London Wine Bar Locations: A Neighbourhood Guide from Humble Grape
Written by James Dawson, Founder and CEO of Humble Grape.
A single "best wine bar" answer cannot suit a City lunch on a Tuesday, a first date in Islington and a table for eight at Canary Wharf on a Saturday night.
I started Humble Grape delivering wine by scooter around London, more than fifteen years ago, running pop-up tastings in whatever living room would have me before we opened our first proper bar in Battersea. We've grown into seven since, each one built into a different building with a different job to do: a Norman crypt, a dock-side terrace, a converted market-side unit. This guide goes through all seven, neighbourhood by neighbourhood, with the reason you'd choose each one. They're not all built for the same kind of visit.
Which one is right for you?
If you want a candlelit underground room, go to Bow Lane or Fleet Street, both set in old crypts under City churches. If you want after-work drinks, a waterside terrace or room for a group, choose Canary Wharf. If you want a neighbourhood bar you'd walk to on a Tuesday without a reason, that's Battersea or Islington. If you're squeezing in a City lunch or a quick glass near the station, Liverpool Street does that better than anywhere else on this list. And if you want history with your dinner, Smithfield sits inside one of London's oldest food neighbourhoods.
Every bar shares the same backbone: 500+ wines, organic, natural, biodynamic or otherwise sustainably farmed, bought direct from the people who make them with nobody taking a cut in the middle. What changes is the room, the neighbourhood, and the kind of evening each one is built for.
Battersea: where Humble Grape began
2 Battersea Rise, SW11 1ED, near Clapham Junction and Northcote Road
This is the original. Before Battersea there was a scooter and tastings held in whichever friend's living room had enough chairs. Once we had a room, this is the one we built, and it still feels like a neighbourhood restaurant rather than a destination bar: dark wood, low warm light and tucked-away corners.
It suits a regular Tuesday as well as it suits a Sunday lunch with the in-laws. Dogs are welcome, there's a kids' menu, and Saturday Wine O'Clock runs here from 12pm to 4.30pm. If "cosy" is the word you're searching for, start here.
Bow Lane: an 11th-century crypt under Cheapside
St Mary-le-Bow, Cheapside, EC2V 6AU, a short walk from Bank, St Paul's and Mansion House
The room sits underground in the crypt of St Mary-le-Bow, rebuilt by Christopher Wren after the Great Fire, with original Norman arches and old stone overhead. We've hung wine glasses and modern black chandeliers under those arches, keeping the old stone while making the room feel like a current London wine bar.
Bow Lane opens for Monday dinner, then lunch and dinner from Tuesday to Friday. That makes it a City fixture rather than a weekend destination, and there's a terrace outside if the crypt feels like too much stone for a summer evening. If you want a candlelit underground room, a full kitchen and a table you can book in advance, this is the one to try.
Canary Wharf: the wine bar on the water
18-20 Mackenzie Walk, E14, on Middle Dock
Our biggest room, and the only one on the water. The dining room runs along Mackenzie Walk, with outdoor seating beside the dock, and it's built to take groups: private and social space for anywhere from eight people to a hundred and twenty. Wine O'Clock runs here on weekdays from 5pm to 6pm at £6 a glass. On Saturdays it runs from 12pm to 4.30pm at Canary Wharf, Battersea and Islington.
It's the one for after-work drinks, a terrace table by Middle Dock or a big Saturday group. If you want the fuller picture of where else to eat and drink around the wharf, we've written a separate guide to eating and drinking near Canary Wharf.
Islington: a calm corner off Upper Street
11-13 Theberton Street, N1, a few minutes from Angel
Tucked between the brickwork and greenery of a North London terrace street, one street back from Upper Street. The venue has a private dining space set apart from the main room if you need one.
Islington also runs a pre-theatre sitting, two courses and a glass of wine early evening, which suits a visit before the Almeida or Sadler's Wells. Saturday Wine O'Clock runs here too. Choose it for a room one street back from Upper Street.
Fleet Street: hidden down an alley, with the Wine School inside
1 St Bride's Passage, EC4Y 8EJ, off Fleet Street via Bride Lane or Salisbury Court
Another church crypt, this time under St Bride's Church: soaring stone ceilings, sandstone archways, and a private dining space set beneath the arches for anyone who wants the whole room to themselves. Fleet Street opens Monday to Friday and closes at weekends, with lunch, after-work service and private dining beneath the arches.
This is also where our Wine School runs, WSET Level 1 and Level 2 courses taught by certified educators, with food included at every session. Fleet Street won Best Bar at the 2025 City AM Toast of the City Awards.
Liverpool Street: a quiet break from the Bishopsgate crush
8 Devonshire Row, EC2M, directly opposite Liverpool Street station
Down a side alley off the main Bishopsgate drag, close enough to the station that you could walk in five minutes after stepping off a train, quiet enough that you'd never guess it from the street. Rustic wooden tables inside, outdoor seating for when the weather allows it, and well-behaved dogs welcome throughout.
It opens Monday to Saturday and works for a quick glass near the station or a longer after-work catch-up.
Smithfield: sitting inside nine centuries of market history
59 West Smithfield, EC1A, beside Smithfield Market, a few minutes from Farringdon and Barbican
Smithfield Market has been feeding this part of London for the better part of a thousand years, and our bar sits right beside it: an emerald bar running through the middle of the room, wooden crates of wine stacked as decoration and stock at once, exposed brick, arched windows, and a terrace for whenever the sun cooperates.
Like Fleet Street, it closes at weekends and offers private hire. Choose it for a weekday visit beside Smithfield Market and a room shaped by the neighbourhood's history.
So which one do you book?
If you've read this far and still can't decide, start with the kind of evening you want. Pick the atmosphere first (crypt, water, neighbourhood local, City lunch, market history), then check which bar has it, then book. All seven run on the same 500+ wines, the same direct-import, no-middleman approach, and the same staff who'd rather talk you through the list than test you on it.
If any of this has got you curious about wine beyond the glass in front of you, our Wine School runs WSET courses at Fleet Street. We also run a regular programme of wine tastings and supper clubs; check the current listings for venues and dates.
London wine bar locations: quick questions
What's a good alternative to Vagabond wine bar in London?
Vagabond lets guests explore through self-pour wine walls. At Humble Grape, our team tastes every bottle before it goes on the list, and every one is organic, natural or biodynamic, bought direct from the producer. If you want to discover something new by the glass with guidance from the team and a full kitchen alongside it, try Islington, Bow Lane or Canary Wharf.
What's a good alternative to Gordon's Wine Bar in London?
If it's a candlelit, underground room you're after, Bow Lane or Fleet Street put you in real church crypts. You can book a table in advance, and each has a full kitchen.
What's the best independent wine bar in London?
Depends what you mean by best, honestly, but here's our case: we're independent, we import direct from small producers rather than buying through a distributor, and every wine on the list is organic, natural or sustainably farmed because we won't stock anything else. Seven bars, one set of standards, no corporate wine list behind any of them.
What's a cosy wine bar in London?
Battersea has dark wood, low light and tucked-away corners. Bow Lane's crypt suits anyone looking for candlelight and stone arches.
Do you need to book, or can you just turn up?
Walk-ins depend on the bar, day and live availability. Fleet Street and Smithfield close entirely at weekends. Book ahead if you have a specific bar and time in mind, and check the venue page before you go.
Are all the wines organic or sustainably made?
Yes, every one, across all seven bars. Organic, natural, biodynamic, or otherwise sustainably farmed is the rule, not a seasonal push, and we won't bring in a wine that doesn't meet it regardless of how good the price looks.
Is Humble Grape dog-friendly at every location?
Yes, all seven. Well-behaved dogs are welcome throughout.
About James Dawson
James Dawson is the founder and CEO of Humble Grape. He started the business delivering wine by scooter and running pop-up tastings in friends' living rooms before opening the first bar in Battersea, and now runs seven wine bars and kitchens across London.
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