Restaurants with the best wine list
Turn a good meal into a great meal...
The snobbery surrounding knowledge of wine has got to be right up there with modern art, or jazz, or... Celebrity Big Brother.
We've all been there, sat across the table from some dip-stick as he pours over the wine list, recounting the best vintages he's guzzled this year and the number of times he's had to correct the sommeliers in London's finest establishments. What's more, he's making damn sure he can be heard by every other diner in the Harvester.
That said, if you get the wines right they can turn a good meal into a great meal.
So here's a list of venues which go to great lengths to present you with a great choice of wines.
This French wine bar and restaurant sources all its wines from small producers who work sustainably and/or organically. There is a natural bias towards French wines, but there are a few varieties from Spain, Italy and further afield too.
28-50
140 Fetter Lane EC4A 1BT
Restaurant & Bar
Opening Times
Run by the same team as <a href=”http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/restaurants/restaurant-11508.php”>Texture</a>, this mini-chain have around 30 wines by the glass. They have a good selection of mostly European wines, and their “collectors’ list” (from £45) is a good one for connoisseurs.
Roast
Stoney Street SE1 1TL
British
Opening Times
Photos
Roast champion British food and so does their cellar, particularly wines from producers Chapel Down in Kent. But there are plenty of other options from around the world too, with some exceptional bottles starting from just over the £30 mark.
Copita
27 D'Arblay Street W1F 8EP
At this bustling Soho tapas bar all the wines (all Spanish of course) are available by the glass, carafe or bottle. The level of body is indicated on the menu, and the prices rangefrom £18 - £50. There is orujo too, which is comparable to grappa, and 15 types of sherry.
If you’re a fan of wines from the south of France then Michelin-starred Club Gascon should definitely be on your list of places to visit, as their cellar contains over 400 varieties from this region.
There’s a comprehensive selection of French wine at Alexis Gauthier’s restaurant, most of which hail from south western vineyards.
There are popular favourites and lesser known wines here, almost exclusively from France. Nearly all the wines available in the restaurant can be purchased from the shop too.
Bocca di Lupo won Best Wine List at the 2013 Tatler Restaurant Awards. With many available by the glass, it’s a great place to sample Italian wine.
