South London's wine bar scene is in rude health, with a strong selection of independent bars offering everything from classic cuvees to the funkiest of orange wines. Here's our pick of the best places to go for a good glass of wine south of the river.
Dynamic Vines
East Dulwich - 49 Lordship Ln, London SE22 8HX
As one of the city's leading biodynamic and organic wine suppliers, it was only a matter of time before Dynamic Vines opened their own wine shop and bar. Lucky East Dulwich folk won the lottery. It's a lovely space too, with a capacious terrace for drinking in the sun. On the list, you'll find a good range of minimal intervention wines from sustainable vineyards. And here's the clincher: there are no corkage fees, so you pay the same whether you're buying the wine to go or to drink in.
Henny's
Balham - 195C Balham High Rd, London SW12 9BE
Having started life as a wine stall inside Tooting Market, Henny's finally found a bricks and mortar space in Balham in 2023. During the day, this is a place for grabbing a coffee with your laptop, but come the evening, it's a convivial spot for a glass of wine. Happily for locals, the selection on offer changes weekly, so there's always something new and interesting from the wholly organic and biodynamic list to choose from. Very much a place that doesn't stand on ceremony, they're as likely to suggest pairing wines with McDonald's French fries as they are a packet of Tayto.
Crystal Palace Wine Club
Crystal Palace - 44 Anerley Hill, London SE19 2AE
"Wine without the Bullshit" is how this South London wine bar sets out its stall - they're all about making wine more accessible and inclusive. A good example of that would be their junk food wine pairings, in which they suggest six great wines to go with everything from cod and chips from the local chippy to a slice of pizza. They host regular wine tastings that are always good fun and whether you're after something classic or funky, you're bound to find something on their list that you like.
See also: Vining Street Wine Club, their new Brixton wine bar
Lant Street Wine Bar
Borough - 61 Lant St, London SE1 1QN
Very much a hidden gem, Lant Street is part wine shop, events space and wine bar. The location couldn't be more appropriate - it's a former 19th-century cork factory, on the same street where Charles Dickens lived as a child - and the design is by interior designer and Vogue columnist Jermaine Gallacher. "We try to do a simple thing well," they say of their wine ethos, "finding and importing interesting wines from small quality producers and selling them to the UK trade and public at reasonable prices". Sounds good to us.
Veraison
Camberwell - 78 Camberwell Church St, London SE5 8QZ
The owner of this Camberwell wine bar, Patrycja Lorek, used to work at both Bubbledogs and 10 Cases. Here in South London, she's all about offering an interesting selection by both the bottle and glass. It's worth noting, on boiling hot summer's days, they have a scarily efficient AC system making this, in their words, "officially the coolest wine bar in London". Their toasties are also legendary.
Aspen & Mersault
Battersea - 96 Westbridge Rd, London SW11 3PH
From the team behind Diogenes the Dog, this Battersea wine bar wants to demystify natural wine for Londoners, showing that they don’t need to be ‘funky’. Owner Sunny Hodge is a self-taught wine buff and his list here ranges from the bar’s own-label wines through to more unusual takes like Canadian ice wine. For food, there's local London charcuterie and their brunch offering is particularly worth trying.
Bottle & Rye
Brixton - Ground Floor, 404-406 Market Row, London SW9 8LD
A jewel of a wine bar just inside the entrance to Brixton Market, this comes from the successful restaurant and bar duo Sarah and Robin Gill (Darby's, Sorella, Maria G's). Think a slice of Paris bonhomie looking out onto Coldharbour Lane. GM Lewis Wright is behind the wine choice here with a focus on minimal intervention wines from across Europe.
Diogenes The Dog
Elephant & Castle - 96 Rodney Road, London SE17 1BG
Owner Sunny Hodge runs a list which highlights the underdogs of wine. It's not uncommon to see new and emerging regions such as Wales, Bulgaria, Poland, and even China highlighted on their list alongside more classic choices. Look out for their own 'Natural House Wines' which was developed in partnership with a winery in Puglia. There's a small but interesting food menu comprised of light bites and small plates.
Peckham Cellars
Peckham - 125 Queen's Rd, London SE15 2ND
Located on Queen's Road, Peckham, this neighbourhood wine bar, shop & restaurant is run by a trio of hospitality veterans and longtime friends. On the wine front, founder Benjamin McVeigh has drawn upon years of experience as a wine buyer and supplier to craft an adventurous but sensitively priced wine list with plenty available by the glass and carafe as well as a bottle. The food menu is an enticing mix of snacks and small dishes.
Also worth trying...
D Vine Cellars (Clapham) - This super-friendly Clapham spot has a broad selection of everything from “ a classic burgundy to “a freaky natural wine” - their words.
Joyce (Brockley) - This wine bar is just as strong on its cider and beer offering as it is on wines.
Tap & Bottle (London Bridge) - this incredibly atmospheric wine bar in a Grade II listed building features an approachable list with everything available by glass, carafe and bottle.
Unwined (Waterloo and Tooting) - We're big fans of this friendly south bank wine bar, which changes its list seasonally.
40 Maltby St (Bermondsey) - 40 Maltby Street started life as a small wine importing business and blossomed into a wine bar and bistro. The list is made up of wines sourced from small producers, and is organic, biodynamic or natural.
WC Clapham (Clapham) - Like its surroundings, the wine list at WC is small and intimate with a diverse selection of styles and grape varieties.
More wine bars
Additional reporting by Louis Fernando
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