London wine bars favoured by the experts

London’s wine scene has had a facelift in recent years, with an explosion of hip neighbourhood wine bars and bottle shops offering subscription services, chef residencies and expert tastings. “A new wave of winemakers are fully embracing experimentation, and there is an ongoing desire to make wine more accessible and experiential,” says Monique Ziervogel, head sommelier at Spring restaurant.

We asked a handful of experts to share where they head for a glass of the good stuff on their day off. Recommendations range from encyclopaedic wine lists to art-filled spaces, all with an unwavering passion for producers and quality. Whether looking for a precursory glass of pét-nat before dinner at one of London’s best restaurants, or cork popping late into the night, these are the bars-à-vin worth bookmarking in London.

The best wine bars in north London

Goodbye Horses and The Dreamery, De Beauvoir Town

Best for: Natural wine, art-led interiors, anyone with a sweet tooth
Address: 20-21 Halliford Street, London N1 3HB
Price: A glass of wine from 6.50 GBP; bottles from 14 GBP

Alex Young and George de Vos (former GM of London restaurant Brilliant Corners) are behind two leading wine destinations in north London’s De Beauvoir Town. Goodbye Horses is a natural wine bar and restaurant, noted for its ten-metre sculptural oak bar. On the same street, The Dreamery is a pocket-sized wine bar and ice-cream parlour. As their names suggest, both locations have a sense of otherworldly escapism, with bespoke art as a backdrop. At The Dreamery, a vibrant backlit mural by artist Lucy Stein covers the ceiling and fills the space with psychedelic colour, while a retro boombox in the corner plays scores by Tokyo’s Studio Ghibli. While Goodbye Horses focuses on French, Italian and Catalan winemakers, The Dreamery takes a tighter ‘zero zero approach’, meaning that nothing is added or removed from the wines. There is no list, with orders instead guided by the affable team.

“The Dreamery has nailed the chic wine bar formula,” says writer Hannah Crosbie. “The selling point makes perfect sense when you’re underneath the luminous folk art, with malted milk ice cream and sweet gamay wine in front of you.”

Dan’s, Dalston

Best for: Natural wine by the glass, picking up a bottle to go
Address: 2-4 Tottenham Road, London N1 4BZ
Price: A glass of wine from 6 GBP; bottles from 26 GBP (10 GBP to take away)

Recommended by Alex Young of the aforementioned Goodbye Horses, Dan’s is a neighbourhood wine bar and bottle shop near Dalston Junction rail station. The intimate space feels akin to a friend’s flat, and centres on a communal wooden table made from salvaged wood. A frequently changing menu of wine by the glass is written on a blackboard, with playfully evocative names such as ‘turbo chilled red’ and ‘hectic white’. Large windows open out to the street in summer and there are a handful of yellow chairs on the pavement, which pop against Kingsland Road’s graffitied shutters. Fans of Dan’s will also like its sibling location, Ken’s in Exmouth Market.

The best wine bars in east London

Sager + Wilde, Hackney

Best for: Fine wine in an informal setting
Address: 193 Hackney Road, London E2 8JL
Price: A glass of wine from 7.5 GBP; bottles from 38 GBP

When Sager + Wilde opened in a former east end boozer in 2013, it was one of the first places to bring an approachable informality to wine and champagne. Recognisable by its green tiled facade, the influential bar remains one of the best in London, with an extensive list of global bottles and reasonably priced wine by the glass. Big names are balanced with small batch producers, and plenty of natural wine to satisfy Hackney’s hip clientele. An unfussy food menu includes toasties, cheeses and labneh with beetroot coulis. Continue your evening at one of Hackney’s best restaurants.

107 Wine Shop & Bar, Clapton

Best for: Fans of natural wine, spontaneous outings
Address: 107 Lower Clapton Road, Lower Clapton, London E5 0NP
Price: A glass of wine from 7 GBP and bottles 30 GBP (15 GBP to take away)

Following a successful crowdfunding campaign, Clapton’s favourite wine shop and bar P Franco resurrected at its original location in 2023, occupying a former grocer’s shop. Billing itself as a ‘wine shop to eat in’, it focuses on sustainably farmed European wines, with regular tastings from producers and sommeliers. Guest chefs change every six months, with Julie Heytei currently in the kitchen creating à la carte dishes to be enjoyed at a long communal table. The bar operates a first-come, first-served policy for food in the evenings, and you can drop in from midday to pick up a bottle.

The best wine bars in central London

The 10 Cases Bistrot à Vin, Covent Garden

Best for: Variety, outdoor seating
Address: 16 Endell Street, London WC2H 9BB
Price: A glass of wine from 6.50 GBP; bottles from 39 GBP

Owners Will Palmer and Ian Campbell opened The 10 Cases in reaction to a staid, predictable and often overpriced wine scene in London. Its concept is simple: the wine bar only holds ten cases of any red or white wine at a time, replaced by a different case once finished. Since the bar opened in 2011, it has not listed the same wine twice, allowing for an ever-changing and always interesting menu, which also includes sparkling, rosé and sweet wines. Expect fairly priced wine and a warm and unpretentious setting, alongside platefuls of cheese and charcuterie. The Bistrot à Vin restaurant is next door to the Cave à Vin, a bottle shop and bar with a more extensive, global wine menu. In the summer, both outposts spill onto the street for a convivial roadside setting.

Noble Rot, Soho, Mayfair and Bloomsbury

Best for: A London institution
Address: Bloomsbury: 51 Lamb’s Conduit Street, London WC1N 3NB; Soho: 2 Greek Street, London W1D 4NB; Mayfair: 5 Trebeck Street, London W1J 7LT
Price: A glass of wine from 5 GBP; bottles from 27 GBP

No London list would be complete without mentioning Noble Rot. It remains the number one wine bar to take international winemakers to, with three locations in London. The original is in Lamb’s Conduit Street; a Soho outpost is in the former site of the Gay Hussar on Greek Street; and the newest is in Mayfair’s charming Shepherd Market. While each one has a distinct personality, you can expect a dimly lit setting with dark wood, scrawled blackboard menus and an unpretentious vibe. The duo behind Noble Rot – Dan Keeling and Mark Andrew – also owns Shrine to the Vine bottle shops (with locations in Bloomsbury and Hackney), which stocks their much-fêted house wine ‘Chin Chin’.

Comptoir Café & Wine, Mayfair

Best for: A relaxed glass of wine behind Bond Street
Address: 21-22 Weighhouse Street, London W1K 5LU
Price: A glass of wine from 7 GBP; a bottle from 39 GBP

Matteo Montone, who is group wine director for Estelle Manor and Gleneagles hotels, cites Mayfair’s Comptoir Café as his favourite location for a glass of wine in London. With exposed brick walls and bistro chairs, the cafe transitions into a wine bar in the evenings. “The list is extensive, perfectly balancing small growers and iconic labels, and there are many great options available by the glass,” he says. “The pricing is among the most competitive in Mayfair, and the staff are friendly and knowledgeable. I always feel so welcome.”

The Remedy Wine Bar, Shop & Kitchen, Fitzrovia

Best for: Sociable supper clubs
Address: 124 Cleveland Street, London W1T 6PG
Price: A glass of wine from 7 GBP; bottles from 38 GBP

Follow a stroll round Regent’s Park with a glass of wine at The Remedy, an independent and welcoming wine bar in Fitzrovia. The Remedy has been on the go since 2013 and is modelled on a traditional Italian enoteca. Exposed brick walls are lined with bottles that reflect its European wine list, while a concise food menu offers a rotation of pasta, meat and fish small plates. Look out for monthly dinners, which promise glass-clinking conversation late into the evening.

The best wine bars in west London

Sol’s, Bayswater

Best for: Old World and low-intervention wines near Hyde Park
Address: 25 Leinster Terrace, London, W2 3ET
Price: A glass of wine from 8 GBP; bottles from 18 GBP

Sol’s is a relative newcomer that opened on the doorstep of Hyde Park in Bayswater in 2024. From the team behind Margate’s Fort Road Hotel, it draws inspiration from the Mediterranean, with communal-style seating, Iberian small plates and a European wine list curated by food writer Mina Holland. The focus is Old World and low-intervention wines, “which aren’t too full-on funky. Bayswater is affluent and home to some fairly traditional drinkers,” says Holland. “From the get-go, Burgundy flew off the shelves; Gavi, Rioja, Beaujolais also all sold brilliantly, as well as Mosel riesling and Albariño.” Sol’s offers seasonal wine on tap, which can be taken home, while summer calls for a glass of crisp rosé while perched on an outdoor stool.

The best wine bars in south London

Lower, Waterloo

Best for: A pre-theatre drink by Waterloo station
Address: 19 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7RJ
Price: A glass of wine from 7 GBP; bottles from 21 GBP

Drinks writer Bertie Blaize recommends Lower in Waterloo, a Parisian-style bistro launched by three friends, Alex Pitt, Blaise Coley and Skye Alejandro. “Alex looks after the list, which always has something new and interesting,” says Blaize. “Great service and small plates too.” The intimate, candlelit interior features blackboard menus and shelves lined with bottles, while patrons spill onto the pavement during warm weather. You can book but the majority of tables are kept for walk-ins.

40 Maltby Street, Bermondsey

Best for: Last minute meals
Address: 40 Maltby Street, London SE1 3PG
Price: A glass of wine from 7 GBP; bottles from 25 GBP

“Maltby Street can always be relied on to serve something ultra-seasonal and earth shatteringly delicious,” says author and drinks specialist Mina Holland. The wine shop and bar sits in a railway arch in south London and you can hear rumbling trains above as you sit on a tall wooden stool, glass in hand. It is owned by importer Gergovie Wines, which excels in organic and low intervention styles, and there is a weekly menu of small plates that might include chicken and mushroom pie or cauliflower cheese croquettes with hot sauce. It is open in the evenings from Wednesday to Saturday and does not take reservations. At the weekend, visit neighbouring Maltby Street Market, too.

Still thirsty? You can find out more insider information on London with our insider guide to the best cocktail bars, museums and galleries.