The best wine bars in London

What makes a perfect wine bar? Well there’s the wine, for starters. Lots of it. The classics and the stuff you want to take photos of. Then there’s the vibe of the place; cosy, dimly lit, but fun enough to laugh obnoxiously loudly and not get looks. The music mustn’t be too loud (I don’t like to shout) but definitely not too quiet either. The food should come out on little plates at random times so I feel like I’m in Spain. Half Cut Market, found in that no man’s land between Holloway, Kentish Town and King’s Cross is a perfect wine bar. It knows its target market; young and cool, with knowledgeable staff, good tunes, a wine rack labelled with multicoloured fridge magnet letters (‘zippy whites,’ ‘weird whites,’ oranges and more), as well as tables outside for that final glass of chilled red and a ciggie.

An ultra-convivial, warehouse wine bar in Shoreditch. Oranj began life as a wine delivery service during lockdown and is well aware that most people don’t know too much about wine, let alone the natural stuff. Its approach, then, is fitting: more pubby than cliquey, with a bottle list for the pros and a short glass list for everyone else (four kinds of orange wine, three white, three red and some bubbles for good measure). You will never feel foolish for not knowing the difference between a gewurztraminer and a grechetto here. Its food pop-ups are also seriously impressive. 

Since 1972 the resolutely old school Le Beaujolais has been famed for its selection of French wines and cheeses. The historic restaurant downstairs is a members' only venue but the ground floor bar is open to all. There's a strong 1980s feel here, but it's the perfect semi-hidden destination to sink a reasonably priced Côtes du Rhône from an exclusively French wine list. 

On the Stokie circular that is Newington Green, you'll find Cadet (pronounced Cad-ay, not Cah-det). It opened in 2022 and only now has the hype has finally died down enough for you to score a table. Though the chalkboard menu of small, delightful French-ish snacks (pate, cheese, rillettes etc) is killer, the wine here – which comes from boutique booze merchants Beattie and Roberts – is unparalleled. 

You'll be forgiven for thinking you've stumbled into a chic Parisian bistro when first enterting this Camberwell cutie pie. Pop into Veraison Wines to pick up a bottle of something natty to take home, or pull up a chair and settle in for an evening of quaffing and scoffing, with regular supper clubs from local chefs and wine tasting evenings complete with cheese. 

This neighbourhood staple returned with a new name after the closure of the much loved P. Franco in 2023. Coming back better than ever before, this communal table-boasting Clapton spot isn't just a place to score the nattiest of natty wine, but also home to some of the best kitchen takeovers in town. Recent decents include menus by Mangal II man Sertaç Dirik. A forever fave.

One entered, never forgotten. Passione Vino is a wine bar and bottle shop that you'll remember forever – unless you sink an ungodly amount of plonk, that is. Run by the charismatic Luca Dusi, this sweet Shoreditch osteria is a place to learn about artisanal wine, stuff yourself silly on small plates of pasta meal and cheese. There's no wine list – just get chatting to the immensely friendly staff, and they'll find the perfect tipple for you. 

The rear restaurant at Noble Rot gets a lot of deserved praise. But the wine bar at the front of the room is a character-filled hangout with covers of the eponymous Noble Rot magazine framed on the walls. The full wine list is an epic tome, but the options by the glass are a joy to read, with wines from Burgundy and the Jura met with more distinctive grapes sourced from lesser-celebrated regions. Anyone for a tipple from Tenerife?

As east London's first urban winery, Renegade has been producing since 2017. Tucked under the railway arches is this bench-filled taproom surrounded by barrels and fermentation tanks. The grapes are brought over from wineries abroad, as well as those in the UK, produced and then served here, along with cheese. And while other European producers are available, it'd be a shame not to try the output from these passionate winemakers, especially when it's this good. It’s time you tried a London bacchus.

That moment when the owners of London’s top Spanish restaurant Barrafina say they’re opening a wine bar. Expect semi-bodega vibes across three interconnected, bare-brick arches – even if it’s a little deceptive; the wine list celebrates low-intervention vineyards around the world and from far beyond just the Iberian peninsula. That’s especially true of the by-the-glass selection (which starts at £5), where you’ll find wine from Greece, Tenerife and Georgia for starters. 

This wine bar was a bit of a game-changer when it first opened in 2013, and it’s still just as trendy a hangout on the Hackney Road. It broke down the barriers to hard-to-find wines by selling them by the glass without restaurant mark-ups. So sit up at a bar made from pavement lights and let attractive staff fill your glass with wines you’ll never be able to pronounce. Don’t miss their cheese toasties, either.

Bang into your pét-nat? Then this top floor takeover of The Globe pub in Borough Market is your happy place. With over 40 kinds of natural wine's bubbliest booze, thanks to Stefano Cazzato – formerly head of wine for the Crispin Group of wine bars and restaurants – this 1970s-inspired spot is ideal for getting to know your favourite fizz better. Sip to an excellent 1970s alt.disco and new wave soundtrack while gazing out of Victorian sash windows onto buzzing Bedale Street below. Don't forget to line your stomach too, with a short but ace menu that revolves around an aesthetically pleasing ibérico pork katsu sando with raspberry sauce in toasted brioche. 

We all know that Trullo is a very, very good restaurant, but did you also know that just next door they have a very, very good wine bar? Not just a space to while away the moments before your table is turned, this is a destination in itself. A small, simple room with a bar, table and window seats, there's a entirely managable menu of vino, and – excitingly – a small selection of amble, outrageously good Italian-ish snackage; scoff Trullo's famous beef shin ragu in toastie form alongside artichoke fritti and salt cod crostini with your wine; Greek, Spanish, French, German and lots more. It's only open Thur-Sat from 6pm, but that makes it all the more special.

Peckham Cellars is a must for South of the river drinkers. It mixes a laidback, breezy atmosphere with a formidable wine list, which knowledgeable staff will happily break down for you. Natural wines are a particular speciality, and you'd be mad not to pair them with some of the simple, seasonal dishes this Michelin-accoladed spot does so well.

When someone says ‘wine bar’, this Covent Garden spot is exactly what you’ll picture – rustic and cosy, a few small, scattered tables topped with tapered candles and surrounded by shelves of wine bottles tagged with brown labels. The focus is on wine by female producers, with biodynamic, natural and organic wine given centre stage. 

The lads that do Top Cuvée (the wine bar that pivoted to Covid shop that pivoted to classy Highbury restaurant) also have a cave. And this is it. You get to their Bethnal Green bottle shop, descend some stairs and there you are. It’s giving student kitchen. But in a sexy way. Food-wise you have some plump hotdogs and charcuterie to soak up the booze. You can even slurp down some oysters. But this isn’t somewhere you go to eat actual food, really. It’s a place to hang out, drink wine and chat (crucially, the music, which is good, is played at a non-deafening volume). That kind of pared-back, casual spot that your mates told you didn’t really exist in London. Prove them wrong. Get drunk here.

Forget the French rustic clichés: this is an edgy space, with geometric white tiling, pendant lights and a goldfish bowl made from an old TV set. The wine, fromage and charcuterie are good, too: Authentique wants to bring the best from French-speaking parts of the world to a corner of north London, and the by-the-glass menu highlights a different region each month. Take it from us - this place is un-brie-lievable. 

Rustic and ramshackle, Unwined sits inside Tooting Broadway Market and takes the ceremony out of chardonnay. Enjoy wine tastings or head along for a glass or two of the good stuff from a selection of bottles to fit a different theme each month. Grab a snack board of cheese, meat or pate, so you don't leave in an equally ramshackle state.

This stylish Portuguese spot is a treat to look at, with its shiny marble counters and intricately patterned blue and white tiles. And it makes a wonderful introduction to Portugal's thriving wine culture, with rare vintages making it a destination for anyone looking to broaden their palate. A menu of prettily-presented small plates seals the deal.

For formidable wine recommendations that don’t feel rehearsed from some of the friendliest ‘somms’ in the business, check out this Walworth wonder bar. It’s named after a Greek philosopher but there’s nothing poncey about the place. Owner Sunny Hodge often buys direct from vineyards to champion lesser-known producers from emerging regions while keeping costs low for punters. We’re not talking bargain bin – but if you fancy flavours from Croatia and the Czech Republic, where better than in among the folliage of this down-to-earth spot.

It’s time for a bit of skin contact at The Remedy, where orange wines are given a full page of the wine menu. You’ll also discover some harder to reach grapes, with many wines at the higher end of the minerality scale. It’s a small little space with a few cute alcoves if you’re looking to cosy up over your Côtes du Rhône. Sure to cure whatever ails you.

Furanxo doubles as a Spanish grocery store (or an abacería, to those acquainted with the concept), so you can pick up a tin of sardines before tucking into natural wine. They’re all very interesting tipples, sourced from across the Iberian Peninsula, with just four available at any given time by the glass. There’s not much room for sitting and sipping, so get up close and personal with other punters, as is the Spanish way.

Bottles is located on the edge of Old Spitalfields Market and boasts an impressive wine list; it’s tight, focused and reflects a deep knowledge of the grape, with emphasis on Italian wine. Those eponymous bottles have been sourced from independent producers and small vineyards, and if there’s anything that tickles your fancy, you can buy one to take home from the wooden crates that line the bar. All the waiting staff are sommeliers, fully equipped to chat through the options as you settle in to the moodily lit space. A seasonal Italian food menu will help line your stomach, too.