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London's wine bars run from a gaslit Victorian cellar to buzzy natural wine spots pouring cloudy orange bottles from a chalkboard. Whether you want a serious list with dinner or a low-key glass with small plates, this guide covers the best places to drink wine in the city.
The classics and serious lists
Gordon's Wine Bar near Embankment, open since 1890, is the oldest wine bar in London, a candlelit warren of cellars that is pure atmosphere. For food and wine in equal measure, Noble Rot in Bloomsbury and Soho pairs a brilliant, characterful list with confident bistro cooking, and Terroirs near Covent Garden helped bring low-intervention wine to a wider London audience. These are the places to go when the wine matters as much as the room.
Natural wine and neighbourhood bars
London has embraced natural wine with real enthusiasm. P. Franco in Clapton, a tiny shop-cum-bar, is a cult favourite, and Sager and Wilde and 40 Maltby Street are beloved for their adventurous pours and excellent small plates. Across the city, neighbourhood wine bars double as bottle shops, so you can drink in or take a bottle home. They are ideal for a relaxed evening of grazing and drinking.
What is natural wine?
Natural wine is made with minimal intervention, typically from organically or biodynamically farmed grapes with little or no added sulphur and nothing to filter or adjust it. The results can be cloudy, funky and lively, and London's independent wine bars such as P. Franco have been at the forefront of the movement.
Where is the oldest wine bar in London?
Gordon's Wine Bar near Embankment has been pouring since 1890 and is widely regarded as the oldest wine bar in the city. Its candlelit vaulted cellars, unchanged for generations, make it one of the most atmospheric places to drink in London.
Where to go next
For spirits and mixology, see the best cocktail bars in London and hidden speakeasy bars, or browse the best restaurants in London.
