In a city driven by the cyclical whims of fashion, one constant remains: the Milanese enjoy their wine! With some of Italy’s best wine regions within an hour’s drive, there’s never a shortage of options.

One clear trend in Milan is the natural wine movement, which continues at a breathtaking pace. Use the guide below to seek out everything the city has to offer, from the latest natural wine bars to the Milan’s only rooftop ‘ethical hour’ restaurant, plus Michelin-star dining.

Best bars and restaurants in Milan for wine lovers

Horto

Horto’s beautiful rooftop terrace. Credit: Horto

Launched in September 2022 on the rooftop of The Medelan complex, Horto explores gastronomy through the concept of the ‘ethical hour’. Executive chef, Alberto Toè – under the direction of Norbert Niederkofler – sources ingredients from small farmers and dairies outside Milan, including Varzese beef for carpaccio, and a nearly forgotten raw-milk blue cheese called Strachítunt used as filling for plin dumplings.

While the wine list stretches beyond the one-hour limit imposed on food, every bottle reflects the restaurant’s ethos, with selections from small producers in the natural, organic and biodynamic realms.

Andrea Aprea

Andrea Aprea’s intimate dining space. Credit: Massi Ninni / Andrea Aprea

With multiple accolades, including two Michelin stars, Andrea Aprea lures wine-loving gastronomes to the top floor of the new art museum of the Luigi Rovati Foundation. The large, modern dining room anchored by a Murano chandelier seats only a handful of tables each night, creating the illusion of both space and intimacy.

Chef Aprea, easily spotted in the kitchen doorway, delivers a multi-course masterclass in texture, colour and flavour. The wine list reflects the artistic and intellectual ambition of the menu, boasting over 650 labels spanning blue-chips to rare or undiscovered treasures. The best option is to let the sommelier choose the pairings.

Cru wine bar

Cru Arc. Credit: Cru

Jacopo Ercolani, his brother and friends founded Cru in 2018. Ercolani developed an appreciation for minimal intervention wines after leaving the communications industry to work as a sommelier. Today, Cru boasts two locations, both casual, with a focus on wines by the glass and locally sourced cheese and charcuterie boards, including products from Le Marche, where Ercolani is from.

Cru Arc (near Arco della Pace) is a diminutive spot with only 10 interior seats but an outdoor dehors with 30-35 spots. Cru Island (Isola area) offers double the interior space plus terrace seating. Cru’s roster of producers spans 300 winemakers from Europe, with the glass pour changing daily. Don’t be shy about asking staff for help; they deftly match a guest’s taste preferences to the right bottle.

Enoteca/Naturale

Enoteca/Naturale operates as both a wine bar and restaurant, nestled within the pretty setting of Milan’s Parco delle Basiliche in the Ticinese area. While the rotation of 4,000 wine labels provides a point of distinction from its peers, the venue’s unique business model sets it apart: sharing space with Emergency, a humanitarian foundation providing care to people affected by conflict and poverty, Enoteca/Naturale opened in 2018 as an ‘SRL Benefit’ company.

Though for-profit, it promotes social integration and workforce diversity, notably by hiring immigrants. With an extensive selection of wines by the glass poured by an educated yet unpretentious staff, patronising Enoteca/Naturale provides a win-win model for guests and the community.

Vineria Eretica

Vineria Eretica has attracted natural wine drinkers to its intimate space close to Milano Centrale since 2019. Owner Giuseppe Bertini has curated an outstanding list of natural wines encompassing hard-to-find French labels and Italian and other European counterparts.

If Bertini is around, tap his deep knowledge of producers and styles while sampling small plates prepared with organic ingredients. Decorative touches, primarily vintage movie posters and memorabilia, reflect Bertini’s love of cinema.

Champagne Socialist

Founded in 2017 by the same proprietors as Forno Collettivo bakery, Champagne Socialist sits close to Corso Buenos Aires shopping street in Porta Venezia. Inside, however, the ambience is anything but haute fashion.

Peeling paint and exposed cement walls lined with wine bottles evoke an underground cellar. Organised by region, primarily Italian wines complement a selection of sandwiches and cheese and charcuterie boards. Monthly tastings led by featured producers allow guests to mingle with natural winemakers at the bar.

www.instagram.com/csocialist

Vinoir

Generally considered Milan’s first natural wine enoteca, Vinoir has persisted since 2012 as a favoured spot for those seeking small production and minimal intervention selections from Italy and beyond.

Located beyond the tourist fray, in the outskirts of the Navigli district, owner Gianluca Ladu and his wife Maddalena attract a dedicated crowd eager for conversation, education, producer tastings and affordable small plates like fresh handmade pasta. As a retail shop, guests who fall for a glass can purchase a bottle to take home.

Bicerin

Recline in vintage chairs while choosing from the 800-strong wine list at Bicerin. Credit: Bicerin

Dark paint, mirrored glass and vintage chairs in velvet and brocade evoke sipping inside a wine-obsessed antique dealer’s shop. Instead, Bicerin is the brainchild of three friends – Iris Romano, Lorenzo Viola and Alberto Gugliada – who designed the elegant setting to support their cache of 800 labels; many mature, rare and fine wines available to taste using the Coravin system.

Guests can relax in one of the lounge areas or book the ‘wine library’ for a personal tasting organised around lunch or dinner. The à la carte menu showcases seasonal, local produce and ingredients, from rabbit with potato gratin to gnocchi with artichokes and mortadella.

Rovello 18

This warm and welcoming trattoria opened in 2002 but remains an insider’s secret for its deep wine list, especially for grower Champagne. With over 800 bins, one can get lost in the selection process, though there’s a price point for everyone, whether a €30 Dolcetto d’Alba or an €850 magnum of aged Barolo.

The food is as much a draw as the wine list, with classic dishes like vitello tonnato, fassona steak tartare, and veal chop Milanese earning the family founders a Michelin guide nod.

Beefbar

Beefbar has a glamorous 1950s feel. Credit: Marion Butet Studio / Beefbar

Style-conscious wine drinkers started flocking to Beefbar after it opened in March 2023. Located near Portrait Milano, a former seminary restored into the city’s poshest hotel, Beefbar taps retro and contemporary interior design trends. Think 1950s Italian glamour replete with arches, curved lines and velvet banquettes.

Though it offers a break from the formality of traditional meat palaces, notably with comfort dishes and global flavours such as Kobe beef carbonara and lemon and yuzu osso bucco risotto, the wine list serves the red wine-and-ribeye crowd. Well known labels from Piedmont and Tuscany steal the show, with a supporting cast from the rest of Italy and France.

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Contrary to popular belief, not all Parisian pours need be natural. Despite the rise in glou-glou wine bars and natural-heavy selections, a plethora of classically-styled wine lists still dominate a good number of Parisian establishments.

From prestigious growths to Médoc-based Cru Bourgeois to the great Cru Classés of Saint-Emilion, an endless amount of current release and back-vintage Bordeaux is just waiting to be discovered in Parisian cellars everywhere.

Not sure where to look? Check out the Bordeaux-heavy lists at these classic City of Light institutions, here.

Le Clarence

31 Av. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 75008

In the realm of Paris-based Bordeaux offerings, Le Clarence undeniably holds one of the best selections. Located on the prestigious Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt in Paris’ 8th arrondissement, the impressive 1,400 references are exclusively French. Strong holdings come from Burgundy, the Rhône, and of course, Bordeaux. The restaurant itself falls under family-owned Domaine Clarence Dillon, the famed family behind Château Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion and Château Quintus. While the restaurant’s set menus will cost you a pretty penny – think €180 for three courses, €250 for five courses, and €350 for seven courses, its back-vintage verticals from some of Bordeaux’s top estates make it entirely worth it.

La Tour d’Argent

19 Quai de la Tournelle, 75005

Credit: HJBC / Alamy Stock Photo

After more than a year of having its doors shuttered, La Tour d’Argent reopened this summer. Located in Paris’ 5th arrondissement, La Tour d’Argent’s roots date back to 1582, though the establishment of the restaurant took place about 300 years later. Today, this breathtaking Michelin-star restaurant is beloved for its panoramic views, as well as its Bible-like wine list, which promises something for every curious Bordeaux drinker out there. While the meal itself isn’t necessarily cheap, heading to La Tour for lunch offers a more budget-friendly option.

Garance

34 Rue Saint-Dominique, 75007

Located just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Les Invalides, Garance offers a flavour-packed reprieve from the neighbourhood’s large number of tourist-focused destinations. Established under the oversight of Guillaume Muller, this quality-focused restaurant highlights seasonal ingredients and meticulous attention to detail; even the restaurant’s beef comes from the family farm located in nearby Limousin. With regards to the wine cellar, the impressive list boasts over 8,000 bottles – and of the 21-page wine list, two full pages are dedicated to red wines from Bordeaux. Responsibly-sourced meat and a bottle of claret? Sign us up.

Le Taillevent

15 Rue Lamennais, 75008

Credit: Glenn Harper / Alamy Stock Photo

For fine wine and impeccable plates served in a classically elegant ambiance, head to Le Taillevent. Located in the city’s 8th arrondissement, this iconic Parisian staple first opened its doors back in 1946 and has remained an institution ever since. The restaurant’s wine game has only gotten better over time and its list is now spearheaded by Antoine Pétrus, whose focus remains on great wines from Burgundy and Bordeaux. The cellar’s offerings include an impressive vertical from Château Latour, as well as a number of top Left and Right Bank selections. Note: The restaurant is closed on weekends but offers dinner Monday to Friday with a lunch service Tuesday to Friday.

Frenchie Bar à Vins

6 Rue du Nil, 75002

For those looking to enjoy Bordeaux wines in a more laid-back environment, look no further than Frenchie Bar à Vins. Located on the quiet Rue du Nil in Paris’ 2nd arrondissement, this small-yet-fierce wine bar offers something for every Bordeaux budget and palate preference. A number of bottles under the €100 mark exist, with the most affordable starting at just €40 (Château Dutruch Grand Poujeaux, Moulis en Médoc, Petit Dutruch). For those looking to splurge, worry not – two prestigious bottles of Petrus from the 2003 and 2012 vintages currently grace the list, as well as picks from Château Pontet-Canet, Château Mouton Rothschild, Château Palmer, and more.

Le Petit Sommelier

49 Avenue du Maine, 75014

Although the Montparnasse area of Paris is generally known for its Bordeaux-bound trains and overpriced, Hemingway-frequented bars, a visit to Le Petit Sommelier will completely change your view of the neighbourhood. While the bistro may look slightly unimpressive from the outside, the restaurant’s list of over 1,000 references is sure to get your curiosity going. Now spearheaded by wine director Pierre Vila Palleja, this boisterous, French-heavy wine list offers a large number of selections perfect for pairing with the kitchen’s hearty, meat-heavy cuisine. The only thing more impressive than the 13,000-bottle cellar? The extremely affordable prices, especially on back-vintage bottles.

Restaurant La Truffière

4 Rue Blainville, 75005

Credit: Meghan Bulmer / Alamy Stock Photo

There’s no better place to send our Bordeaux list out with a bang than Restaurant La Truffière, which first opened its doors back in 1984. Situated in the 5th arrondissement, this old school Parisian restaurant offers an extensive selection of Bordeaux wines, spanning current release and back-vintage offerings from the region’s top names. The wine list is overseen by La Truffière’s chef-owner Christian Sainsard, who also has an equal affinity for wines from Burgundy and the Rhône. For those truly looking to indulge, be sure to splurge on the six-course truffle tasting menu (for a more modest option, stop in for lunch from Thursday to Saturday) – and if possible, be sure to request seating in the restaurant’s 17th-century wine cellar.

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There are dozens of UK restaurants with excellent lists showcasing the wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy. Finding one with a good Rhône offering isn’t so easy, but if you’re craving for Cornas or longing for Lirac, here are some options with excellent selections. I’ve grouped them into three levels: gold, silver and bronze.

I considered a number of criteria: quality of producers, value for money, range, vintages on offer, and availability of mature bottles and rarities. I was only judging the Rhône offering; restaurants in the bronze section might be placed in gold if their entire list were under scrutiny.

This isn’t an exhaustive directory, but hopefully it will help guide fellow Rhône lovers to wines that interest them.

All prices shown are drink-in prices.

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As any London wine-lover will tell you, there’s plenty of choice when it comes to the capital’s wine bar scene. From popular city centre haunts to off-the-beaten-track local venues, there’s plenty to explore – whether you want high-end French classics or new-wave natural bottles. With more and more venues offering by-the-glass options, as well as bottles to enjoy on-site or take home, there’s never been a better time to taste what London has to offer. So pull up a chair and relax with a glass or two in one of our top venues.

28°-50°

28°-50° Marylebone.

Originally a single site in Holborn, 28°-50° is now a chain of five chic bars/restaurants across London. There’s Marylebone; its neighbouring jazz-centric venue 28°-50° by Night; Chelsea; South Kensington; and latest addition Oxford Circus. With the wine programme overseen by group head sommelier Jules Bensacq, each site has a decent selection of wines available by the glass or bottle, including a small collection of pricier drops by Coravin. This is supplemented by a ‘Collector’s List’ of reasonably priced fine and rare bottles with a focus on France, supplemented by a decent showing of other wines from around the world.

Bar Pepito

Credit: www.camino.uk.com

This tiny pocket rocket of a Sherry bar is brought to you from the team behind the Camino restaurant chain. Bar Pepito may be situated in Kings Cross but you’re transported to Andalucía as soon as you step through the door. The list of Sherries is relatively short, with two or three wines offered for every style, but there’s enough variety for new Sherry drinkers and experts alike. It runs the gamut from big names such as Tio Pepe Fino to more esoteric drops like Equipo Navazos’ La Bota ‘I Think’ En Rama Manzanilla. Numerous flights and a paired tasting menu of wines and tapitas help to encourage experimentation. Settle in with a flight and tableful of tapas, then pretend you’re in Jerez.

Gordon’s

Credit: www.gordonswinebar.com

Take a quick wander from Covent Garden to Charing Cross and you’ll find yourself in a piece of wine bar history. Gordon’s has been serving patrons for over 130 years, and you certainly feel the history oozing out of the walls lined with pictures and newspaper-clippings. The interior is all vaulted cellars and candlelight. While the bar is covered in blackboards and Sherry-filled barrels. The eminently affordable wine list is an exercise in excellent editing, focusing on key regions from the Old World, with the odd addition from Mendoza, Marlborough or Maipo Valley. Food is available in the form of chunky meze platters, cheese and baguettes. Those who fail to get a table inside have a much better chance on the large outdoor terrace.

New Street Wine Shop

Credit: www.newstreetwine.com

The first venue to fully dissolve the boundaries between shop, bar and restaurant, this fairly small space is smartly designed. Choose a bottle from the well-stocked New Street Wine Shop shelves to take away or drink in for a very reasonable £8 corkage. You can also buy by the glass or sample top-end wines from the Enomatics. The range concentrates on European classics. A playground for wine lovers.

Noble Rot

Credit: noblerot.co.uk

When Noble Rot’s first venue opened its doors on Lamb’s Conduit Street in Holborn, oenophiles fell over themselves in their enthusiasm for its cooler-than-thou interiors, delicious food and adventurous wine list. A second site, taking over former institution The Gay Hussar in Soho, has followed to perhaps even greater acclaim. At both restaurants, most wines by the glass are offered in 75ml ‘taster’ or 125ml servings, with a decent, ever-changing range also available by Coravin. Those with deep pockets might be tempted by a glass of Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile 1996 or a Château d’Yquem from the same decade. But there are plenty more eminently affordable options too. The wider list has a notable bent towards France, with plenty of representation from around the globe. The lunch set menu is ridiculously reasonable, and invariably delicious.

Sager + Wilde

Credit: www.sagerandwilde.com

Sager + Wilde is a small, urban venue in Hackney that changed perceptions of what a wine bar could be when it opened in 2012. There’s little under £40 a bottle, but strength and depth in a list that focuses on natural, organic and biodynamic wines from the Old World. Small plates, toasties, cheeses and charcuterie are also available. A second branch, Sager + Wilde on Paradise Row, is a short hop from its older sister. A restaurant-cum-wine-bar situated in a railway arch with space for larger groups and an outdoor terrace, it’s the perfect spot to while away a Sunday afternoon.

The 10 Cases

Credit: www.10cases.co.uk / Justin De Souza

The clue is in the name of this French bistro-inspired take on a wine bar in Covent Garden. In order to keep the list fresh and exciting, wines are only bought in 10 case purchases, leading to a constantly rotating choice of 10 whites, 10 reds and a sprinkling of sparkling, rosé and sweet wine to boot. Those looking for more of a deep dive wine experience should plump for The 10 Cases’ Cave à Vin venue just next door. Here a list of over 300 wines awaits, available to buy and take away, or enjoy on site for a very reasonable £12 corkage fee. The same monthly-changing bistro food menu is available in both sites, or simply order some cheese and charcuterie in the Cave à Vin. One company, neighbouring sites, very different yet equally brilliant approaches.

The Remedy

Credit: http://www.theremedylondon.com/

This understated bar is located just 15 minutes’ walk from Oxford Circus. The focus here is on small producers – ‘say no to the wine industrial complex!’ is the wine philosophy of The Remedy’s owners  – with huge variation squeezed onto its well-edited list. It’s packed with the interesting, the characterful and the curious; both natural and conventional, mainly Old World, with a small smattering of New World. A solid selection of fine and rare treats is priced from upwards of £50. But there is also a decent amount to choose from between £30 and £50. The list of wines by the glass is a brilliant calling card, with Sherries and a short yet exciting selection of Madeira from Pereira d’Oliveira, alongside a handful of reds and whites. The Remedy also offers a short menu of delicious modern European cuisine small plates.

Vagabond Battersea Power Station

Credit: www.shop.vagabondwines.co.uk

While Vagabond boasts nine wine bars across London, the Battersea Power Station outpost with its urban winery should be top of any oenophile’s visit list. Winemaking equipment butts up against the industrial-chic wine bar interiors, all situated in the shadow of the iconic London landmark. Grab your wine from one of the many Enomatic machines lining the walls, order some small plates and charcuterie, then settle in for a delicious evening.

Vinoteca Farringdon

Credit: www.vinoteca.co.uk

Vinoteca changed the landscape of London wine bars when it opened its first branch in Farringdon in 2005. It was the first to offer wines to take away as well as to drink in, just like an Italian enoteca. The original outpost is a small, simply decorated square room, always busy thanks to the inclusive atmosphere and quality of the wine list – not to mention the bistro-style food. There are over 200 wines here, ranging from £22 to £212 to drink in. There are also a few wines available to buy in cans, plus 20 available by the glass. Try the Crittenden Estate Peninsula Chardonnay 2020 for £47.50, or Benanti’s Etna Rosso 2019 for £48. There are now five smart, bright and airy branches across London.

Have we missed your favourite? Share your own top London wine bars @Decanter

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Even the savviest of wine lovers knows the sinking feeling that can come when perusing a restaurant’s wine list. My own personal bugbears include wines presented – quite literally – as a list, with no attempt to describe their essential characters or why you might like to order it, and prices that zoom up and down like a rollercoaster instead of helpfully ascending from low to high. The wine list lottery is enough to make you reach for a drink to calm the nerves before even selecting a bottle.

Restaurant reviews tend to concentrate on the food; few bother to talk about the wine. And yet what is served in the glass can affect the enjoyment of a meal just as much as what is served on the plate.

Too many wine lists, however, require blind faith in the selection process behind them – or else an encyclopaedic knowledge of grapes and regions, styles and vintages. The cynic in me wonders whether this is merely a ruse for the sommelier to push their most profitable bottles, though few things are as likely to kill repeat custom than upselling wines.

What’s more, all too often the restaurants with the most lauded wine lists are also the most expensive. Nothing wrong with that for those that can afford it, of course. But it tends not to encourage one of the greatest joys of wine: experimentation.

Instead, below we’ve selected the restaurants across the UK where imaginative lists have been assembled, with as much of an eye on affordability as enjoyment and – even if the wine list offers little by way of annotation – staff who have been thoroughly trained to offer knowledgeable and trustworthy advice.

Read on to discover where good value is matched by great choice and, if in doubt, check the wine list on the restaurant’s website beforehand.

Best value restaurant wine lists

The 10 Cases, London

Only ever buying 10 cases of wine for its ever-changing list – all available by the glass – and great food-matching too.

Askham Hall, Penrith, Cumbria

The family seat of the Earls of Lonsdale excels with classic Burgundy and Bordeaux from the family cellar; the Loire and South Africa are also strong.

The Black Bull, Sedbergh, Cumbria

Characterful, quirky and good-value wines from small, sustainable European producers, including regions less-travelled by many lists.

Chez Bruce & La Trompette, London

La Trompette

Both under the same ownership. Exceptional lists with lots by the glass, and some prices cheaper than retail.

The Drapers Arms, London

A fairly-priced list almost exclusively concentrated on artisan European producers all the more surprising for being in a pub.

The Felin Fach Griffin, Brecon, Powys

The Gurnard’s Head, St Ives, Cornwall

The Old Coastguard, Mousehole, Cornwall

This trio of Welsh and West Country inns is united by wines sourced from regionally specialised merchants, also available to take away for almost cost price.

Freemasons, Clitheroe, Lancashire

A list so well written that it could serve as a beginners’ guide to wine, with reds and whites divided into four styles each, playful descriptions throughout and something for all tastes and budgets.

Kitchen W8, London

Credit: Andrew Hayes-Watkins

A classically European list not priced as dearly as might be expected by the Kensington location, Kitchen W8 excels with a weekly changing selection of fine wines offered by the glass at cost price (£10 to £30).

The Newport, Newport, Fife

Masterchef: The Professionals winner Jamie Scott’s bistro boasts a fabulous list from a local merchant.

The Old Bridge, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire

The Wine Shop

Owner and MW John Hoskins offers 15 wines by the glass, 20 more from an Enomatic and wines with between £10-£20 added from retail price; the broad, style-led list is also available to take home from the Wine Shop next door.

Otto’s, London

Credit: Nic Crilly-Hargrave

Otto Tepasse eschews anything that one might find in the supermarket, instead selecting great vintages from classic French regions, and he’s usually on-hand to offer advice.

Park House, Cardiff

An impressively broad list of 1,500 bins, especially strong on Australia, at scarcely believable prices.

The Terrace Rooms and Wine, Ventnor, Isle of Wight

Some of the lowest wine mark-ups in the country on an accessible 350-bin list with almost nothing over £100 and wines selected to be at peak drinking drink now.

Tyddyn Llan, Corwen, Denbighshire

A 250-strong global list sourced from small wineries run by hands-on owners, offering interesting and affordable options alongside the classics.

Wild Flor, Hove, East Sussex

Not, overall, the cheapest list but wines for every budget and mood, helpfully grouped by grape.

Best restaurant chain wine lists

Brasserie Blanc 

Now 14 branches, and a short, helpfully annotated list that’s more carefully chosen than at many chains.

Carluccio’s 

Some less-obvious Italian choices, and you can buy from the shop to drink with your meal (£5 corkage applies).

Côte

Cote’s all-French wine list might not be the easiest to pronounce but the helpful annotation could not be any easier to understand.

Gaucho 

Gaucho Charlotte Street

The prices are a little steep, but it has a serious and unrivalled selection of Argentinian wines.

Hawksmoor

Hawksmoor Manchester

Each site has its own wine list but all favour a mix of small producers and big-name vineyards with a preference for the steak-friendly.

Hotel du Vin Bistros 

Local buying decisions are allowed, with sommeliers even buying wine at auction.

Loch Fyne Seafood and Grill 

Focused on whites to suit the mainly fishy cuisine; a well-composed list.

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Unsurprisingly, Bordeaux is a great place to drink Bordeaux wines, but until recently finding somewhere to serve a selection by the glass, let alone  wines from other regions, was tricky. No longer. 

In the last ten years a young generation of wine loving Bordelais have opened wine bars and relaxed restaurants across the regional capital, serving an eclectic selection of wines in relaxed and often eccentric spaces. Here are some of our favourites.

Le Bar à Vin

• 3 Cours du 30 Juillet
• Monday to Saturday 11:00 – 22:00

What we like about it Le Bar à Vin is a Bordeaux institution, run by the CIVB, the Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux, which represents all the appellations of Bordeaux. Located on the ground floor of the triangular 18th century Maison Gobineau, steps away from the Grand Théâtre, it’s one of the largest wine bars in Bordeaux.

Wine list Offered by the glass, the list changes frequently, with a selection across all the  Bordeaux appellations. You’ll find Crémant de Bordeaux, Sauternes, 1855 classed growths and wines from both the Right and Left Banks.

What to order A great place to start a Bordeaux discovery, with some of the best by-the-glass prices and flights in the city. Try the knowledgeable staff recommendations for best wines of the moment.

Enjoy all styles of Bordeaux’s wines at Le Bar à Vin. Credit: Le Bar à Vin

Le Métropolitain

• 49 Cours d’Alsace-et-Lorraine
• Wednesday to Saturday 18:00 – 0:00
• Sunday 18:00 – 23:00

What we like about it A chic family-owned-and-run wine bar in the heart of old Bordeaux. Popular with locals, this is a fun spot where the menu comes clipped to old vinyl records. It can be tough to get a table here without a reservation, so do book ahead.

Wine list The focus is on finding fine wines from all over France and beyond, and the 150 references include New World wines from as far afield as South Africa and Chile.

What to order The red or white blind tasting served in black glasses or sign up for one of their 90 minutes tutored tastings. Try the cheese and charcuterie board, which is served with the family’s delicious homemade marmalade.

Credit: Le Métropolitain

Chez Le Pépère

• 19 rue Georges Bonnac
• Cave: Thursday to Saturday 11:00 – 22:00
• Wine bar : Tuesday to Friday 17:00 – 01:45

What we like about it At Chez Pépère, the owners and patrons are as passionate about rugby as they are about wine. The wine and tapas bar is open from Tuesday to Friday and the jazz cave for live music Thursday through Saturday.

Wine list The list offers a selection of over 200 wines (and over 30 beers) from around France at great prices, thanks to the owner purchasing direct from winemakers. Chez Le Pépère is also an absinthe bar.

What to order Sample their very own L’Absinthe Nitouche, which is distilled locally.

Try Chez Le Pépère’s own absinthe. Credit: Bordeaux Tourism

Vins Urbains

• 27 rue des Bahutiers
• Tuesday to Saturday 18:00 – 23:00

What we like about it On a winding street in the St-Pierre district, Vins Urbains is the creation of sommelier-turned-wine-bar-owner Jan Bussière. This long bar has a grate in the floor, giving its customers a glimpse into the well-stocked vaulted cellar below that is available for private parties.

Wine list The impressive list of 500 bins offers wines from around the world both by the glass and the bottle, along with a selection of magnums.

What to order Step outside of Bordeaux and try wines such as a Cahors Malbec by the glass. Indulge in the white truffle croque-monsieur, which is served sliced into bite-sized sandwiches.

Find Vins Urbains in the St-Pierre district. Credit: Vins Urbains

Max Bordeaux Wine Gallery

• 14 Cours de l’Intendance
• Monday to Saturday 11:00 – 20:00

What we like about it Max Bordeaux, open for over a decade, is another Bordeaux institution. This bar and shop was the first to offer premier grand cru classé wines by the glass. It also offers private workshops, plus events such as wine and jazz evenings, and vertical tastings with château owners.

Wine list There are over 60 wines offered via the Enomatic machines, ranging from €3 to over €100 per glass. Flights of three 2.5cl glasses start at €20 up to €120. They also offer blind and themed tutored tastings.

What to order The selection of top crus classés changes but there’s always a top Bordeaux name to try by the glass. Cheese boards and charcuterie plates are also available.

Bordeaux icon, Max Bordeaux Wine Gallery and Cellar. Credit: Max Bordeaux Wine Gallery and Cellar

Les Trois Pinardiers

• 2 rue Georges Bonnac
• Wednesday to Sunday 17.00 – 00.00
• Saturday 17:00 – 01:00

What we like about it Les Trois Pinardiers was opened by three friends who share a passion for wine. This bar and shop has 100 wines – each available by the glass.

Wine list Just 30 of the wines here are from Bordeaux; most of the rest come from around France, but there’s also a unique range of bottles that you won’t encounter in many other wine bars, from countries including Bulgaria and Israel. All wines are available by the glass, thanks to Coravin.

What to order The wine list changes monthly. This is the place to try interesting wines – from all over the world – that are difficult to find elsewhere in Bordeaux.

Credit: Les Trois Pinardiers

Les Doux Secrets d’Hélène

• 41 rue Neuve
• Seven days a week 18:00 – 02:30
• Lunch Saturday and Sunday

What we like about it  Hidden away just steps from Bordeaux’s Grosse Cloche, Les Doux Secrets d’Hélène is practically a secret itself; it’s not a wine bar you’ll just stumble upon. With the cosy couches, antique sewing machines repurposed as tables, and a massive fireplace, it’s the kind of place you visit for a romantic evening out or for a quiet conversation with friends over wine and gourmet bites.

Wine list Former sommelier Hélène Orhon has curated a list with 300 references mostly from around France, but wines from Croatia, Italy, Chile and South Africa feature too.

What to order Orhon is incredibly knowledgeable and it’s easy to discover lesser-known wines here, with a good selection by the glass and bottle. If it’s early in the week, she’ll be happy to open most bottles to sample by the glass. Try the gourmand pairing for €15, which comes with five different decadent bites crafted with local and seasonal products. The menu changes weekly, and you’ll also find monthly food and wine matching dinners.

Credit: Les Doux Secrets d’Hélène

Le Sobre 

• 24 Quai des Chartons
• Monday 10:00 – 17:00; Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 – 00:00

What we like about it Wine and dine inside and out at this new, trendy wine bar in the heart of the Chartrons – the old négociant centre of Bordeaux. They have an extensive selection of French and international wines to drink in or take away and often showcase visiting winemakers.

Wine list An ever changing selection of 20 wines by the glass thanks to self-service Enomatic machines.

What to order Delicious small plates including Truffle Toasties with a glass of Pomerol.

Credit: Le Sobre

Point Rouge

• 1 Quai de Paludate
• Monday to Saturday 18:00 – 02:00

What we like about it Huge, 500m2 wine bar in the 18th century Chais Decas, underground cellars on the quays, near Pont Saint Jean. 

Wine list As well as a wine list of over 1,000 wines, they serve over 200 creative cocktails and mocktails.

What to order Keep it local with a Bordeluche, a red Bordeaux-based cocktail with rum and the local Marie Brizard anisette, or an upmarket Sauternes Spritz with Gentiane Suze, a drop of honey, Champagne and pure gold flakes.

Credit: Point Rouge

CURRENTLY CLOSED: Tchin Tchin

Tchin Tchin is closed temporarily following a suspected food poisoning outbreak from 4th – 10th September 2023. This listing will be updated when new information is available. 

• 3 rue Emile Duployé
• Monday 15:00 – 22:30; Tuesday to Thursday: 16:00 – 22:30; Friday to Sunday: 15:00 – 22:30

What we like about it French for cheers, Tchin Tchin is a natural wine bar and organic, locavore restaurant near the Place de la Bourse in central Bordeaux. It is the perfect spot for organic, biodynamic and natural wine lovers. Great for plant-based foodies too. Non-veggie options available.

Wine list An eclectic list from Bordeaux (yes there are natural wines in Bordeaux) and further afield with great locavore food and wine pairings, and wine classes.

What to order Try a wine from the Nobody’s Perfect range of organic, single-varietal whites made by Brit, Dawn Jones Cooper in Entre-deux-Mers, all available by the glass.

Credit: Tchin Tchin

Wine More Time 

• 8 rue Saint James
• Monday to Thursday 16:00 – 23:00; Friday 15:00 – 23:30; Saturday 11:00 – 23:30; Sunday  16:00 – 21:30

What we like about it This cosy wine bar on busy rue St-James offers wines from small, independent mainly organic and biodynamic producers, including older vintages. 

Wine list Over 450 wines to take away or taste on site. Bordeaux, Sud-Ouest, Bourgogne, Loire, Rhône, Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence, Corse, Alsace, Jura, Savoie and international wines are all available, and a selection of fine foods, to either take away or make up a platter to eat in.  

What to order A weekly rotation of 20 bottles available by the glass. Follow the advice of in-house somms whether you are looking for a new discovery, a regional classic or something original.

Credit: Wine More Time

Yarra 

• 18 rue Notre Dame
• Wednesday to Friday 16:00 – 22:00
• Saturday 11:00 – 22:00

What we like about it A dynamic Franco-Australian wine bar in trendy rue Notre-Dame with a creative food menu and great selection of international wines, plus outdoor terrace and friendly service.  

Wine list There’s no official wine list, let Albane guide you through the 200 wines on offer from Bordeaux, Australia, South Africa and more. 

What to order Try their own brand of white, red and rosé with Aaron’s seasonal sharing plates, including mini, pulled pork burgers.

Credit: Yarra

Aux Quatre Coins du Vin

• 8 Rue de la Devise
• Monday to Wednesday 18:00 – 01:00; Thursday to Saturday 18:00 – 2:00

What we like about it A team of young somms help you find the perfect wine(s) for the evening. either at a table or propped up at the bar.

Wine list Over 800 wines from around the world and across France from well and lesser-known producers that they’ve been searching out over the last eight years.

What to order Choose from 40 wines served by the glass, from 3cl à 12cl, served with the local duck charcuterie.

Credit: Aux Quatre Coins du Vin

Avant Comptoir du Palais 

• 2 place du Palais 
• Open s days a week 12:00 – 23:00

What we like about it The 4th ‘comptoir’ from chef Yves Camedeborde and the first outside  Paris. Look up to see the 60-70 tapas suggestions suspended from the ceiling. 

Wine list Large fridges line the walls to keep the 1 000 wines at the perfect serving temperature. 

What to order You can taste before you buy with wines start at €3.50 per glass.

Credit: Avant Comptoir du Palais

Consonance 

• 19 rue de la Devise 
• Wednesday to Sunday 18:00 – 01:00

What we like about it Five wine-loving friends, some in the wine business,  grouped together to create a wine bar where the sommelier Hugo and chef Clara are in charge. The bar is at the very centre of the action.

Wine list 300 wines from France and elsewhere sold at retail prices, and an eclectic choice of 20 wines by the glass.  

What to order. Sharing plates that you don’t have to share with a glass of Château Sigalas Rabaud, 1er cru classé of Sauternes.

Clara & Hugo at Consonance. Credit: Consonance

Oenolimit 

• 2 rue des Ayres.
• Tuesday to Saturday 13:00 – 01:00

Why we like it Busy relaxed atmosphere popular with the locals. 

Wine list Wines to take away or taste by the glass with cheese and platters.  

What to order Chat to the friendly waitstaff to find out their current favourites.

Credit: l’oenolimit

Out of town

Wine bars are springing up across the region, what better place to taste by the glass than straight from the cellar? Even more so when there’s a great range to choose from and food to go with them.

Right Bank

Château Fleur de Lisse, Saint Emilion

• Monday to Friday 10:00 – 18:00 all year; Saturdays from March to mid-October

Owners of Château La Loubière in the Entre-deux-Mers since 1837, in 2015, the Teycheney family also invested in Saint Emilion, buying Château Fleur de Lisse and Château L’Etampe.  In 2018, they added Château Fontfleurie. You can taste the full range, along with light bites at the beautifully renovated Château Fleur de Lisse inside their wine bar or on the terrace.

Château Fleur de Lisse. Credit: Vignobles Jade

Château George 7, Fronsac 

1 Le Bergey, 33141 Saillans

• Open everyday, for lunch and evenings until sunset by appointment 

In Fronsac, Château George 7 has the best terrace for a sunset apéro with views across the vines of the appellation. As well as owner-winemaker Sally Evans’ Fronsac red and Bordeaux white wines, Sally serves the neighbours’ rosé and Bordeaux Crémant with her homemade tasting platters. Vegetarian dishes are a specialty. Open lunchtime and evening. Booking essential.

Sunset at Château George 7. Credit: Teralon Media

La Fleur de Bouard, Lalande-de-Pomerol 

• Lunchtimes Monday to Saturday. By appointment in the evening.

Les chais de la Fleur Château Fleur de Bouard opened a new wine bar and restaurant this year, serving their Lalande-de-Pomerol wines but also their 100% Syrah, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay Vin du Pays de l’Atlantique wines; Château Tour du Pas Saint Georges and Bordeaux Supérieur Château du Rosaire, all served with delicious local specialties including oysters from the Arcachon Bay.

Credit: La Fleur de Bouard

Left Bank

Les Clés du Vin at Château Pape Clement

• Monday to Saturday 10:00 – 19:00; Sunday 10:00 – 18:00

On the outskirts of Bordeaux in Pessac, classified growth Château Pape Clement has always welcomed visitors. but you don’t have to participate in a tour to taste the wines from the Bernard Magrez range. The Les Clés du Vin wine bar and shop offers the full range of over 300 wines. It’s very cool décor is from a  19th century pharmacy, perfectly adapted to bottle storage.

​The wine bar offers pairings of wine and tapas, all introduced and explained by a team of experts. There are flights, including the top classified growths, and themed workshops.

Cles du Vin Pape Clement. Credit: Château Pape Clement

Rouge 

Source de Caudalie, Martillac

• Open every day 10:00 – 22:00

Rouge is the gourmet grocery and wine shop of Les Sources de Caudalie in the vineyard of Château Smith Haut Lafitte. Open for coffee and croissants in the morning, then wine tastings at the bar or on the sunny terrace with light tapas style snacks for all day dining.

As well as the family’s wines, there’s a large selection of regional and French wines to enjoy there or take away. Flights of three wines from the family estate are served from 3pm to 6pm by the sommeliers, who are happy to share the family philosophy.

Rouge at Source de Caudalie. Credit: Château Smith Haut Lafitte

Entre-deux-Mers

La Salle à Manger 

18, place Robert Darniche, 33580, Monségur

• Lunch Tuesday and Friday;  Evening Monday to Friday 

Under the arches of the beautiful ‘bastide’ town square of Monségur, La Salle a Manger is half of the Epicierie Central grocery. Friday is market day so be sure to book. Eat inside or under the arches of the square. Choose your wine from the shelves of the shop to match their freshly prepared local food. Don’t miss the truffle pizza!

Credit: La Salle a Manger

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If you’re looking for restaurants serving good food, there are plenty of guides and websites to consult. But if your priority is great wine, finding reliable addresses isn’t always so straightforward.

If you’re visiting the Rhône anytime soon, here are some restaurants with exceptional wine lists.

Best restaurants in the Rhône for wine lovers – Google My Maps

Best restaurants in the Rhône for wine lovers

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The history of Seville, the regional capital of Andalucía, spans more than two and a half millennia. It’s a complex history that has left its mark on the culture and cuisine – and even in the very stones – of this most Spanish of Spanish cities.

Vibrant, colourful and seemingly timeless, Seville is often claimed to be the natural home of flamenco, bullfighting, religious processions and the tapeo, a Spanish style bar-crawl with food and wine. This last is more than anything else the social cement of Seville.

The city has more than 4,000 tapas bars and restaurants, from traditional taverns like Casa Román and Las Teresas, to more upmarket establishments such as La Azotea  or Palo Cortao,  all catering to the conviviality of life lived in the streets. Fish and seafood abound (especially prawns, squid, cod and anchovies), as do hearty stews and of course every manner of pork. Start your tapeo with a plate of the world’s best ham, the famous Jamón Ibérico de Bellota, and a glass of chilled manzanilla or fino Sherry.

Sizzling in the summer months, and often rainy from December to January, the best times to visit are spring and autumn. But be prepared for crowds during the spring festivals of Easter Holy Week and the April Fair.

Top Seville restaurants and wine bars to visit

Barra Baja

Rafa Liñán and Patricia Moliner’s upmarket yet cosy bar in the city centre is one of the most notable arrivals on the Seville food scene in the past few years. The open kitchen with its wood-burning oven and grill behind a low bar (hence the name) makes you feel involved in the whole process. Their innovative market-based menu changes seasonally and includes daily specials. Excellent food, service and ambiance with a list of 70 wines, 50 available by the glass.

• Address: Javier Lasso de la Vega 14
• Open: Wed-Sun 1.30pm-4pm and 8.30pm-11.30 pm. Mon-Tue closed.

Bodeguita Romero

Nobody does local speciality pringá – a heavenly hot toasted bun of Ibérico pork – better than Pedro Romero and Angeles Díaz. The duo run this cosy family tapas bar, which is now into its third generation. Son Alejandro is gradually taking over the reins and is responsible for the intriguing wine list that includes an impressive selection of Sherries. Terrific traditional tapas and fast friendly service around the horseshoe bar or outside on the terrace.

• Address: Harinas 10
• Open: Tue-Sat 1pm-4.30pm and 8.30pm-11.30pm. Sun 1pm-4.30pm. Mon closed.

Cañabota

Juanlu Fernández and his team, headed by chefs Marcos Nieto and Rafa Garcia, received a much deserved Michelin star in November 2021. Expect superb quality fish and seafood, carefully prepared and creatively presented in a bright white-tiled space with an open kitchen featuring a wood-burning grill. With a la carte or tasting menu options and a wine list boasting 300-350 references with by-the-glass options that change monthly. For a more casual experience, try La Barra de Cañabota next door.

• Address: Orfila 1
• Open: Tue-Sat 2pm-3pm and 8pm-10.30pm. Sun-Mon closed.

Casa Morales

Founded in 1850 by Leocadio Morales Prieto, and now run by great-granddaughter Reyes and her husband Juan Carlos, Casa Morales is one of Seville’s oldest and most venerated bars. It’s the perfect place to start your tapeo with a round of jamón Ibérico and manzanilla Sherry. The front section is the original bar, with the old winery and its impressive giant terracotta urns reached through a side entrance. Popular and busy, with friendly service and excellent traditional tapas. Be sure to try the house vermouth.

• Address: Garcia de Vinuesa 11
• Open: Mon-Sat 12pm-4pm and 8pm-11.30pm. Sun 12pm-4pm

Casa Moreno

Abacerías are traditional food shops, usually with a small bar inside, and none are more charming than this hidden gem (you could walk by the shop a hundred times and not know there was a bar at the back). The entire ‘kitchen’ is a toaster oven, with top charcuterie, cheeses, luxe tinned fish, and other delights on offer. It’s all about quality products and friendly service, including Emilio’s personal hand-written bills, which are one of the best souvenirs you will take home.

• Address: Gamazo 7
• Open: Mon-Fri 9am-4pm and 8pm-11pm. Sat 12pm-4pm. Sun closed.

Cervecería Salmedina

Under the proprietorship of chefs Jaime Guardiola and Pedro Ruiz-Ocejo this relatively new bar (opened in March 2021) occupies the former Casa Antonio location with distinction. The bright blue and white-tiled decor is new but the place still maintains the atmosphere of a genuine neighbourhood bar. The market-fresh quality of the fish and seafood is guaranteed by daily hand-picked deliveries coming in from their own fishmonger in Rota on the Cádiz coast. There’s a good wine list, and possibly the best cheesecake in Seville (try it with a cream Sherry over ice).

• Address: Plaza Guardamina 1
• Open: Mon-Sun 12pm-4.30pm and 8pm-11.30pm.

La Brunilda

Created in 2012 by husband-and-wife team chef Diego Caminos and oenologist Esperanza Nievas, this cosy spot is housed in a lovingly restored 18th century coach house. Located in the Arenal neighbourhood, it remains a firm local favourite for the quality of its ingredients and a menu featuring traditional dishes with a fusiony twist. Top notch service and a great wine list make this one of the go-to places in Seville. Reservations are a must, with two sittings at both lunch and dinner.

• Address: Galera 5
• Open: Mon-Sun 1.30pm-4.30pm and 8.30pm-11.30pm.

La Casa del Tigre

Run by four friends who broke onto the Seville tapas scene a decade ago, this casual restaurant with an open kitchen and large horseshoe bar has a curious history. The building once belonged to José María Lassaletta, the director of the Jerez zoo, who famously kept a pet tiger that would sit out on the first floor balcony. Back in the present day you can dine on a small but exquisite selection of tapas and main dishes paired with excellent wines. Don’t miss the layered patatas bravas and the gorgeous caramelised beef sweetbreads.

• Address: Ampáro 9
• Open: Tue-Sat 2pm-5pm and 8.30pm-12am. Sun-Mon closed.

Lama La Uva

Try before you buy. Ana Linares’ tiny turquoise wine shop and bar has 230-250 wines on offer, about 40% of them Andalusian, with 30-40 available by the glass (for an €8 corkage fee you can enjoy any bottle in the house). You can also ask Ana for a small impromptu private tasting in English! Pair with quality charcuterie and cheeses, which she is happy to vacuum-pack for you to take home, or try a few tapas in the adjoining bar and terrace.

• Address: Regina 1
• Open: Tue-Wed 11.30am-2.30pm and 7pm-12am. Thu 11.30am-16.30pm and 7pm-12am. Fri-Sat 11.30am-12am. Sun 12.30pm-4.30pm and 8pm-12am.

Taberna Manolo Cateca

Seville’s Sherry temple. This cosy taberna owned by Manuel ‘Cateca’ Rodriguez (above) is a go-to place for a stunning range of more than 200 Sherry wines by the glass – all at reasonable prices. Pair with a selection of quality charcuterie, cheeses and excellent traditional tapas.

• Address: Santa Maria de Gracia 13
• Open: Mon-Sat 11am-5pm. Sun closed.

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Italy’s top tourist destination – Rome – boasting immense cultural heritage, has recently become a hotspot for wine and food lovers.

While falling into tourist traps when wandering through the historical neighbourhoods is still relatively easy, the eternal city’s restaurant scene has considerably benefitted from the surge in popularity of Roman cuisine. For a large portion of the over 15 million yearly visitors, finding the perfect Carbonara or cacio e pepe is just as important as taking a tour of the Colosseum, and so the number of noteworthy establishments grows.

Informal trattorias offering hearty bowls of pasta, fried starters, and quinto quarto (offal-based recipes) are by far the most popular spots, but the city offers a lot beyond that. Options for foodies range from cosy ‘vinerie con cucina’ (wine bars serving food) to modern osterie with a cosmopolitan vibe and fine dining.

The local wines of the Lazio region have improved consistently in recent years, even though the dismal reputation deriving from a long tradition of producing low-quality bulk wine is hard to overcome. While most wine lists around Rome feature labels from all over the country, pairing classic local dishes with local wines – viscous whites made with Malvasia Puntinata, Bellone or Grechetto, or bold and spicy Cesanese-based reds – is usually a great choice.

Rome’s best restaurants for wine lovers

All’ Oro

Chef Riccardo Di Giacinto and maître d’, Ramona Anello manage one of the longest standing Michelin-star restaurants in Rome, currently housed in the charming The H’All boutique hotel. Di Giacinto is best known for his edgy reinterpretations of Roman classics: signature dishes include salted tiramisù with potatoes, codfish and pork fat, riassunto di carbonara (pork cheek and pasta in a boiled egg), and oxtail rocher with celery jelly. The wine programme mainly relies on classic denominations, with a remarkable selection of fine wines (some also poured by the glass).

Armando al Pantheon

The Gargioli family has been at the helm of this small but wildly popular trattoria for over 60 years. Booking a table may prove challenging, as the cosy interior room only accommodates around 30 customers at once, but all efforts are repaid by the impeccable service and excellent renditions of timeless classics such as Roman stracciatella (egg drop soup), rigatoni with pajata (veal intestines), and bollito alla picchiapò (boiled meat with tomato sauce and parsley). Fabiana Gargioli takes care of the wine selection, which includes more than a few regional discoveries.

La Carbonara

La Carbonara. Credit: La Carbonara

Boasting a prominent position in front of the Giordano Bruno statue in Campo de’ Fiori, La Carbonara is a safe haven in one of the city’s most touristy spots. Expect a dolce vita setting, with a year-round al fresco dining area and uniformed waiters serving Jewish-style fried artichokes and zucchini flowers, oxtail ‘vaccinara’, saltimbocca (veal cooked in white wine with ham and sage), and a textbook version of the namesake pasta. An over 500-selection wine list, including classics and under-the-radar gems, adds to the overall experience.

Fáfiuché

This ‘vineria con cucina’ in the Monti neighbourhood may be Rome’s best kept secret. Upon sitting in the tiny, dimly lit room, you will receive two thick wine lists; the first contains hundreds of Piedmontese wines, while the second covers the rest of the country and France. Such a wide wine programme matches a small food menu featuring selections of alpine cheeses and warm dishes mixing Piedmontese and Apulian influences. Al fresco dining options are available, too.

Idylio by Apreda

Housed in the Asian-inspired ground floor rooms of the Pantheon Iconic hotel, Ischia-born chef Francesco Apreda’s fine dining restaurant holds one Michelin star. Having worked in India and Japan, Apreda mixes Italian and far eastern ingredients to convey a ‘sense of sapidity’ without adding salt. Cacio e pepe risotto with sesame, and Parmesan ravioli with tuna broth feature among his cutting-edge fusion dishes. The award-winning wine list spans biodynamic wines to multiple vintages of top Barolo and SuperTuscans.

Enoteca La Torre

No other restaurant has a more lavish setting than this two-Michelin-star establishment within the former house of the Fendi family in the upscale Della Vittoria neighbourhood. Art nouveau furniture, statues, stuccos and chandeliers decorate the majestic dining hall. The regal atmosphere is in line with chef Domenico Stile’s neoclassic cuisine, which shows a mix of Neapolitan and French influences. The word ‘enoteca’ here refers to the central role of wine in the experience: talented sommelier Rudy Travagli oversees an outstanding wine cellar, and pours dozens of wines by the glass.

Matricianella

Matricianella. Credit: Matricianella

This recently renovated trattoria with a large outdoor dining area lies steps away from Rome’s main shopping streets Via del Corso and Via dei Condotti. More than for the culinary offering, which is all about Roman classics, it stands out for the impressively long wine list featuring more than 1,000 wines. Options range from value Cesanese del Piglio and Frascati to back-vintages of iconic wines. Leave room for a glass of Moscato di Terracina passito with Jewish-Roman ricotta and sour cherry cake.

Trattoria Pennestri

Locals love this Slow food-awarded trattoria in the trendy Ostiense neighbourhood, which offers an ever-changing menu – usually including both offals and seasonal vegetarian options (as well as hard-to-beat rigatoni all’amatriciana). Most suppliers work according to organic and biodynamic principles, and so do the producers listed in the solid – if not especially extensive – wine list.

Roscioli

The Roscioli family owns a historical bakery, a café, a charcuterie shop/restaurant, and a wine bar/osteria, all strategically located near Campo de’ Fiori. The main restaurant is the place to go for high-end salumi and traditional dishes made with first-class produce, accompanied by a monumental wine list suiting all palates and budgets. Rimessa Roscioli sports a slightly more creative menu, and offers tailor-made wine tastings guided by renowned sommelier, Alessandro Pepe.

Taverna Volpetti

Taverna Volpetti. Credit: Taverna Volpetti

A Parisian-style bistrot in the picturesque Testaccio neighbourhood, Taverna Volpetti was born as the eat-in branch of one of the city’s historical salumerie. Besides flawless versions of Roman first courses, it offers some of the finest artisanal cold cuts and cheeses in town, as well as specialties from other regions like Ligurian testaroli pasta with pesto sauce, and Tuscan-style dolceforte wild boar. The well thought out wine list has a clear focus on low-intervention wineries.

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Heunisch & Erben

For curious wine drinkers looking to taste as many by-the-glass pours as possible – in one of the city’s most beautiful bar spaces, nonetheless – a trip to Heunisch & Erben is a must. Quasi wine bar, quasi restaurant, this sprawling wine-focused establishment offers over 100 by-the-glass options at all times, which are available in various size pours for maximum exploration opportunities. Although the kitchen is only open during lunch and dinner hours, the bar’s vast array of cheese, meat, and salty bites (olives, nuts) is available all day long. Fun fact: the word Heunisch pays homage to the often-forgotten grape Heunisch Weiss (Gouais Blanc), which is a parent to Chardonnay.

Glacis Beisl

Credit: Glacis-Beisl

Finding a gorgeous outdoor space to indulge in a delicious bottle of wine can be a difficult feat in urban settings – especially in neighbourhoods as busy as Vienna’s Museumsquartier. Thankfully, Glacis Beisl offers an excellent reprieve. Loved for its classic bottle selection, tasty by-the-glass offerings and authentic (and affordable) Viennese cuisine, this plant-filled oasis offers the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city’s crowded streets and unwind with something delicious. With regards to wine, a well-curated selection of traditional and natural offerings grace the list, which is Austrian heavy.

Chez Bernard

Located on the top floor of the trendy Hotel Motto, Chez Bernard’s drinking and dining scene is a whole vibe. Decked out with trendy furniture, an extensive collection of plants and floor-to-ceiling windows (which offer some of the best views of the city), this hotel restaurant/bar is a great place to grab a glass of something local – with a view, of course. As the name implies, the menu is French themed, which may sound counterintuitive for those looking to enjoy local Austrian fare, but the meticulous execution of the dishes makes the stray from local cuisine worth it. It’s worth noting that the restaurant is also open for breakfast and lunch, the former of which serves up some of the city’s best bread and pastries made at the hotel’s on-site bakery. In warmer weather seasons, enjoy the outdoor rooftop access, which is found next to the restaurant’s entrance – cocktail in hand, of course.

Rundbar

Credit: Rundbar

Rundbar, otherwise written as R&Bar, first opened its doors in May 2022, and has quickly become the go-to meeting place for natural wine lovers all over the city. In addition to an all-natural bottle selection, the bar serves up rotating by-the-glass pours, including red, white, rosé and skin-contact options, as well as a variety of well-executed small plates. Minimal sidewalk seating is available, though the real party is to be found within the bar’s four walls – and don’t be surprised if you end up rubbing shoulders with local Austrian or visiting European natural winemakers, This is truly the place to be.

Gasthaus Grünauer

A direct recommendation from Austrian-born sommelier Aldo Sohm (voted Best Sommelier in the World, 2008) himself, Gasthaus Grünauer is a great place to go for authentic, no-frills Austrian fare. Family owned and operated since 1957, Grünauer’s specialities include classic old school favourites including schnitzel, cucumber salads and plum cakes, as well as a variety of beef and plant-based soups. Grab a glass of something local and enjoy some of the city’s best comfort food (reservations recommended). Heads up, Grünauer is only open for dinner and is closed on the weekends.

ONYX

Credit: ONYX

While it may sound strange to head for sushi in Vienna, the views from Onyx are simply unbeatable. Located on the sixth floor of the Do & Co Hotel, ONYX offers breathtaking views of St. Stephen’s Cathedral via its prime location and floor-to-ceiling windows. Expect contemporary Asian dishes prepared on the restaurant’s robata grill, which is open for both lunch and dinner. For those not interested in sushi, we recommend popping in during off-hours for a simple coffee or glass of wine to experience the view firsthand.

MAST, Porzellangasse

At lunchtime or for an after-work glass of wine, MAST is where the new generation of winemakers and sommeliers hang out. This modern wine bar is located in the ninth district, just a short tram ride from the inner city. It is run by two friends and award-winning sommeliers, Matthias Pitra and Steve Breitze, with a focus on natural and orange wines.

Steirereck am Stadtpark

The Steirereck restaurant, owned by chef Heinz Reitbauer and his wife, Birgit, is Austria’s most-awarded restaurant and is ranked among the best 15 restaurants in the world. The fine-dining cuisine is peerless. The wine list, managed by the award-winning chef sommelier René Antrag, is breathtaking, offering a wide selection of mature Rieslings from the Wachau and perfect food-pairing with noble sweet wines from Burgenland.

Feinkosterei Schwarz-Hirsch

Feinkosterei Schwarz-Hirsch. Credit: www.stefanknittel.at

Imperial Vienna with a modern touch. A welcoming wine bar on the quaint Judenplatz square serving Austrian sparkling Sekt by the glass, plus local and national wines and noble fruit brandies. Dynamic duo Daniel Hirschmann and Matthias Schwarzmüller offer traditional Austrian cuisine with a modern interpretation. To make the most of your experience, go with a group of friends, order as many small plates as possible, and enjoy.

Silvio Nickol at Palais Coburg

The cellar at this restaurant boasts the largest collection of fine wine in Austria with around 6o,000 bins. Combined with the fine cuisine prepared by celebrity chef Silvio Nickol, this is an exclusive venue to relish exquisite Austrian and international cuisine matched with some of the rarest wines in the world. The food-pairing menus are sublime. Advance booking is recommended.

Huth Gastwirtschaft

A trip to Vienna would not be complete without a traditional Wiener Schnitzel (escalope of veal) served with a cold potato and lamb’s lettuce salad. This traditional Wirtshaus (tavern) is typical of those offering classic Austrian dishes and is open all year round. Its wine list features some of Austria’s most acclaimed names and its house wines are limited bottlings blended directly with the winemakers and served by the glass from magnum.

Vinothek St. Stephan

Situated opposite the horse-drawn Fiaker carriages, this was Vienna’s first vinotheque, established in 1976, when it enjoyed a reputation for fine Sherry, claret and Italian wines. Forty years on, this is the place to purchase that very special bottle of Austrian wine, Riedel glassware and fine Austrian spirits. Expect personal service and competent advice. For regular visitors to Vienna, it offers a special cellar service to store and enjoy your wines at the WineBANK.

Tian Bistro am Spittelberg

Tian am Spittelberg. Credit: www.vinothek1.at

The original Tian Restaurant is Austria’s only vegetarian one-star Michelin restaurant. This second venue, located in the artistic seventh district of Vienna, serves innovative vegetarian and vegan recipes with locally brewed beer and organic Austrian wine. All meals at Tian Bistro am Spittelberg are served family style, and are produced from locally-sourced ingredients grown on organic farms. In addition to the world-class dinner menu, Tian Bistro am Spittelberg also offers a prix-fixe family style breakfast menu for €25 per person on Saturdays from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Choose your main, then share a variety of sweet and savoury snacks brought out for the table.

Schweizerhaus im Prater

The Schweizerhaus is a Viennese institution – despite its Swiss name. Found in the vast Prater public gardens near the amusement park, this beer garden, pub and restaurant pays homage to the former imperial monarchy and serves Czech and Austrian beer alongside huge roasted pork knuckles. The wine list now includes Viennese wines, plus other Austrian specialities.

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This article is part of a sponsored Decanter guide produced in cooperation with the National Tourism Organization of Serbia, Association of Winemakers and Winegrowers of Serbia and Vino & Fino magazine.

With its population of almost 1.7 million the largest of any city in the Western Balkans region, Belgrade is buzzing, with a lively restaurant, bar and clubbing scene.

At the same time, the dynamic wine scene in Serbia ensures a good selection of wine is readily available everywhere: from simple traditional taverns, bistros and bars to fine dining restaurants.

And it’s easy to get to from the UK, with direct three-hour flights from London Heathrow and Luton airports.

The renaissance of the local wine industry during the last two decades reaffirmed the importance of Serbian wines on wine lists.

Nevertheless, the Serbian market is still very open to wine imports, so wine lovers in Belgrade can find literally everything: from the finest wines of Burgundy, Napa and Tuscany, to wines from neighbouring countries, and those from ancient, lesser-known wine destinations such as Georgia, Israel or Turkey.

Serbia’s ongoing European Union (EU) candidate status means that wine imports from the EU are not subject to any additional taxes (up to an annual limit of 2.5 million litres duty-free in total), so the wines from the Old World are reasonably priced.

Belgrade entered the 21st century with only one wine shop, but today there are dozens to be found. Every neighbourhood has its own specialist wine retailer, and most are small and cosy, with carefully curated offers.

Among these, one can find several wine shops that cover a very wide range of wines from all over the world, with professional staff and an additional offering of delicacies and spirits.

Belgrade wine shops

Baltasar

Address: Bulevar Zorana Đinđica 45v

The passion, dedication and personal tastes of owner Đorđe Zarić led to the creation of an unusual selection for the Baltasar wine shop. Exceptional names from Spain, Portugal, Austria and northern Italy, along with a range of the best Serbian wines, have a loyal following.

Fino Vino

Address: Pop Lukina 6

Situated in the old centre of Belgrade, close to the pedestrian zone, this shop is a favourite among tourists looking for local wines. The offer is focused on wines from Serbia, especially those from lesser-known wineries, but there is also a good selection of wines from around the world.

Wine & Pleasure

Address: Bulevar Oslobođenja 117

A must-visit with an extraordinarily wide selection. There are more than 4,000 wines on the shelves and approximately 1,000 spirits.

The offer includes some of the most famous wines of the world; the Bordeaux first growths, the great crus of Burgundy, famous Italian wines and many of the most notable wineries from across the Balkans. The tasting room within the wine shop is a popular venue for tutored wine tastings.

Belgrade wine bars

Wine bars are flourishing everywhere in Belgrade, and many of them also offer simple fare to snack on with the wine. The trend is an increasingly wide range of wines offered by the glass, as well as a shift towards local varieties.

Hrastovina wine bar.

Hrastovina

Address: Bulevar kralja Aleksandra 248

The spacious wine bar has a wine list that supports Serbia’s wine scene, while recognising the best international wines from the northern and southern hemispheres. Its agile selection of wines by the glass is updated every month.

Guided wine tastings are also hosted regularly, transforming the place into a learning venue.

Vino Grad

Address: Požarevačka 8

An urban destination with an exceptional selection of wines by the glass. It’s spacious, offering quality service and an outstanding atmosphere.

During the day the place serves as a relaxed wine bar that’s perfect for a coffee and a glass of wine. On weekends it turns into a club with good music, where the wines are still the main stars.

Vinoteka Neimar

Address: Braničevska 12a

A modern wine hub in the picturesque and historical neighbourhood of Vračar. Everything you buy from the shelves can be tasted in the bar. Along with the wines, one can enjoy a selection of cheeses and prosciutto.

City markets

In Belgrade the number of bistros and bars located in the city markets and offering all sorts of delicacies has flourished.

Stop by Mehurić in Palilulska market, where they serve only Champagne and sparkling wines, or head to Pretop in Zemunska market for sourdough bread, crispy pork roast and good sparkling wines.

Restaurants

Legat 1903.

Legat 1903

Address: Jasenička 7

A dynamic and modern restaurant where quality food takes the lead, majoring on classic European cuisine such as smoked duck carpaccio and fresh Mediterranean fish.

The wine list features famous wine regions around the world with hidden gems of rare labels and vintages.

Madera

Address: Bulevar kralja Aleksandra 43

A culinary delight in the heart of Belgrade with a cult following, Madera has been, for many decades, a meeting place for diplomats, actors, athletes and bohemians.

From traditional European dishes to Balkan favourites, its offerings still enjoy vast popularity and are accompanied by an extensive wine list with a focus on Serbia and neighbouring countries, but also including popular names from all over the world.

Pinòt

Address: Omladinskih Brigada 86, West 65

A new bistro opened in a dynamic business district in 2022 by famous Serbian sommelier Vuk Vuletić with his friend Miloš Perović.

Since its launch, it has gained huge popularity thanks to its unpretentious and honest dishes, created mainly to be shared, and prepared exclusively from delicious local ingredients. There’s also a precise and personally curated wine list from Serbia and around the world, focused on quality and authenticity.

Pinòt restaurant.

Salon 1905

Address: Karađorđeva 48

A fine dining restaurant nestled within the breathtaking interior of a neo-Baroque building, Salon 1905 harbours one of the most impressive wine lists in the city.

There is an extensive offering of top Champagnes, great Bordeaux and other fine wines of the world, as well as an exceptional selection of Serbian labels.

Chef David Šimunić uses modern culinary techniques to transform local ingredients into haute cuisine dishes worthy of its Michelin Guide recommendation. All this is complemented by impeccable service.

Tisa

Address: Bulevar kralja Aleksandra 129

A new venture from celebrated Belgrade chef Vanja Puškar, the creator of the New Balkan Cuisine concept. Tisa restaurant offers ‘snout to tail’ food strongly inspired by the traditions of the region. The wine list is therefore focused on the Balkans, local terroirs and indigenous varieties.

Igor Luković is an editor-in-chief at Vino & Fino magazine in Serbia. An experienced wine writer, consultant, judge and events manager, he is a Decanter World Wine Awards judge and president of The Balkans International Wine Competition jury.

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Lisbon has changed dramatically since I first started visiting the city regularly in 2002. At the time, in the aftermath of the Salazar years and then the Revolution, it was still rather rundown, with many buildings in poor repair. These have since been renovated and the city has become a very popular tourist destination.

It is easy to understand Lisbon’s popularity. Even in December the temperatures stay in the mid-to-late teens, and close proximity to the Atlantic means the searingly hot summer temperatures of the Douro or Alentejo are rare.

Lisbon is a city to walk, although it is very hilly so it helps to be reasonably fit. The city is a delight, with many beautifully tiled buildings, cobbled (and sometimes slippery!) pavements, little squares and frequent vistas across the Tagus estuary.

Despite its popularity, it is still great value. The Portuguese are friendly and welcoming, and importantly the city feels safe.

Food and drink

Three important Portuguese culinary passions are: good bread, tasty pastries and coffee. There are myriad cafés, both traditional and modern, the latter serving an international clientele who expect wifi and charging points as well as coffee.

Gleba is a bakery that makes an excellent range of sourdough breads and now has several outlets, including in the neighbourhoods of Alcântara, Amoreiras and Campo de Ourique.

Restaurants and bars:

Seafood is a speciality in Lisbon, especially wonderful shellfish and delicious grilled fish dishes. Portuguese cuisine has long been shaped by outside influences, particularly from its former colonies – Angola, Mozambique and Goa, for instance.

However, over the past decade or so, with the huge increase in foreign visitors, the Lisbon restaurant scene has become increasingly cosmopolitan.

Corrupio

Corrupio restaurant. Credit: Decanter / Jim Budd

A great place for lunch, Corrupio, in the vibrant Cais do Sodré district near the Time Out Market (Mercado da Ribeira), is a small and informal restaurant which opened in September 2022.

The central feature is a horseshoe-shaped bar with stools around the counter. Chef Daniel Ferreira creates delicious dishes which are perfect for sharing. The wine selection is fairly short but well chosen. Open from midday to midnight.

Rua da Moeda 1, F/G, 1200-275 Lisbon
+351 21 396 1585

Ibo

Views of the Tagus from upstairs at Ibo restaurant. Credit: Ibo Restaurant.

Also situated in the Cais do Sodré district, Ibo is a long-established and elegant restaurant with magical views over the Tagus. It opened in 2008 in a former salt warehouse. It is best to book a table upstairs, preferably by the window, where there are great views of ferries coming and going in the Tagus estuary.

João Pedrosa, owner and chef, comes from Mozambique, and this heritage is reflected in the fusion of Mozambican and Portuguese food.

Although the menu does not change much, the food is consistently good and the wine list well chosen, while the service is professional and attentive.

Compartimento 2, Cais do Sodré Armazem A, 1200-450 Lisbon
+351 961 332 024

Atira-te ao Rio

Evening views of the Tagus from Atira-te ao Rio restaurant. Credit: Decanter / Jim Budd.

On the south side of the Tagus and with great views across the estuary to the city, the Atira-te ao Rio restaurant is the perfect spot for lunch. There are few things better than sitting outside by the water’s edge on a Sunday with a chilled glass of white or rosé, admiring the view and watching the boats on the river while contemplating what to eat. Summer evenings watching the sun go down are also magical.

The cuisine is Portuguese with some international touches and the wine list is reasonably priced. Booking is advisable, especially at the weekends. To get there, take the short ferry ride from Lisbon’s Cais do Sodré district across the Tagus to Cacilhas.

Rua do Ginjal 69, 2800-284 Almada
+351 21 275 13 80

Taberna da Rua das Flores

Taberna da Rua das Flores. Credit: Taberna da Rua das Flores.

Located just off the Praça Luís de Camões square, the perennial queues outside this small, cramped restaurant are testament to its popularity and the magic of Angola-born André Magalhães’ brilliantly inventive fusion cooking. The idea is to share a number of petiscos (tapas). No reservations and cash only, but it’s still well worth any waiting time to get a table.

Rua das Flores, 103, 1200-194 Lisbon
+351 213 479 418

Antiga Camponesa

Grilled snails with mustard sauce at Antiga Camponesa. Credit: Antiga Camponesa.

André Magalhães’ new venture opened in autumn 2022. Unlike his very successful Taberna da Rua das Flores, this is a more spacious and stylish restaurant with 15 tables offering a more traditional format – starters, main course and dessert – sharing or not, as you wish. The cooking is just as inventive and delicious, while the wine offering is more extensive. Reservations and credit cards are accepted.

Rua Mal. Saldanha 25, 1200-259 Lisbon
+351 21 347 1515

BAHR

The terrace at BAHR restaurant. Credit: BAHR.

The upmarket Bairro Alto Hotel on the Praça Luís de Camões square in central Lisbon was renovated in 2019. Open from breakfast through to dinner, BAHR is its elegant and stylish restaurant serving Portuguese cuisine in an international style. Just adjacent to the restaurant is a rooftop terrace bar with spectacular views over the lower part of Lisbon and the Tagus – great for an aperitif or digestif.

Praça Luís de Camões nº 2, 1200-243 Lisbon
+351 213 408 253

Senhor Uva

Senhor Uva restaurant. Credit: Senhor Uva.

Close to the Jardim da Estrela, Senhor Uva opened in January 2019. It started as a wine bar with food but is now a restaurant serving highly inventive, plant-based dishes created by chef and co-owner Stéphanie Audet.

Senhor Uva specialises in organic, biodynamic and natural wines, with a wide-ranging list mainly focused on Europe, particularly Georgia, plus a few from Australia and the USA.

The knowledgeable staff complement the intriguing wine selection. Its other dining room – Senhor Manuel – is just across the street. Book online to avoid disappointment.

Rua de Santo Amaro 66A, 1200-804 Lisbon
+351 213 960 917

Cervejaria Ramiro

Credit: Cervejaria Ramiro

Lisbon’s most famous shellfish restaurant, founded in April 1956, is an excellent destination spread across three floors. Justifiably popular, booking is strongly recommended.

Avenida Almirante Reis 1 H, 1150-007 Lisbon
+351 21 885 1024

A Praça

Credit: A Praça

Situated in the district of Beato and housed in a converted military building, this brilliant, informal food and wine space opened in September 2022, and is both a restaurant and retail outlet. There are cheese and charcuterie boards to share, plus very good petiscos.

Olavo Silva Rosa is responsible for the strong wine selection which features Portugal, Italy, Spain and France. Corkage fees from the retail wine store are imaginative – €10 for the first bottle, €5 for the second, and no charge for the third! A Praça is rather out of the way, so a taxi is the best option to get there and back.

Tv. Grilo 1, 1950-145 Lisbon
+351 912 421 223

A Casa Dos Passarinhos

Credit: A Casa Dos Passarinhos.

Founded in 1923, Passarinhos is a lovely, traditional Portuguese restaurant on the eastern edge of Campo de Ourique. Very good grilled fish and meat is the restaurant’s mainstay, with daily changing specials.

Offering great value, including reasonably priced wine, Passarinhos is deservedly popular with a largely local clientele. There are often queues outside the restaurant on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Rua Silva Carvalho 195, 1250-249 Lisbon
+351 21 388 2346

Close to Lisbon:

Restaurante da Adraga

Credit: Restaurante da Adraga

This restaurant is the only building at Praia da Adraga, a small, unspoilt cove just 3km north of Cabo da Roca (40km west of Lisbon) – the most westerly point of mainland Europe (this surely must qualify as mainland Europe’s most westerly restaurant).

Come here for great shellfish – the crab is highly recommended – to be followed by brilliant grilled fish partnered by a bottle or so of Vinho Verde. Try to get a table by the window overlooking the beach and out across the Atlantic.

The restaurant is understandably popular, especially in summer, so best to book.

Praia da Adraga, Sintra, 2705-063
+351 219 280 028

Terroso

Credit: Terroso.

Pedro and Vitalina Marques used to be involved in a popular restaurant and wine bar in Lisbon’s Bairro Alto. They have now set up Terroso in Cascais, a seaside resort on the Tagus estuary about a 45-minute train ride from Lisbon.

Vitalina is a great chef, specialising in high-quality traditional Portuguese cuisine. Pedro, a professional wine taster, is front of house and will always find interesting wines for customers to try. The restaurant is quite small, so do book.

Rua do Poço Novo 17, 2750-467 Cascais
+351 21 486 2137

Non-Portuguese:

Three top restaurants that reflect Lisbon’s increasingly cosmopolitan restaurant scene:

Kabuki

Credit: Kabuki

This is the Lisbon outpost of the Kabuki Group, which opened its first restaurant in Madrid in 2000.

Kabuki Lisbon is in the renovated Ritz Galleries overlooking Edward VII Park. It opened in late 2021, was awarded a Michelin Star within a year, and offers high-end, exquisite Japanese food matched by a remarkable wine list put together by wine director Filipe Wang – for instance, there is a vertical of Clos Rougeard running from 2016 back to 2009.

Rua Castilho, nº 77- 77E, 1070-050 Lisbon
+351 212 491 683

Ruvida

Credit: Ruvida

With its small attractive terrace, Ruvida is a friendly Italian restaurant in Alcântara run by Valentina from Bologna and her partner Michel.

Valentina’s homemade pasta is very special, the cooking inventive and the wine list features both Portuguese and Italian wines.

Valentina and Michel recently opened Pausa & Crescente, a wine bar/café also in Alcântara but closer to the Tagus. Booking is advised.

Praça da Armada 17, 1350-027 Lisbon
+351 21 395 0977

The Old House

Credit: The Old House

This is an excellent and very popular large Chinese restaurant in the Parque das Nações, the site of the world fair Expo 1998. I have enjoyed some of the best Chinese food ever in The Old House. Try to get a table upstairs with views over the Tagus. Booking is advised, especially at the weekends.

Rua da Pimenta 9, 1990-254 Lisbon
+351 218 969 075

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For the UK’s third edition of the Star Wine List of the Year Awards, held in partnership with trade title The Buyer, a jury of top sommeliers was brought together to judge over 100 wine lists from restaurants and bars across the UK.

Spanning 12 categories, the winning establishments [see below] were picked by consultant sommelier and wine director at Ten Trinity Square Jan Konetzki, Piotr Petras MS, Ronan Sayburn MS and Ruth Spivey, wine consultant and Star Wine List’s UK Ambassador.

‘In the last two decades things have changed in the UK. Wine is not only the add-on to the fancy meal of the celebrity chef; wine has become the main feature of many restaurants and bars, creating destination places, and a real reason to go somewhere now,’ said Konetzki.

The UK’s wine-focused restaurants, bars and hotels leave wine lovers spoilt for choice when it comes to seeking out great bottles alongside top quality food.

Sayburn, who is also co-chair of the Decanter World Wine Awards, said: ‘Historically the UK hasn’t made a lot of its own wine. Because of that, wine merchants had to travel all over the world, buying wines to bring in. So the UK wine trade has been strong for hundreds of years. That’s reflected in the wine lists you find in UK restaurants nowadays. Sommeliers have the pick of the best of the best.’

Gareth Ferreira MS, beverage director at Core by Clare Smyth, collects the Grand Prix award. Ruth Spivey says of the list: ‘While grand in length, it still feels alive and dynamic. Arguably unimprovable!’ Credit: Thomas Skovsende.

The winners:

About Star Wine List

Started in 2017, Star Wine List is an online guide to the best wine bars and restaurants in 36 countries worldwide, ‘from bistros to fine dining, natural to classical’ according to Star Wine List founder Krister Bengtsson. The Star Wine List Awards were initiated shortly after, as a way to celebrate great wine restaurants, judged by a top sommelier jury. The awards take place in Denmark, Norway, Finland, South Africa, Australia, New York, Germany, Sweden, Singapore and the UK.

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Italy is famed for its superb cuisine, and Bologna is its foodie capital. The specialities of the city really do have the power to exhilarate, and food is taken so seriously here that the authentic versions of over 30 traditional recipes are registered at the Chamber of Commerce.

The first of these, tortellini (tiny pasta parcels filled with pork, prosciutto, mortadella and Parmigiano Reggiano) was supposedly inspired by the perfect beauty of Venus’s navel, while tagliatelle – typically served with meaty ragù as the real version of what the world has transformed into ‘spaghetti bolognese’ – was first created to resemble Renaissance noblewoman Lucrezia Borgia’s long, wavy golden hair.

Both dishes are evergreen favourites on menus at the city centre’s many typical trattorias, together with green lasagne, ricotta-filled tortelloni and platters of exquisite charcuterie served with baskets of traditional bakery specialities.

Bologna’s wines are finally gaining traction on wine lists too, especially the fruity white Pignoletto from the Colli Bolognesi hills – sparkling or still – and Romagna Sangiovese, but also some of the region’s lesser-known varieties alongside the many versions of Lambrusco.

Top restaurants and wine bars in Bologna

Antica Drogheria Calzolari

This standing-room-only wine shop/bar boasts a 2,000-strong wine list. Credit: Antica Drogheria Calzolari.

Stumbling across this traditional corner store-cum-wine bar among the colourful multicultural fast food outlets near the university district comes as a real surprise. There’s standing room only, and a jovial atmosphere where the many regulars, mostly local professionals, are always happy to chat in the compact interior among the Liberty-style wooden shelves that have furnished the place since it opened in the early 20th century. Owner Stefano Delfiore and his team supply a number of local restaurants and they’re pleased to advise on wines from their 2,000-strong selection; they’ll open anything, even just for a glass.

Botanica Lab

This vegan restaurant provides a refreshing alternative to Bologna’s often rich and meat-heavy cuisine. Credit: Sarah Lane

A meal of inspired, flavoursome and colourful dishes at this exceptional vegan restaurant makes a refreshing alternative to Bologna’s often rich and meat-heavy cuisine. Vintage tableware, marble-topped bistro tables and year-round outdoor seating set the scene for dishes combining organic produce like home-made pasta with a creamy filling of macadamia, cashew and artichoke in a smoky potato sauce, spinach and oat burgers, or cauliflower burritos. The wine list, largely from Emilia Romagna and Italy’s northeast, includes a choice selection that suits the menu perfectly, while the desserts, such as chocolate and berry cheesecake, are well worth leaving room for.

Bottega al Pappagallo

An authentic feel with pasta handmade daily. Credit: Sarah Lane

Michele Pettinicchio and partner Elisabetta have recently transferred the historic Al Pappagallo team from its central location to Bologna Golf Club restaurant and to this city-centre pasta store with tables, where all pasta is made by hand daily for both locations. They’ve succeeded in recreating an authentic feel thanks to the enticing aromas from the open kitchen. Come for a lunch of typical pasta dishes such as tagliatelle with friggione – a traditional onion and tomato sauce – or balanzoni – green pasta filled with mortadella and ricotta – served with pistachio and butter. Pair your lunch with one of the small but well chosen selection of local wines.

Camera a Sud

Camera a Sud offers a laid back vibe, with an impressive wine list. Credit: Camera a Sud

There’s a laid-back vibe at this popular wine bar/eatery furnished with mismatched sofas, tables and chairs, and shelves overflowing with books. The impressive and ever-changing wine list, sourced largely from small producers throughout Italy but also beyond, reflects the curiosity of owners Lorenzo and Roberta. Snacks such as erbazzone (spinach and chard pie) are available all day, while the mealtime menu includes regulars’ favourites, vegetarian couscous or lasagne, as well as daily specials. It’s worth trying the house cocktails, such as Milano-Bologna (Barbera chinato and Campari) or a spritz made with Pignoletto from the Bologna hills.

Cantina Bentivoglio

Candlelit dinner, wine and jazz at Cantina Bentivoglio. Credit: cantinabentivoglio.it

This being Bologna, even the city’s premier jazz venue – an atmospheric vaulted basement of a Renaissance palazzo where live jazz is held six nights a week – is well known for its pitch-perfect menu of traditional recipes including fresh egg pasta made by hand daily. The choice is seasonal and dishes can include pappardelle ribbon pasta with porcini mushrooms and chestnuts, or tortellini in a creamy sauce of Parmigiano Reggiano topped with black truffle. The impressive wine list of over 500 labels from Italy and beyond, including large formats, is curated by Yannis Xanthakis, one of the four partners running the show.

È cucina Leopardi

This colourful restaurant is owned by celebrity TV chef, Cesare Marretti. Credit: Sarah Lane

With décor as eccentric as the Tuscan chef-owner (Cesare Marretti, a former regular on television cookery shows) this restaurant in an anonymous city-centre side street with bicycles suspended from the ceiling and newsprint wallpaper, has a character all of its own. Dishes look as good as they taste, with the season’s best ingredients combined in imaginative ways, and own produce including olive oil from Sicily and flour for the homemade bread. The all-inclusive daily menu makes for a tasty lunchtime treat – be prepared to queue – while the evening tasting menu incorporates vegetarian, fish and meat dishes.

Enoteca Italiana

Enoteca Italiana is one of the city’s deepest rooted and most highly respected addresses for wine lovers in Bologna. Credit: Enoteca Italiana / Facebook

Having recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, Enoteca Italiana is one of the city’s deepest rooted and most highly respected addresses for wine lovers in Bologna. Located just off the main shopping street, Via dell’Indipendenza, it has a faithful following of regulars who come to seek out a particular wine to take home, or relax over a glass and a light snack, surrounded by bottles. Wines are arranged by region and there are some from outside Italy too. Speciality chocolates, olive oil and other foods are also sold, and tastings and themed events are held regularly.

I Portici hotel restaurant

I Portici is Bologna’s only Michelin-star restaurant. Credit: Ristorante I Portici

The city’s only Michelin star restaurant, part of the exclusive I Portici hotel, is hosted in a former café-chantant decorated with Liberty-style frescoes. There are some tables available (on request) in the atmospheric surroundings of the domed 14th century ice-house, where part of the restaurant’s 900-plus collection of wines is stored. Chef Nicola Annunziata, here since January 2023, aims to convey simplicity in dishes which combine seafood and other flavours from his home near Salerno. Local traditions, such as linguine with clams and Parma ham consommé and beef tartare with eel form part of the Salerno/Bologna tasting menu with optional paired wines.

Il Rovescio

Il Rovescio makes ‘scrumptious’ sourdough pizzas, among many other dishes. Credit: Il Rovescio

The atmosphere at Il Rovescio is warm and friendly, with country-kitchen style décor, coloured plates and cookery books.  It features three separate dining rooms linked by an external portico at this characterful eatery near the heart of the buzzy though laid-back Via del Pratello nightlife. The monthly menu leans heavily towards the vegetarian, with suppliers – many of them organic – helpfully listed. There are daily specials and a handful of tasty meat-based dishes too, and the tagliatelle al ragù is a regular favourite. Sourdough pizzas, made with speciality flours that fully merit the description ‘scrumptious’, are available in the evenings only, and there’s an interesting selection of wines from small-scale Italian producers.

InCantina – Enoteca nel Ghetto

Try some under-the-radar wines at InCantina. Credit: InCantina – Enoteca nel Ghetto

At the heart of Bologna’s 16th century ghetto district, this attractive wine bar is the perfect place to try a selection of the less common local wines, all sourced from those stocked by the Enoteca Regionale Emilia Romagna – the region’s wine collection housed in an atmospheric castle cellar at Dozza, a medieval village that makes for a great trip out of town. Try an Albana DOCG, a white with structure and tannins, or reds Centesimino – elegant and infused with liquorice and spice flavours – and Burson, a big, bold style. The small menu includes typical snacks and dishes such as Sangiovese-braised beef.

Mercato delle Erbe

Sfarina, in the Mercato delle Erbe, specialises in the local piadina flatbreads, with a variety of fillings available. Credit: Sfarina

This covered produce market, here since 1910, is much frequented by locals who come to shop, eat and drink in the pedestrianised area behind. There’s an authentic marketplace atmosphere and a varied choice of informal eateries including Banco 32 – serving seafood with a different lunch menu daily and evening tapas-style snacks, tiny Sfarinà – for piadina, the region’s much-loved flatbread with seasonal gourmet fillings or classic combinations like prosciutto, rocket and soft squacquerone cheese, and NOI – run by the Cantina Bentivoglio team (see above) for traditional fresh pasta made by hand and platters with crescentine (fried doughy pillows), plus a great selection of wines.

Oltre

Oltre is located in Bologna’s city centre. Chef Daniele Bendanti says he has ragù flowing through his veins. Credit: Oltre

Chef Daniele Bendanti provides a unique and refreshing mix of deep-rooted tradition and contemporary culinary culture at his city-centre restaurant. A dozen tables, contemporary art and a minimalist, hipster-chic vibe create an atmosphere conducive to dishes such as Bolognese Ramen or spaghetti with cashews, cod and carrot. This is also the place to savour typical and truly tasty tagliatelle or tortellini – as the Bologna-born chef says, he has ragù flowing through his veins. There are two seven-course tasting menus, one traditional and another representing ‘the journey of a chef’. Both have optional paired wines from a list that includes local and world wines.

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Osteria Bartolini

Enjoy the wide terrace at this seafood restaurant. Credit: Osteria Bartolini

It would be worth coming here just to enjoy the wide terrace garden where meals are served under a giant 280-year-old plane tree, but add to that a menu of simple, tasty seafood dishes and it’s a must. The Bartolini family is from Cesenatico, a lovely historic fishing town on the nearby Adriatic coast where its other restaurants include the Michelin star La Buca. The family has brought the area’s hospitable character and classic dishes, such as seafood risotto or mixed fried fish and veg, to the city. The wine list carries a number of interesting local labels, while the pasta, bread and desserts are all homemade.

Osteria del Sole

A historic wine bar where you can take your own food. Credit: Osteria del Sole / Facebook

This historic wine bar, dating from 1465, has been run by the Spolaore family since 1945. A very local institution, there’s no real sign outside, just a discreet ‘Vino’. Tables are communal and only wine and beer are served. You’re welcome to bring your own food though, and the position at the heart of the Quadrilatero, a knot of streets overflowing with food shops, is ideal for tasty purchases. Pick up mortadella at the Simoni deli and bakery specialities including crescente (ham-specked focaccia) and torta di riso (moist rice cake with citrus) at Paolo Atti then come here, order a Lambrusco and soak up the atmosphere.

Trattoria Serghei

Enjoy authentic local dishes in this family-run trattoria. Credit: Trattoria Serghei / Facebook

If you’re looking for a truly traditional Bolognese dining experience, book a table in the cosy wood-panelled interior of this long-standing family-run trattoria. Enjoy authentic versions of celebrated local dishes such as tortellini in steaming broth, gramigna pasta with a sausage meat sauce, and juicy meat-filled zucchini with meatballs. Vegetarian options include potato gnocchi, sautéed greens and ricotta-filled tortelloni with gorgonzola. The trattoria shares a street with a curious window over an underground canal, brought into the centre in the Middle Ages, and a fortified gate that was once part of the city’s second circle of walls.

Trattoria di Via Serra

A seasonal menu and cosy interior makes Trattoria di Via Serra worth a visit. Credit: Trattoria di Via Serra / Facebook

Prepare to be pampered at this locals’ favourite, where tables get booked up weeks in advance. The location behind the station is nothing special but the interior is cosy, and owners Flavio and Tommaso go out of their way to make guests feel at home with a warm welcome and tasty home cooking. Wines are sourced from the whole Emilia Romagna region while the seasonal menu focuses on flavours from the nearby Apennines. It includes rabbit with artichoke and potatoes, cheeses from Slow Food-protected Bianca Modenese cattle, and tasty cold cuts or pesto montanaro (creamy lard with garlic and rosemary) served with baked specialities.

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New York City boasts one of the most robust – and diverse – natural wine scenes in the world, featuring everything from up-and-coming producers to cult favourites and beyond. While the scene’s offerings quickly expand across outer boroughs, Manhattan is still home to a slew of great places to drink. Not sure where to begin? Check out the best places to drink natural wine in Gotham below.

La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels

249 Centre St, New York, NY 10013

www.compagnienyc.com

Beloved by wine novices and industry folk alike, La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels finds itself atop most best New York wine bar lists, and it’s no surprise. Founded by the group behind Experimental Cocktail Club, the bar’s sultry environment provides the perfect backdrop for casual dates or post-work drinks with friends. While the list incorporates a lengthy array of wine styles, it errs on the natural side of things, boasting ample selections from both Old and New World regions. Chef Eric Bolyard’s Mediterranean-inspired small plates and tasty snacks are produced from locally-sourced ingredients, which pair perfectly with the bar’s expansive bottle list. Fair warning, this may be your new favourite wine bar.

Parcelle

135 Division St, New York, NY 10002

Spearheaded by the brains behind the original namesake retail shop, Parcelle’s latest on-premise output is quickly becoming the go-to spot for both locals and industry folk. Decked out in Italian modernist-inspired furniture – curated in conjunction with designer Paul Renwick – the bar’s trendy-yet-welcoming atmosphere is perfect for enjoying a glass (or bottle) amongst friends. The bar’s list is broken into approachable sections, ranging from Natural to Chilled Reds to Under $75 and beyond. Don’t sleep on the Last Chance section, which regularly highlights a handful of on-their-way-out gems.

Peoples Wine Bar

115 Delancey St, New York, NY 10002

‘Wine of the people, by the people, and for the people’ – that’s the motto at Lower East Side-based Peoples Wine Bar. They were founded in 2019 by Jeremiah Stone, Fabián von Hauske Valtierra and Daryl Nuhn, three self-proclaimed longtime supporters of natural wine. This friendly neighbourhood bar focuses on the stories (and faces) behind the bottle, both at the bar and in the neighbouring retail shop. The trio’s passion for environmentally-friendly farming and socio-political issues collide at this new to-the-scene spot, which is simply unmissable for natural wine lovers.

Ruffian

125 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009

www.ruffiannyc.com

Located in the heart of the East Village, Ruffian has become an institution for New York-based natural wine drinkers. Founded in 2016, this small-yet-cosy bar – now with ample heated sidewalk seating – features a primarily vegetarian menu, available in both à la carte and tasting menu formats (gluten-free and vegan options are also available). The bar is best known for its extensive skin-contact wine offerings and its vast selection from eastern Europe. In-person classes are regularly hosted (eight people per class maximum), and the use of the bar as a private event space is also available.

St. Jardim

183 W 10th St, New York, NY 10014

Credit: Giada Paoloni

Situated in the former location of long-standing West Village haunt Bar Sardine, St. Jardim officially opened its doors last year and has quickly become one of the neighbourhood’s buzziest places to eat and drink. Founded by Andrew Dete and Christa Alexander, alongside consulting chef Tony Nassif (Black Seed Bagels), this homey nook offers freshly shucked oysters, Mediterranean-inspired small plates, and Lebanese fare. All are served up alongside a small yet well-curated all-natural wine list. Expect a solid selection of bubbles, ample skin-contact pours, and a variety of red and white Old World favourites (as well as the Last Call section).

Skin Contact

76 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002

Finding top-notch places to drink tasty natural wine that won’t break the bank can be a difficult feat in Manhattan these days, though thankfully, Skin Contact offers a pleasant reprieve. Founder Eben Lillie, son of the founder of Chambers Street Wines, grew up around – and developed a passion for – natural wines at a young age. This is reflected in the bar’s friendly yet knowledgeable environment. Sidewalk, backyard and indoor seating are all available and an average glass of wine will run you less than $15 a pour. Expect a 200-ish selection list and around 15 by-the-glass pours at any given moment.

Soda Club

155 Avenue B, New York, NY 10009

Vegan wine and pasta bar? Sign us up. Located on Avenue B, Soda Club is the newest plant-based, all-natural-wine-focused establishment from Overthrow Hospitality. The bar’s extensive 200-bottle list is curated by co-owner and wine director Drew Brady, who hand selects every bottle with the kitchen’s meticulously-executed pasta dishes in mind. While you may be sceptical about vegan pasta, we honestly cannot rave about the place enough. From bucatini arrabbiata to cappelletti with morel mushrooms, vegetable brodo, smoked olive oil and more, the kitchen’s flavour-packed dishes provide something for every palate – wine included. Pull up a velvet chair and get ready to discover your new favourite date night spot.

The Ten Bells

247 Broome St, New York, NY 10002

www.tenbellsnyc.com

It’s impossible to discuss the history of New York’s natural wine scene without mentioning The Ten Bells. Founded in 2008 in the city’s Lower East Side neighbourhood, the bar was one of the first natural wine-exclusive establishments to open up shop in town. And at a time when the style was far less fashionable than it is today. Expect small plates, tapas, and $1 oyster happy hours to grace the bar’s food menu, which is offered alongside $18 carafes of wine from opening through 7 pm daily. Gather around the wraparound bar, peruse the bible-like list, and raise a glass to this foundational, long-standing natural wine institution.

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Home to various bars and restaurants, this bustling New York borough has something to offer every palate preference, with an insider’s perspective. Check out 10 top places to drink natural wine in Kings County.

& Sons Ham Bar (Prospect Lefferts Gardens)

447 Rogers Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11225

& Sons Ham Bar is one of the newest – and most exciting – places to enjoy natural wine, especially if you’re a big fan of ham. This small, 20-seat joint offers an impressive list of curated country hams and a variety of cheeses, ribs and small plates. The bar’s all-American wine list offers five reds and five whites by the glass at all times, as well as a handful of rosé and bubbles. According to the establishment, & Sons Ham Bar celebrates the ‘culture, heritage, and flavour of America’s charcuterie’ while highlighting a variety of international cured sausages, pâtés, and more.

The Four Horsemen (Williamsburg)

295 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Credit: www.fourhorsemenbk.com

In the realm of natural wine bars, The Four Horsemen is simply the OG. Co-owned by LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, his wife Christina Topsøe and Justin Chearno, this small-yet-fierce Williamsburg haunt was pioneering natural wine far before it was fashionable. Their 57-page wine list runs French-heavy. Yet hundreds of gems from all over the world are available – with many below the $100 (£95) mark. By-the-glass offerings generally come in beneath the $15 (£13) price point, which is unheard of in the city these days. Expect expertly-crafted small plates and an overall relaxing ambience.

Have & Meyer (Williamsburg)

103 Havemeyer St, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Credit: www.haveandmeyer.com

Looking to taste through a slew of natural wines without a full bottle commitment? Have & Meyer is the place to be. This Williamsburg establishment offers over 90 natural wines by the glass at any given moment, making discovering new, low-intervention wines to love more effortless than ever. The list is concentrated on Italian producers. Food highlights sustainable Italian fare, including burrata, seasonal salads and various savoury pasta dishes. Whether the dimly lit interior or buzzy sidewalk seating is more your style, one thing’s for sure – this place promises a seriously memorable time.

June (Cobble Hill)

231 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Since its opening in 2015, June has become a go-to favourite for Brooklyn-based natural wine lovers, particularly those with an affinity with European hits. Located in the borough’s Cobble Hill neighbourhood, this cosy, brick-lined bar focuses on off-the-beaten-path hits – think sparkling skin-contact wines from central Italy and aromatic white blends from Germany and central Europe. Food offerings range from bite-sized olives to larger steak and fish-based entrées, though the true gems lie in the small plates section (don’t skip on the whipped ricotta, grilled squash, and Tokyo turnips). On warm weather days, head to the back and check out the bar’s cosy patio.

King Mother (Ditmas Park)

1205 Cortelyou Rd, Brooklyn, NY 11218

Credit: Photo courtesy of King Mother

Although Ditmas Park hasn’t reached peak popularity as other Brooklyn neighbourhoods, up-and-coming places are popping up left and right, with Cortelyou Road as the area’s epicentre. Founded by Erika Lesser and Katie Richey in 2019, this laid-back wine bar highlights convivial food offerings (fondue, raclette and more), as well as Schaller & Weber hot dogs, schnitzel and a variety of salads. All this is served alongside a slew of natural, organic and biodynamic wine offerings. Best of all, each wine on the list boasts a small anecdote from the bar’s owners, making navigating the list’s offerings easy and accessible.

LaLou (Prospect Heights)

581 Vanderbilt Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238

Credit: Liz Clayman

Vanderbilt Avenue is home to a slew of great places to eat and drink, though when it comes to the street’s best wine list, LaLou is where it’s at. Founded by beloved New York restaurateur Joe Campanale, this airy wine bar features a diverse natural wine list with an Old-World concentration alongside well-crafted small plates and snacks. The emphasis is on French and Italian bottles. Whether you sit at the bar peering into the open kitchen, or enjoying the back patio, LaLou offers a friendly, low-key atmosphere dominated by local wine lovers.

PIPS (Brooklyn Heights)

129 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Created by the team behind Colonie and Gran Electrica, PIPS is Brooklyn Heights’ newest place for natural wine, Italian-inspired apéritifs and other delicious libations. Influenced by the flavours and flare of coastal Italy, PIPS’ flavour-packed small plates are outdone by their seafood and pasta dishes. They all pair beautifully with the bar’s solid selection of low-intervention wines, available both by the glass and by the bottle – think skin-fermented Italian Pignoletto, chillable red blends from Matthiasson and everything in between.

Rhodora Wine Bar (Fort Greene)

197 Adelphi St, Brooklyn, NY 11205

Credit: www.rhodorabk.com

Founded by the same brains behind June, Rhodora Wine Bar first opened its Fort Greene-based doors in 2019. Upon converting the space’s wood-fired restaurant into a full-blown wine bar, proprietor Henry Rich’s main goal with the spot is to follow a zero-waste model. Expect favourites from Corsica, central Italy and Spain’s Catalonia region to be served with European-inspired bites – such as rillettes, tinned fish and more. Pop in after an afternoon at Fort Greene park and enjoy. Follow along on Instagram to stay tuned on Rhodora’s latest pop-ups and events.

Sauced (Williamsburg)

331 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Conveniently located on Williamsburg’s bustling Bedford Avenue, Sauced offers a quiet reprieve from the energy of the neighbourhood’s busy streets. Founder Jordan Veran purposely created the spot without a list or menu to personally lead guests to their perfect bottle based on preference and personal taste. The bar’s quaint indoor ambience is somehow surpassed by its cosy backyard, which is home to a variety of outdoor games, as well as frequently hosting live music, karaoke nights, and more. Simply put, walking into Sauced feels like entering your best friend’s home.

Terre (Park Slope)

341 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215

Looking for a new casual date night spot that promises a unique experience every time? Park Slope-based Terre is just the ticket. Founded by the same folks behind Have & Meyer, this similarly conceptualised model offers over 100 natural wines by the glass at all times (making repeat selections only possible if you find something you truly love). Insider tip: come hungry – the bar/restaurant’s extensive charcuterie and homemade pasta offerings are to die for. (The folks at Terre have also opened D’Antan, in Crown Heights. This Italian-focused joint offers over 100 natural wines by the glass at any moment.)

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London resident, wine writer and wine event host Hannah Crosbie has found the best London wine bars and restaurants offering corkage deals and discounts right now.

12:51 by Chef James Cochran

Credit: www.1251.co.uk

On Tuesday evenings, guests can enjoy a five-course tasting menu where you can bring your own drink for zero corkage fee. It’s a fabulous opportunity to work on the wine and food pairing yourself, or just uncork a particular bottle you’ve been saving for a special occasion.

107 Upper St, London N1 1QN.

28°-50°

Credit: www.2850.co.uk

Every Monday to Wednesday at 28°-50° South Kensington, bring your own special bottle for lunch or dinner for free. Outside of these times, corkage is just £20 per bottle.

They also run Champagne and Oyster Weekends at the Chelsea, Oxford Circus and South Kensington locations. Every weekend you can enjoy an unlimited 90-minute feast celebrating their new house Champagne, Ayala Brut Majeur, for £65 per person. Saturdays and Sundays from 12pm (until 5pm on Saturdays).

Bar Douro

Credit: www.bardouro.co.uk

Every Sunday, a selection of wines from Festa – Bar Douro’s online wine shop – are available at shop price while dining at the London Bridge site. Changing on a weekly basis, this rotating curation champions the versatility of Portuguese wine, perfectly paired with their range of petiscos – small Portuguese snacking plates.

Arch 35B, 85B Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 0NQ.

Hawksmoor

Credit: www.thehawksmoor.com

Take advantage of the £5 corkage fee at Hawksmoor every Monday and enjoy a great steak with a bottle you’ve been saving.

At Seven Dials, Spitalfields, Knightsbridge, Air Street, Guidhall and Manchester sites. 

Humble Grape

Humble Grape Battersea. Credit: www.humblegrape.co.uk

January 2018: A steak with a glass of Malbec is just £15, across all branches.

Enjoy wines in this cosy wine bar at the retail price every Monday at the Battersea branch. Enjoy with one of the sharing platters.

Humble Grape, 2 Battersea Rise, London SW11 1ED.

Ombra

Credit: www.ombrabar.restaurant

Go for dinner at Ombra on a Monday with your own bottle from home and enjoy free corkage. This cosy canalside restaurant is a fabulous place to enjoy a bottle from your cellar, or from their list of Italian wines.

1 Vyner Street, Bethnal Green, London E2 9DG.

Orasay

Credit: www.orasay.london

Book Orasay’s private dining room and enjoy free corkage all night, any day of the week. The perfect opportunity to share a special bottle by candlelight.

31 Kensington Park Rd, London W11 2EU.

Sager +Wilde

Credit: www.sagerandwilde.com

Sager + Wilde have introduced free corkage on Sundays and Mondays at their Paradise Row site.

Arch 250 Paradise Row, London, E2 9LE.

The Remedy 

Credit: www.theremedylondon.com

Enjoy a choice of 12 wines by the bottle at 50% off on Mondays at Remedy wine bar.

Remedy, 124 Cleveland St, Fitzrovia, London W1T 6PG.

Vinoteca

Credit: www.vinoteca.co.uk

Every week, Vinoteca runs Cork Club Monday. To join, pop into your local branch to request a free cork keyring. Flash this when you visit on a Monday, and you’ll only pay the shop price on every bottle of wine when you dine. Available at the Borough, Chiswick, City, Farringdon, Kings Cross.

Vinoteca City also runs Brunch and Bubbles every Saturday; all bottles of fizz on the list are half price, and can be paired with their brilliant brunch menu.

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The ancient capital of Islamic Spain was at its peak during the 9th and 10th centuries, and Córdoba still reflects its roots in Moorish, Jewish and Christian traditions, architecture and cuisine. The Mezquita (or Great Mosque) is a breathtaking experience, one of the grandest and best preserved of its type in the world, despite the building of a Christian cathedral within its interior. Around the Mezquita, you can explore the narrow winding streets of the old Jewish quarter and the city wall, the Alcázar of the Christian Kings, and the Roman Bridge. If you have time, the palace city complex of Medina Azahara, just outside the city, is also worth a visit.

The best times to visit are spring and autumn, as the sizzling heat of summer is often too intense for being out and about. May is the month of three of the city’s most important festivals: the Cruces de Mayo; the famous Patio Festival, when many private courtyards are open to the public and the city is a riot of colourful blooms; and the Córdoba Fair at the end of the month, a chance to drink and dance the day and/or night away in air-conditioned casetas (festival tents). During the rest of the year, you can visit the Patio Museum at the Palacio de Viana, a wonderful collection of 12 patios with formal gardens as well as art and antique collections.

When it’s time to stop and eat, be sure to try Córdoba’s culinary triumvirate of salmorejo (a rich cold tomato soup often topped with chopped egg and jamón), fried breaded aubergines (often served with cane molasses) and flamenquín (rolled pork and serrano ham, breaded and deep-fried). Other specialities include japuta en adobo (fried marinated sea bream) and rabo de toro (braised oxtail).

Credit: Maggie Nelson

Córdoba bars & restaurants

Bodega San Basilio
San Basilio, 29

There’s no better place to try Córdoba’s tasty ‘holy trinity’ of salmorejo, fried aubergines and flamenquín. This cosy family-run bar, along with its larger Mesón San Basilio around the corner, has been a neighbourhood favourite since it opened in 1994. Other traditional dishes include torreznos (crispy pork scratchings) and orange and salt-cod salad, which may sound odd but is surprisingly delicious. Expect friendly service and classic ambiente taurino (bullfighting atmosphere) at both locations. facebook.com/Mesonsanbasilio

Bar Santos
Magistral González Francés, 3

Bar Santos’ giant tortilla. Credit: Agefotostock / Alamy Stock Photo

This tiny no-frills bar opposite the Mezquita is famous for its massive tortilla de patatas made with 5kg of potatoes and 30 eggs. Order a slice with an ice-cold caña (small glass of beer) and enjoy it all outdoors, sitting on the ledge below the Mezquita wall while watching the world go by. Other traditional tapas are also available, but it’s the location – and the tortillas – that make this friendly little bar almost as big an attraction as the Mezquita itself.

Garum 2.1 
San Fernando, 120-122

Named after the Roman fermented fish sauce, Garum 2.1 specialises in traditional Andalucían tapas with Moorish influences but, as the ‘2.1’ suggests, there are also modern touches that make its dishes deliciously different. It’s in the heart of the old city and the interior has an authentic, antique feel with an original exposed Moorish brick wall at the back of the dining area, complemented by a modern bar and a pleasant rooftop terrace.

Choco
Compositor Serrano Lucena, 14

Choco is top chef Kisko García’s one-star Michelin restaurant, dedicated to preserving the traditions of Andalucían cuisine in their many guises while bringing them up to date with modern techniques and ideas. This commitment to excellence means that top-quality ingredients (locally sourced wherever possible) are prepared and served with imagination and attention to detail. You can also try Kisko’s more casual Choco Bar next door.

El Churrasco
Romero, 16

Founded more than 50 years ago in a small inn in Córdoba’s Jewish quarter, El Churrasco has grown to include more than a dozen themed dining rooms, from a traditional cordobés patio to more modern settings, as well as a bespoke bodega for tastings. The cuisine has expanded too, but the original churrasqueadas (top- quality meats grilled over charcoal) are still the speciality of the house. There’s also a cosy bar for pre-dinner drinks or tapas grazing, with an impressive display of prime cuts awaiting their turn in the kitchen.

La Cuchara de San Lorenzo
Arroyo de San Lorenzo, 2

Founded by brothers Narciso and Paco López in 2006, La Cuchara – in the historic neighbourhood of San Lorenzo – has gone from strength to strength in the development of its menus while remaining true to its Andalucían origins. Small but elegant, with an ample terrace, it serves great food at reasonable prices, and the staff are friendly and efficient. A little off the beaten track, but worth making the effort.

Casa Pepe de la Judería
Romero, 1

Not far from the Mezquita and a short walk into the old Jewish quarter, Casa Pepe recently passed its centenary. Over time it has expanded into a maze of dining rooms with a rooftop terrace around and above its original rustic central patio, but the cuisine is still very much traditional cordobés. If you’re looking for a taste of old- school Córdoba, this is the place to come.

Jugo Vinos Vivos
Plaza San Andrés, 5

Córdoba’s first wine bar dedicated solely to natural wines, Jugo Vinos Vivos opened its doors in 2017 and is run by American Gabrielle Mangeri and her cordobés husband Javier Orcaray. Many of the (mostly Spanish) wines are available by the glass with a selection from Montilla winemaker José Miguel Márquez prominently featured. The small menu changes regularly, with the emphasis on small-production raw-milk cheeses, artisanal breads, conserves, smoked fish, cured meats and olives. Wine tastings and cookery classes are available on request. @quierojugovivo

Noor
Pablo Ruiz Picasso, 8

Taste the history of Al-Andalus at Noor, opened in 2016 by cordobés chef Paco Morales. For his first season he explored the 10th century, using only ingredients that were available at that time. With the help of documentarians, historians, archaeologists and designers, Morales has told the culinary story of the times with skill and imagination, earning him two well-deserved Michelin stars. Each season, he has moved up a century (including a retrospective in his fourth year). Season 2022 found Noor in the late 16th century and, for the first time, New World comestibles were introduced into the repertoire. There are three tasting menus, with the option of the ‘armonía de vinos’ wine match selected and served by sommelier Pilar Vidal. An unforgettable experience.

La Casa del Pedro Ximénez
Corregidor Luis de la Cerda, 75

A stone’s throw from the Mezquita, this is a great little shop in which to expand your knowledge of the region’s wines – with the bonus of taking home some of your delicious Córdoba experiences. Aside from a wide range of Montilla-Moriles wines, you will also find an array of local artisanal products including brandy and vermouth, olive oil, vinegars, jams, marmalades and chocolates.

Regadera
Ronda de Isasa, 10

Adrián Caballero

Located at the edge of Córdoba’s old centre, just across from the Roman Bridge, Regadera serves some of the best food in town in a chic modern space with an open kitchen. Local chef Adrián Caballero’s food is upmarket without being pretentious – expect a combination of traditional and modern dishes ranging from suckling pig and beef tartare to cod and sea bass ceviche, executed with innovative twists and attention to quality and detail. Excellent wine list and cocktails, too.

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As the capital and largest city in Spain, Madrid is something of a cosmopolitan magnet for gastronomy – and pretty much everything else. The result is not only a moveable feast, but also a fast-moving one. In fact even long-time residents can find it difficult to keep up with the latest trends.

Relatively wealthy, Madrid has an expanding upmarket food scene for the nouveau riche – or at least nouveau middle class. But many of its traditional taverns and tapas bars still exist, particularly in the working class parts of the city.

This means that there is always something for everyone. Ranging from top Michelin star spots (Madrid boasts an impressive 21 in total as of 2022) to tiny hole in the wall joints that specialise in one perfect dish.

Because Madrid is at a high altitude, and consequently has decidedly cold winters, many of its most typical dishes are winter warmers. Think stews, such as callos and menudo, or carrillada (braised pork cheeks) and lomo con tomate (pork loin in tomato sauce). Not to mention a medley of hearty stews made from chickpeas, lentils and white beans.

Fried calamari sandwiches and barely solid tortilla de patatas can also be found in every barrio (neighbourhood) of Madrid. Bars throughout the city will lay claim to having the best in town.

Going local

Another good option for trying out a tasty selection of local cuisine is to visit some of the city’s food markets. Here you will find both traditional and innovative dishes – especially at those markets located away from the centre, Plaza Mayor.

For the second year running, local wunderkind Dabiz Muñoz has been named World’s Best Chef. His three-star Michelin restaurant DiverXO is famous (or infamous) for being Spain’s most expensive eatery. Tasting menus here range from €250 to €365 – and that’s not including wine. Pairings will set you back another €150-€300.

Happily us mere mortals have plenty of other options to experience the abundant variety of cuisines that make up the Madrileña food scene. From trendy Malasaña to upscale Salamanca; from multicultural Lavapiés and hip Barrio de las Letras to traditional La Latina… Each barrio has something unique to offer.

Top Madrid bars and restaurants to visit

Amano

With chef Javier Goya and somm-maître extraordinaire Fran Ramírez at the helm of this venture in the heart of Barrio de las Letras, great traditional food, outstanding wines and knowledgeable service are guaranteed. Pop in for a taste of Andalucía at the bar, or book a table in the restaurant.

• Address: Plaza Matute 4
• Open: Wednesday-Saturday 1pm-4pm & 8pm-11.30pm

Angelita

Sommelier David Villalón and his brother Mario run this exceptional wine bar and bistro, which also has a cocktail bar in the basement. More than 100 wines are available by the glass or half glass, perfect for pairing. Their menu is short and ever-changing, with organic veg from their mother Angelita’s own garden outside the city.

• Address: Street Reina 4
• Wine bar/restaurant open: Monday-Saturday 1.30pm -12am (kitchen open 1.30pm-4pm, 8pm-11.30pm), Sunday closed
• Cocktail bar open: Monday-Saturday 5pm-2am, Sunday closed

Bodegas Ricla

Founded in 1867, this tiny mother-and-son operation, just steps from the Plaza Mayor, is a classic stop for vermouth. It’s a basic, no-nonsense tapas bar filled with memorabilia of a bygone age. Be sure to try the callos (tripe stew) or the famous meatballs.

• Address: Calle Cuchilleros 6
• Open: Monday & Wednesday-Friday 1.30pm-5pm & 8.30pm-12am, Saturday 1pm-4pm & 8.30pm-12.30am, Sunday 1.30pm-6pm, Tuesday closed

Casa Gerardo

Spanish cheeses

Cheese, please. This 80-year-old bodega boasts an impressive cheese list with an equally impressive selection of wines, including vermouths and Sherries. Great old-school atmosphere with friendly service.

• Address: Calle de Calatrava 21
• Open: Tuesday 7.30pm-12am, Wednesday-Saturday 1.30pm-4.00pm & 7.30pm-12am, Sunday 1pm-5pm, Monday closed

Corral de la Morería

Flamenco at Corral de la Morería

Forget whatever you’ve heard about never booking a flamenco and dinner show and head to Corral de la Morería, a family-run tablao that has been going strong since 1956. Second generation owners Juan Manuel and Armando del Rey are now at the helm, with chef David García overseeing the kitchen. It has two dining areas – with Restaurante Corral de la Morería boasting a Michelin star – and a large amount of Sherry (over 1,200 at last count) chosen by sommelier David Ayuso. The flamenco is also outstanding, with award-winning top artists performing twice daily.

• Address: Calle de la Morería 17
• Open: Monday-Sunday 7.30pm-12am

La Fisna Vinos

Working simultaneously as importer, distributor and retailer, Delia Baeza has converted a rustic tavern in Lavapiés into a cosy wine bar and shop. Choose from a selection of unique French and Spanish natural wines from small producers, most sold exclusively here, at very affordable prices, along with delicious tapas.

• Address: C/Amparo 91
• Open: Monday-Friday 6.00pm-12am, Saturday-Sunday closed

Lakasa

Dream team César Martín (chef) and Marina Launay (front-of-house) have mastered that special blend of impeccable service and an intelligent seasonal menu. Almost everything is available in half-portions, including the wines by the glass. The all-day kitchen in this fun, trendy venue makes it a great spot for late lunches or early dinners.

• Address: Plaza Descubridor Diego de Ordás 1
• Open: Monday-Friday 1.30pm-11pm, Saturday & Sunday closed

Restaurante Tabanco Verdejo

Is it a restaurant? A tabanco? A bodega? Since Marian Reguera moved to larger premises in 2021 she can say yes to all of these. What hasn’t changed is the excellent traditional seasonal menu accompanied by a new wine list created by sommelier Cristina de la Calle with an impressive 165 wines on offer including 30-40 sherries by the glass and, best of all, the kind of service that makes you feel at home.

• Address: Calle del General Díaz Porlier, 59
• Open: Monday-Friday 1.30pm-4pm & 8.30pm-11.30pm, Saturday 1.30pm-4pm, Sunday closed

Vinoteca García de la Navarra

The García de la Navarra brothers (chef Pedro and sommelier Luis, above) have expanded their original Taberna de Pedro, a stone’s throw from El Prado museum, to offer a fuller version of their excellent traditional fare paired with fabulous wines. Expect quality produce at reasonable prices in a warm and friendly ambiance.

• Address: Calle de Montalbán 3
• Open: Tuesday-Saturday 1pm-4.00pm & 8.30pm-11.30pm

Zalamero

Fish is a specialty at Zalamero

Partners Ana Losada and David Moreno are the heart and soul of this lovely tavern. A cosy bar greets you, leading to a tasteful, minimalist dining area beyond. With 40-50 wines that change weekly and a market-based menu, it is simply spectacular.

• Address: Calle de Narváez 67
• Open: Monday/Tuesday closed, Wednesday-Sunday 1pm-4.30pm & 8.30pm-11.30pm

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Alsatian wine without food is like homemade waffle cones without ice cream. What makes a visit to the northeastern French wine region especially appealing is the extent to which culinary options have improved. Having lived in Strasbourg for the better part of the last 25 years, I have noticed over this time an upturn in customer service – and not just for the expensive locations.

Alsace is one of the most heralded regions in Michelin’s famous guide; it counted 29 starred restaurants in 2020, with 33 in 2021 – and no one lost a star. Many earned the ‘Bib gourmand’, which recognises value for money. A total of 30 restaurants obtained the green star, rewarding chefs for a ‘commitment to sustainable gastronomy, respect for the environment, and sustainable development’.

Aux Armes de Strasbourg

Strasbourg boasts two brasseries you should visit. Aux Armes de Strasbourg at Place Gutenbourg provides friendly, efficient service matched in a jovial, pleasingly kitsch setting: cute wooden Alsatian furnishing and Alsatian red and white tablecloths. Since it had opened under the Wilhelmine era in 1900 as ‘Zuem Stadtwappe’, the food remains classic Alsatian: from Baekeoff and choucroute, to chicken suprême with Riesling.

9 Pl. Gutenberg, 67000 Strasbourg

Les Haras

For a more upscale experience, don’t miss Les Haras, located in a beautiful 18th century building that once housed a royal stable. Paris-based design firm Jouin Manku has created an expansive, elegant two-decker restaurant linked by a curving glass-and-steel staircase.

I have lunched on the patio in summer, inside in the winter. Winner of the 2014 best restaurant prize from the London-based ‘Restaurant & Bar Design Awards’ and recognised by The Wall Street Journal as one of the world’s ‘most beautiful restaurants’, the design is matched by excellent cuisine and service at fair pricing. Marc Haeberlin of the Michelin-three-starred L’Auberge de l’Ill in Illhaeusern supervises menus that feature both traditional fare and more modern, creative specialties. If waiting for your table, take a seat at the bar for a cocktail under the impressive staircase or choose from over 100 wines.

23 Rue des Glacières, 67000 Strasbourg

Les Plaisirs Gourmands

Topping Trip Advisor’s best restaurant list in Strasbourg (2022), Les Plaisirs Gourmands is so good that I went twice before this article. Located in a somewhat humdrum residential suburb, the doors open to the excellent cuisine and tasteful décor of chef Guillaume Scheer and wife Charlotte Gate. And it counts among the most economically priced (one-star) Michelin experiences you can find.

For example, for a table of three, €380 / £320 (tax and tip included) covered a six-course lunch, including two bottles of wine. But get ready for at least three hours of culinary pleasure. From langoustine carpaccio with green pepper and subtle vanilla sauce to local seared trout served with pumpkin in late autumn, superb pastries for dessert are hard to beat. I also enjoyed the lunch set menu (entrée, plat, dessert or cheese) at only €40 per person. Great wine list too!

35 Rte du Général de Gaulle, 67300 Schiltigheim

Mademoiselle 10

A perfect non-tourist choice for dining close to the Strasbourg Cathedral is Mademoiselle 10. In November 2021, I joined US Consul General Darragh Paradiso for an ‘Americans in Strasbourg’ lunch, where we enjoyed superb butternut squash soup and roast chicken with a coconut emulsion sauce, nicely paired with the Domaine Marcel Deiss Berckem white, which blends 50% Riesling with… 12 other Alsace varieties.

Chef Jean luc Nopre proposes affordable, high quality fare, from traditional Alsace foie de canard with mango chutney to filet of Alsace deer in a wine reduction sauce and garlic. There’s an excellent selection of vegetarian dishes, too. Overlooking the picturesque Ill tributary, the restaurant offers a cosy, relaxed setting. Hours have changed however, so you cannot stay until after 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays. About 60 wine listed.

10 Quai des Pêcheurs, 67000 Strasbourg

Léonor

I cannot recommend highly enough the Léonor, which opened last year in what once was the central Strasbourg police station! The opening amuse bouche of local trout served as tartare with creamy Alsatian fromage blanc (Bibelskass), accentuated with pickled radish proved a promising start to a lunch that included meatier-than-usual frogs legs roasted in butter, rosemary and garlic, and graced by a turnip mousseline emulsion and heirloom vegetables.

Duck confit slow cooked over local red cabbage flavoured with cinnamon and accompanied by Alsatian spaetzel pasta proved a delight with Alsatian Pinot Noir. And the duo dessert of mango sorbet followed by hazelnut cake covered by what appeared to be flower petals (but all chocolate) was fabulous: Perfect with an Alsatian rosé cremant. With some 120 wines listed and growing, a great place to eat.

11 Rue de la Nuée-Bleue, 67000 Strasbourg

Villa René Lalique

Tasting Rieslings in the expansive underground wine cellar (2,500+ listed) with head sommelier Romain Iltis set the right tone for a €230/£195 marathon dinner. Austrian chef Paul Stradner, who had previously earned a second star at Brenner’s Park luxury resort in nearby Baden-Baden, Germany recently joined chef Jean-Georges to welcome guests to Villa René Lalique, a luxurious restaurant and adjoining boutique hotel in the northern Alsatian village of Wingen-sur-Moder: 45-minute’s drive from Strasbourg.

Most servings are locally sourced, such as game hunted in a nearby forest, but Stradner stresses: ‘We have been paying just as much attention to non meat plates as an increasing number of clients favour vegetables’. Take for example the red cabbage symphony of cooked red cabbage in cannelloni combined with red cabbage sorbet with a green apple emulsion, perfectly paired with dry Pinot Gris.

Both the setting and décor – elegantly highlighted with flowers and genuine Lalique crystal – provide visual feasts to match the food. If the price tag for one of the six suites at Rene Lalique’s former 1920 home (renovated in 2015) next to the restaurant is too pricy, stay at Villa Hochberg, also part of Group Lalique: stylish and more affordable, and five minutes away. Worth a day trip for the superb museum that explains the Lalique story.

18 Rue Bellevue, 67290 Wingen-sur-Moder

Wine Bars

Looking for a wine bar, try the recently opened L’Alsace à Boire, which includes examples of nearly all of Alsace’s 51 grands crus, in a comfortable and central location. Lit by an impressive overhead series of empty Alsace wine bottles, take a seat at the bar and order a high quality Alsatian Crémant, or benefit from many by-the-glass selections to go with your cheese plate. I wish the location was a bit more prominently in the centre, and with a larger entrance sign to include a large map of the Alsace wine route!

Lovers of casual modern ambiance should go to Ill Vino. Located on a barge on the Ill tributary in the Strasbourg city centre, the bar is managed by Stephan Maure, a wine trade expert who proposes copious selections – and not just from France, but also Europe and from the New World. Try the seared scallops with Riesling or a copious charcuterie (or veggies selection) either at the bar or at one of several tables. It is fun to go in warmer months so you can sit outside on the boat.

L’Alsace a Boire: 14 Rue du Vingt-Deux Novembre, 67000 Strasbourg
Ill Vino: 19a Quai des Pêcheurs, 67000 Strasbourg

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