Where to Drink Outstanding Natural Wine in London

Championing small producers and changing up by the glass pours daily, this Finsbury Park wine bar and bistro is perhaps one of London’s most approachable places to delve into the world of natural wine. There’s a notable lack of pretence — credit owner Brodie Meah and his team — which makes an evening here all the more enjoyable. Sit at the bar with a glass of something delicious (even the house Arinto from Portugal is a gem), or go all-in on the food menu with a couple of bottles. They’ve also opened Cave Cuvee in Bethnal Green, a cave à vin homage beneath their retail store.

Shoreditch small plates restaurant Leroy burst onto the scene in 2018 and earned a star from the Michelin guide just a year later, earning plaudits for a simple (yet beautifully crafted) modern bistro menu served in a pared-back dining room with original wine-and-dine artwork by Louise Sheeran. Interesting bottles from the 300-strong list – a skin contact Santorini Assyrtiko with notes of ocean breeze, tea leaf, citrus and minerality, for example – are often showcased on the restaurant’s Instagram feed. Grab a seat at the bar for a casual drink or go deep on the menu with a bottle or two from owner Ed Thaw’s curated list.

Orange or skin contact wines are typically made by leaving the grape skins in contact with the juice for a short while after they’re picked, adding colour, flavour, and tannins; they can be a revelation for the uninitiated. Silver Lining on Morning Lane is the UK’s first bar dedicated to the style, and is perfect for both converts and novices alike; owners Alistair and Sarah Maddox champion wines by independent growers and winemakers from all over the world alongside a French-inspired lineup of bar snacks.

With a similar focus to the Spitalfields outpost, Bar Crispin in Soho features a wine list selected by sommelier Alex Price, who highlights beloved natural wine regions such as the Loire, Beaujolais, Savoie and the Jura alongside volcanic wines from regions including Tenerife, Sicily and Greece. Most of the list is biodynamic and some are only available in single bottles — so once they’re gone, they’re gone. It’s one of Soho’s best (and only) places to drink low-intervention wine, and makes for a spellbinding place to spend an evening or to watch Kingly Street go by in good weather.

During the day, buy jars of house-made pickles and preserves to take away at this beloved Dalston Wine Bar; and at night, pull up a chair to enjoy candlelit dinner service accompanied by a natural wine list that celebrates European minimal intervention wines. Working with elite importers like Gergovie and Spanish specialist Otros Vinos, offerings are frequently interesting (and always delicious), with a generous BTG lineup that changes daily. Favourite producers are often highlighted, such as Burgundy rising star Francois St-Lô, who makes soulful, vibrant wines using a small plot of Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc in the Loire Valley.

The undisputed kings (and queen) of natural wines south of the river, wine bar and neighbourhood bistro Peckham Cellars stock a small but perfectly formed selection that follows the beat of its own drum. They often hero regions like Georgia (the birthplace of wine) and wineries that like to play with expectations, like skin-fermented orange Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. Cellars launched free local delivery and curated boxes during lockdown, which has proved immensely popular.

A Brixton restaurant with an English heart, a French accent, and no wine menu sounds almost contradictory, but it’s a formula that works thanks to Margaux Aubry and her team’s skill at picking out the perfect glass or bottle depending on their guests’ mood. In particular, the restaurant stocks a notable Italian wine selection that includes the ever-popular Tiberi, a red wine made from Umbrian Grenache grapes known locally as Gamay del Trasimeno – enjoy it at the bar upstairs, or pull up a stool in the atmospheric basement cave. There’s also the food, which focuses on modern Francophile dishes made to share – don’t miss the Cornish crab with pickled cabbage and peanuts.

Rita’s operated as a pop-up for many years before securing a coveted spot in Soho in 2021. Gabriel Pryce helms a kitchen that focuses on playful modern American fare, Mexican-inspired cocktails come courtesy of partner Missy Flynn, while the latter’s brother Cameron selects the wines. Old World wines produced using low intervention methods are a favourite, with a bias towards producers who champion sustainable farming; perfect for a low-key afternoon drink, or for celebrating with a few friends.

By the team that brought you 40 Maltby Street (another exceptional wine bar and restaurant) comes Café Deco, a decidedly more upscale space near Russell Square.  Anna Tobias’ Italo-French menu includes dishes such as confit pig’s head, gnudi and new season olive oil and the like, while the wine list is a paean to European biodynamic and organic producers from the classic winemaking regions.

The Top Cuvée team have expanded their riveting bistro and natural wine bar to a second tiny space on Bethnal Green Road, with a well-stocked deli upstairs, and an intimate wine bar in the basement that’s a quintessential I know a place move. A rotating list of natural wines by the bottle or glass is on offer for relaxed trysts and low-key occasions, while superb snacks – cheese, charcuterie, delicious things on toast – is available if you’re feeling peckish. Regular tastings and guest chef pop-ups make them worth checking in on frequently.

This independent neighbourhood wine bar in Brockley only serves drinks and a small selection of snacks, though you’re welcome to order in pizza from nearby Yard Sale. There’s a small number of tables inside and out on the terrace, where you can choose from a well-priced list that rewards experimentation: try the voguish Tillingham Pinot Blanc 2018 made in East Sussex, a blend of three pinot blancs aged separately in oak, stainless steel, and Georgian kvevri. They also own wine shop Salt House Bottles near Brockley station.

Like its sibling restaurants Berber & Q and Shawarma Bar, this Middle Eastern-inspired restaurant and bar offers an impressive list of low-intervention wines that lean towards France, Spain, and Italy in provenance; one of Gergovie’s biggest orange wines, Altura Vigneto’s Ansonaco 2017 in particular pairs well with mezze and wood-fired fare, while a range of magnums are handy for celebrations.

Jackson Boxer’s fish and seafood-led restaurant in Notting Hill has become a neighbourhood favourite for standout produce and relaxed ambience. Central to Orasay’s offering is a natural wine program that numbers among west London’s best; among a well-considered list include tapped wines via Uncharted as well as plenty by the glass. Additionally, for a cash margin, consider perusing Boxer’s own personal stash of bottles via the restaurant’s Black Book, which is available upon request.

You could spend hours ogling the shelves at Farringdon’s Quality Wines, a beloved neighbourhood restaurant and wine shop with an Italianate menu by chef Nick Bramham. Wines by the glass are selected daily by Chris Madden and Marcos Spyrou are often daring, always fun – like Basque country Txakoli aged under flor – or cult producers like Octavin Trousseau. The selection spans Old and New World regions from blockbuster estates to very reasonably priced up-and-coming producers; drop in for a glass or two post-work, or a nightcap to finish an evening in stellar fashion. Off-list bottles can be bought to take away or drunk in with a £15 corkage fee.

The original Elliot’s is a brick-walled and atmospherically lit space in Borough Market, serving ingredient-driven small plates and wood-fired pizzas using produce from the market alongside a comprehensive list of low-intervention wines. One of the early adopters of natural wine in the capital, pull up a stool at the bar (or snatch one of a few coveted outdoor tables) and kick off a session with a bottle of deliciously refreshing vino blanco from Italian collective Valle de Unite, before going deep. See also: their sister site in Hackney, where Cameron Dewar runs one of East London’s best natural wine programs.

Clare Lattin and Tom Hill’s tiny Soho restaurant and bar was an early champion of natural wine and seasonal cooking, and a creative menu (both wines and dishes, scrawled on a huge chalkboard) changes weekly. The restaurant regularly spotlights their favourite producers, such as François Écot, the Burgundy-based winemaker and importer who helped bring natural wine to the attention of the New Yorkers, as well as others. Staff are more than happy to share knowledge about their favourite winemakers, with an affection for producers like Thierry and Jean-Marie Puzelat – natural wine royalty – and a consistently strong lineup by the glass.