London has long been hailed for its vibrant restaurant scene, but the city’s hit-list of notable wine spots is increasingly on the rise.
Whether you’re a novice or a connoisseur, Alexandra Dudley shares the 10 best London wine bars right now, from Hackney to Mayfair.
1. Cadet
Photo: Sam Harris
Opened summer 2022, Cadet is the newest addition to the already buzzing Newington Green. A daily changing blackboard menu offers low-intervention wines by the glass (and if you’ve a curiosity for something else there’s usually a couple more behind the bar too). Choosing the bottles are Bright and P.Franco alumni, Francis Roberts and Tom Beattie, so if this is your first rodeo with natural wine you’ll be in good hands. Cadet is more bar than restaurant but the kitchen serves up a succinct menu of seasonal small plates as well as excellent charcuterie. Go early as they operate a walk-in only policy.
2. Ducksoup
This unassuming bolthole on Dean Street is a favourite and regular haunt of Soho patrons. Pioneers in London’s natural wine scene, Ducksoup offer an ever revolving list of bio-dynamic wines by the glass, alongside a moreish menu of eclectic dishes that pay particular attention to the flavours of the Middle East and Southern Asia. The wine list is extensive, covering crisp whites and juicy reds through to amber hued oranges and Pet Nat (or pétillant naturel in French, which means natural sparkling). The ‘by the glass’ offering changes weekly, as does the menu, so there is always something new to be discovered. Their picks of Slovakian wines tend to be particularly good and are worth exploring if you’ve little experience with European wine. Order what you will from the menu (it is consistently good), but take note that should fritters appear on the menu in any iteration – you’d be wise to taste them.
3. St John, Marylebone
The hotly anticipated new opening from hospitality legends Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver, St. John Marylebone has already become a darling hotspot of the neighbourhood. Doing what they do best, St. John Marylebone hosts an exemplary wine list with some of their best available by the glass. A chalkboard menu of glorious small plates changes daily, following the hum of the seasons. The restaurant is split over two levels. Upstairs, a striking communal marble table is reserved for the impromptu opportunists who require a quick bite and glass or two, while the downstairs restaurant is available to book and is perfect for settling into a bottle and a lengthy lunch.
4. BRUTTO
First and foremost a restaurant, Brutto is the place to go when you crave the warmth and comfort that only Italian food can fix. Brutto also has an all-day bar where, if you can tear yourself away from their £5.00 negronis (fast becoming London’s worst kept secret), the wine list offers an incredibly reasonably-priced range of delicious Italian wines. Many are available by the glass and you are welcome to sit and simply sip at the bar, although odds are that the Brutto deep-fried dough cuddles served with prosciutto and oozy stracchino cheese will prove all too tempting.
5. The Red Room at The Connaught
Behind a plush velvet curtain, just off The Connaught hotel’s champagne room, this elegant hideaway is a utopia for those who enjoy fine wine and fine surroundings. Boasting an extensive list of some of the world’s finest wines, The Red Room offers a unique opportunity to sample the rarest of vintages and early harvests by the glass. In true Connaught style, expect only the crème de la crème of bar snacks, including crispy salmon sushi and The Red Room’s own spin on fried chicken – deep fried chicken oysters with Gochujang chilli, sesame, and pickled ginger.
6. Hectors
A bottle shop and wine bar, this neighbourhood nook is a beloved spot of De Beauvoir town locals. Focusing mainly on European growers, the seemingly humble cellar houses a comprehensive list of both classic and natural wines. Come five o’clock, a handful of bottles are available to enjoy by the glass alongside a tempting chalkboard menu of small plates such as creamy Cantabrian anchovies, goose rillettes, and salty crisps with serrano ham.
7. 56 West Smithfield
In the heart of the city, this chic hideaway works with a select list of wineries (just 10 of them). When the owners aren’t working on their own organic vineyard in Provence they travel all over the world visiting lesser-known wineries in search of the best bottles. Although small, the 56 West Smithfield wine list offers a broad profile of wines, each one chosen specifically for its unique character and flavour profile, true to the terroir from which it came. Wine can be enjoyed from their bar or plush amber-lit lounge. They also have a traditional tasting room should you wish to brush up on your wine tasting skills.
8. Elliot’s Borough Market
Set on the edge of London’s lively Borough Market, this much-loved restaurant serves a menu of small plates celebrating the best of British and European produce alongside an exceptional list of low-intervention wines. Having poured natural wines for over a decade, Elliot’s are experts in sourcing bottles to suit any mood. Always order the anchovy toast and at least one of their wood-grilled pizzas and, if you need a bit of a steer with the wine list, the team hold a charming, understated insight that will have even the most discerning of natural wine drinkers choosing a take-home bottle from the bottle shop on their way out.
9. 34 Mayfair
Known for its lavish interiors and faultless steaks, 34 Mayfair is also home to a notable wine list, with a generous selection available by the glass as well as by the carafe. The list favours conventional wines with bottles sourced from central and western Europe, as well as South Africa and the USA. It’s best to book, but 34 Mayfair boasts a lengthy bar where one can pitch up a bar stool and enjoy a glass or two while waiting for a table.
10. Noble Rot, Bloomsbury
Housed in a classic Bloomsbury townhouse, Noble Rot has worn multiple outfits including a bootmaker, a surgery, and an electrical shop. Converted into a wine bar in the seventies, it has long been praised for its unassuming attitude to wine. You’ll find no song and dance here (or perhaps you will but it won’t be in the form of a sommelier wine ramble). Wines range from the rare and refined to the overlooked and undervalued. Both comprehensive and inspiring, the list offers no less than thirty wines by the glass, to be enjoyed alongside a Parisian bistro style menu of delicious things such as buttery snails with confit garlic, and comté beignets with house made walnut ketchup.
Main Image: Sam Harris
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