables—one up and one down—that feel sociable and provide enough space to spread out rule the area. The lengthy menu's main emphasis is on reasonably priced Italian wines from small farms and independent producers that are difficult to obtain elsewhere (some are made from neglected varietals). Deciding from among 180 or so choices can seem overwhelming, but the staff is available and glad to offer advice. A silky French Chablis and an oddly herbaceous Trebbiano from Central Italy captured our attention in particular. The majority of eatery menus pair wine with food, but Bottles does the opposite by recommending meals that pair with your selected wine. The vino is the highlight here. Ingrid Holborrow
67 Brushfield Street, Spitalfields, London E1 6AA is the address for Bottles Wine Lounge.
Contact number: +44 20 3880 9002
URL: bottleswine.bar
Gordon’s Wine Bar, Charring Cross
The earliest wine bar in London is reportedly Gordon's Wine Tavern, which opened its doors in 1890. The family-owned tavern has only gotten better with age, much like the contents of many of the bottles in its vaults. In the cellars of an old Georgian home where Rudyard Kipling once resided, newspaper clippings of regal meetings and neighborhood events are curled and plastered onto curved walls, showing its age with pride. What Gordon's lacks in the room, with its low ceilings and candlelight, it more than makes up for in old-fashioned charm and romanticism. Nobody seems to mind the narrow stairs that can only hold one person at a time, the awkwardly placed arches, or the steps that require concentration (particularly after a few drinks). Its veracity is Gordon's calling card; the skewed picture frames, torn pieces of paper, and faded photographs were all acquired by or given to Luis Gordon, the persona who took over the bar in 1972. He accumulated a variety of memorabilia as an ex-rear gunner in the RAF, and a model Spitfire suspended from the roof before thudding down onto a customer's table. These days, health and safety can be marginally enhanced, but thankfully, the fundamentals remain the same. Despite the lengthy drink selection, avoid ordering anything but wine, port, or sherry because they simply do not offer it. Because the bar staff is extremely knowledgeable about the grape, it's a perfect spot to confess you know absolutely nothing about it. Even better, they frequently get it right and will let you sample it first. A beautiful Viognier is £6.35, a fruity South African Pinotage is £6.25, and the bar's own-label house white is only £5.50. Glasses are filled to the overflow, making the steps even more difficult. Ingrid Prendergast
Gordon's Wine Tavern is located at 47 Villiers St. in London, WC2N 6NE.
Phone number: +44 20 7930 1408.
url: gordonswinebar.com
The Drop, King's Cross
The Hart siblings have frequented some of London's top eateries. Their restaurant portfolio includes El Pastor in Borough Market, the cozy Soho members club Quo Vadis, and the popular tapas chain Barrafina, which started the no-bookings movement in the city. They have since taken over Coal Drops Yard with not only two new eateries but also a wine lounge. The Drop, which takes its name from both the place where the bar is located and the amount of wine it serves, deftly imitates a cozy French wine cellar. It is a large room beneath three Victorian arches with a terracotta floor, bare brick walls that curve up to bare brick ceilings, and rows and rows of bottles on display. The restaurant is devoid of pretense and pageantry; there is no wine guide or white-gloved sommelier here; only a light, approachable fare. Wine is the only item you should buy here. Aimee Hartley, a former journalist turned wine specialist on a quest to make the beverage more approachable, is the list's curator (take the wine and R&B night she founded, Genuwine). Around 20 red wines and 20 white wines, along with a few bag-in-box selections, rosé, citrus, and spiced wines, are available. There are a lot of names on the roster that you probably won't recognize because the brothers have decided to concentrate on young, independent producers who support low-intervention production, many of whom they have met and developed friendships with while traveling. They have their very own crisp, citrusy Albario, which is a wonderful spot to start, but take this as a chance to try something different. It's simple to try new things because many wineries are available by the tumbler or carafe. Wolstenholme, Teddy
Address: Coal Drops Yard, Bagley Walk Arches, Apartment 22-24, The Drop, London N1C
4DH
URL: thedropwinebar.co.uk
Primeur, Islington
This Islington neighborhood secret, located on a street with a high concentration of homes, makes the most of its unique space—a former car garage—using deft statement lighting and sharing tables. For a daily-changing chalkboard menu with European-influenced plates and low-intervention wines that are all available by the tumbler, carafe, or container, visit the Instagram feed.
Address: 116 Petherton Road, N5 2RT, Primeur
Dial +44 207 226 5271.
URL: primeurn5.co.uk
Humble Grape, Barnsbury
Humble Grape has developed into a proud mini-chain of five stores thanks to its guiding principle of purchasing mostly organic, biodynamic, and sustainable wines directly from growers. The Barnsbury location has a 400-bottle rotating list and a light, comfortably modern atmosphere (including a monthly themed flight of four 50ml tasters).
Address: 11-13 Theberton Street, The Angel, N1 0QY, Humble Vine
Dial +44 20 3904 4480.
URL: humblegrape.co.uk
Authentique, Tufnell Park
The charming proprietors from France bring the best of their country to this tiny wine bar and restaurant in Tufnell Park, including 650 bottles of wine (plus a section on Francophone wines, which includes Algeria, Luxembourg, and Lebanon). Be on the lookout for monthly gatherings that feature regional wine tastings along with rotating resident cooks' menus.
Address: 114-116 Fortess Road, NW5 2HL, Authentique
Phone number: +44 20 3609 6602.
Site address: authentic-epicerie.com
Laughing Heart, Hackney
At this Shoreditch restaurant that just recently opened, there is much to be happy about. An offal pancake or pumpkin tortelli with whey and raisins might be included on a sampling menu here, and the organic wines are sourced from small-scale farms. The inventive cuisine here far surpasses the standard cheese-and-meat platters. When you add in the renowned jolliness of the ambiance, you have a wine bar that outperforms many eateries in its own right.
Smiling Heart is located at 277 Hackney Road, E2 8NA.
Dial +44 20 7686 9535.
Internet address: thelaughingheartlondon.com
Weino Bib, Dalston
The name's letters stand for "bag in box" — yes, those derided Eighties liquor receptacles have the Dalston stamp of approval, and this low-key pub proudly offers them. The owner cites the environmental advantages of this type of packing (an 80% reduced carbon footprint, allegedly), and the low-impact, organic wines also check the box for sustainability, so it's not just a nostalgic gimmick. Drink in with some straightforward deli items, or take a package home for your refrigerator.
Weino BIB, 39 Balls Pond Road, London, N1 4BW
Dial +44 20 7254 6123.
URL: weinobib.co.uk
P Franco, Clapton
A wine bar is done in the style of east London that is super-trendy, super-casual (the name of the former tenants of the building is still displayed above the entrance), and tons of fun. It's also very small, with just a few stools and racks of takeout bottles, but the cuisine, which is prepared on hotplates by visiting cooks, manages to be memorable.
P Franco can be found at 107 Lower Clapton Road, E5 0NP.
Call (208) 533-4660
URL: pfranco.co.uk
Sager + Wilde, Hackney
The norm at this unpretentious pub is hackney calm and a ton of intriguing wines you probably haven't heard of. The traditional dishes, such as excellent olives, Neal's Yard Dairy cheese, or tomato crostini, are subtle companions for the especially well-selected wines. You're going to be in for a surprise if you just believe their judgment.
Sager + Wilde is located at 193 Hackney Road, E2 8JL.
URL: sagerandwilde.com
Renegade, Bethnal Green
RENEGADE
An urban winery, a novel imbibing establishment in London, has been operating there since 2016 in the East End under a railway viaduct. They purchase grapes from all over Europe, liberated from the constraints of custom, and turn them into distinctive wines like Ebony, a wild-fermented Rioja Alta, or Bethnal Bubbles, an English sparkling wine with dry hopping. The cozy on-site lounge is the ideal location to personally experience the invention.
Postal Code: E2 0EJ Address: Renegade, Arch 12, Gales Gardens
Contact number: +44 750 299 1221
Internet address: renegadelondonwine.com
Newcomer Wines
This welcoming pub and store import many small-scale wines from obscure Austrian producers, and a few from their neighbors in France and Germany, from the heart of Europe to the heart of Dalston. On the nights, the sleek Scandinavian space comes alive with activity, and there is a useful outdoor area at the rear.
Address: 5 Dalston Lane, E8 3DF, Newcomer Wines
Contact number: +44 20 7249 2177
Internet address: newcomerwines.com
Unwined at Yours, Tooting
Ignore the somewhat odd pun in the name; this is probably the most approachable and laid-back wine lounge in London. It fits in perfectly in the former Tooting indoor market, where its informed but approachable staff serves unusual wines with fun-themed tastings (like "Shine Like a Star") and guest cooks alternately prepare fine restaurant fare.
Location: Unwined in Tooting, Unit 16A, Tooting Market, 21-23 Tooting High St, Tooting, London SW17 0SN
Dial +44 20 3583 9136.
url: unwinedbars.co.uk
Diogenes the Dog, Elephant and Castle
The name, which is derived from a Greek scholar known for his inquisitive nature, alludes to the Elephant & Castle bar's willingness to seek out and serve lesser-known grape types and winemaking techniques. All of these odd places—Poland, the Czech Republic, Texas, China, and more—get a look-in, but the staff's casual demeanor tempers the esoteric approach.
Diogenes the Dog is located at 96 Rodney Road in SE17 1BG.
Dial +44 20 7703 5570.
URL: diogenesthedog.co.uk
Bar Douro, Southwark
However, there is much more than fortified grapes being poured at this azelujo-tiled chamber in a Southwark railway arch than the fortified grapes that are most famously produced by the vineyards along Portugal's enormous Douro river. The all-Portuguese roster features many rare bottles and spans the length and width of this occasionally underappreciated producing nation. Additionally, Bar Douro serves as a fantastic representative of Iberian cuisine.
Bar Douro, Arch 35B, 85B Southwark Bridge Road, SE1 0NQ is the address.
Contact number: +44 2073780524
URL: bardouro.co.uk
Winemakers Club, Deptford
This tiny store and importer (with an initial location in Farringdon) is now offering organic and biodynamic expressions in the deepest Deptford, serving as evidence that the natural-wine movement is encroaching on every square inch of London. Chatty staff members present locals with wines in a cozy, rural setting, such as orange wines from Slovenia, sparkling reds from Austria, and 10-grape combinations from Alsace.
Winemakers Club is located at 209 Deptford High Street, SE8 3NT.
Dial +44 20 8305 6852.
Internet address: thewinemakersclub.co.uk
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40 Maltby Street, Borough
This unassuming establishment, which debuted in the early 2010s, was among the first of a surge of London restaurants to combine conversation-starting natural and organic wines with punchy and straightforward dishes, all served in a no-frills environment. (the premises of wine importer Gergovie). A pioneer back then, and still very much the alpha dog today.
40 Maltby Street SE1 3PA is the address.
Dial +44 20 7237 9247.
Internet address: 40maltbystreet.com
Wine Rooms, Kensington
The menu at this restaurant is lengthy and filled with dozens of wines by the drink that are organized into useful groups like "Juicy & Bright" and "Aromatic & Dry." The banks of Enomatic wine preservation devices that line the wall of this upscale Kensington pub keep them all fresh. Every item on the culinary selection is accompanied by a recommended wine pairing.
Wine Rooms, 127-129 Kensington Church St., London, W8 7LP
url: winerooms.london
Chiswick's Vinoteca
Depending on your perspective, Vinoteca is either an excellent eatery with an excellent wine selection or an excellent wine bar that also serves excellent cuisine. Regardless, this Vinoteca in Chiswick (there are a few in London) is perfect for a variety of events, from a fast drink of wine and some olives to a party made even more memorable by some rare wines. The bottle markups are clear and fair because it is also a store.
Address: 18 Devonshire Road, W4 2HD, Vinoteca
URL: vitnoteca.co.uk
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Albertine, Shepherd's Bush
Here is a historically significant restaurant in a metropolis where new eateries open and shut every day. It was established in 1978 by the current owner's mother, renowned cook Allegra McEvedy, and is now managed by her daughter as a wine-focused refuge close to Shepherd's Bush gyratory. A contemporary European eatery is located upstairs, and the basement bar combines eclectic modern grape flare with Seventies Francophile heritage.
Address: 1 Wood Lane, Albertine, W12
Dial +44 20 8743 9593.
URL: albertine.london
Vagabond, Battersea
The seven locations of this independent group all adhere to the same successful formula as this one: a ton of wine by the tumbler (in this instance, 100), kept immaculately by Enomatics, favorable in small doses, and accessed via a pre-loaded card. A vineyard is located inside the new Battersea location.
Address: 18-22 Vanston Place, SW6 1AX, Vagabond
url: vagabondwines.co.uk
Noble Rot, Bloomsbury
Noble Rot, a candidate for the most amorous wine bar in London, has a prime location on Bloomsbury's charmingly Dickensian Lamb's Conduit Street and an old-fashioned, lived-in vibe to match. This is a spot to return to time and time again because of the exquisite cuisine, horizon-expanding wines, and jovial ambiance (plus the fact that it is the home of the iconoclastic wine journal of the same name).
Address: 51 Lamb's Conduit Street, WC1N 3NB, Noble Rot
Dial +44 207 242 8963.
url: noblerot.co.uk
Terroirs, Covent Garden
Terroirs was serving up tiny dishes and natural wines when they weren't mainstream menu items and were still considered eccentric. This hidden Covent Garden bar has been serving up its version of traditional French bistro fare since 2009 (the charcuterie is especially excellent), and it also has a connoisseur's wine list that includes sections for "Amber" and "Oxidative" among all the interesting whites, reds, rosés, and bubbles.
Address: 5 William IV Street, WC2N 4DW Terroirs
URL: terroirswinebar.com
10 Greek Street, Soho
One restaurant has established what it means to have a good night out in the ever-evolving Soho dining scene: 10 Greek Street. The restaurant's no-nonsense approach to its name is continued on the blackboard menu, which is ingredient-led, bold, and gutsy, as well as the short but enticing wine list (apparently there's a handwritten list of rare bottles; all you have to do is ask to see it). Developing into a masterpiece.
10 Greek Street, W1D 4DH is the address.
Dial +44 20 7734 4677.
Internet address: 10greekstreet.com
67 Pall Mall in St. James's
67 Pall Mall is as serious about wine as it gets, a club for individuals who have no qualms about labeling themselves, oenophiles. Members receive an iPad menu to peruse the 4,000 wines from 42 nations, including 800 accessible by the drink, at this upscale St. James's accommodation, which the club says has the largest variety in the world. Visit a friendly member or attend one of the non-members' instructive activities. The other half drinks that way.
Location: 67 Pall Mall, SW1Y 5ES
Dial +44 20 3000 6767.
URL: 67pallmall.com