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A guide to the best wine bars in the City of London, where the Square Mile's wine culture runs from candlelit institutions to modern rooftops. The Olde Wine Shades and The Don carry centuries of trading history, Cabotte brings Burgundian seriousness, and City Social pours over the skyline — with Davy's, Enoteca da Luca and the Spitalfields wine bars keeping the after-work glasses honest in this corner of London.
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Cabotte
Restaurant · 48 Gresham St, London EC2V 7AY
Burgundy is the beating heart of Cabotte, the City restaurant and wine bar on Gresham Street founded by two Master Sommeliers who share a devotion to the region. The cellar runs to more than 800 bottles, most of them Burgundian, with rare and fine selections threaded throughout — and more than 40 wines by the glass mean the exploration can begin without ceremony. Champagne and the Rhône provide able support, and the seasonal French cooking is designed around the wines rather than the other way round. Warm and refined with rustic touches, it suits a discreet business lunch as well as a pilgrimage. For Burgundy lovers in the Square Mile, this is home.
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City Social
Restaurant · Tower 42, 25 Old Broad St, London EC2N 1HQ
Twenty-four floors up Tower 42, City Social pairs Jason Atherton’s Michelin-starred modern British cooking with one of the Square Mile’s more generous glass programmes. Over 40 wines are poured by the glass, anchored in the classics — Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne — before ranging into Provence and bolder territory in Chile, Portugal and Spain. The panoramic views across the City would flatter any glass, but the list stands on its own merits, with enough breadth for a quick post-work pour in the adjoining Social 24 bar or a slow progression through dinner. Few London restaurants at this altitude take by-the-glass drinking this seriously, and sipping Burgundy while the City lights come on below remains one of the capital’s better wine moments.
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The Don
Restaurant · 21-23 St Swithin's Ln, London EC4N 8AD, Royaume-Uni
Few London wine venues carry history like The Don, whose St Swithin’s Lane cellars aged and bottled the Sandeman Ports and sherries from 1805 until 1967. Today the classic City restaurant above them serves modern British cooking from a list of more than 800 references, with over 40 wines by the glass covering an exceptionally broad sweep: Burgundy, Champagne, German Riesling, the Loire, English sparkling, Provence rosé and plenty from Spain and South Africa besides. True to the building’s past, the Port and sherry selection remains among the finest in the Square Mile — reason enough for a visit on its own. It is the sort of place where a working lunch quietly turns into a tour of Europe’s cellars, one considered glass at a time.
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Bar 1790
Wine Bar · 21-23 St Swithin's Ln, London EC4N 8AD, Royaume-Uni
Wine heritage runs deep at Bar 1790 on St Swithin's Lane: the cellars below aged and bottled Sandeman ports and sherries from 1805 until 1967, and now host private events. The bar above is contemporary and relaxed, with more than 20 wines by the glass spanning Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Alsace and Adelaide Hills, plus emerging producers from as far afield as Slovenia. True to the building's history, the fortified selection is a genuine speciality — sherry and port take equal billing with signature cocktails and a well-judged food menu, while sweet wines and traditional-method sparkling round things out. A little gem for wine lovers in the heart of the City, and a reminder that the Square Mile's wine trade is centuries old.
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Bottles - Old Spitalfields Market
Restaurant · Brushfield Street, 67, E1 6AA
Inside Old Spitalfields Market, Bottles runs an Italian enoteca and kitchen where the wine list genuinely takes centre stage rather than playing support. Organic wines from BeBeMe anchor the offer, with Italy at the heart of things and detours into Spain and France for those who like to wander, plus a healthy showing of low-intervention bottles. Between 20 and 40 wines pour by the glass at any one time, matched to seasonal small plates and rich pastas that channel the warmth of a true Italian table. The market setting suits it: drop in mid-browse for a single glass, or settle in for the evening as Spitalfields empties out. In a corner of east London crowded with drinking options, this one keeps its focus firmly on the wine.
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Dave's Wine Bar
Wine Bar · 2 St James's Passage, London EC3A 5DE
Hidden in the historic alleyways off St James's Passage in Aldgate, Dave's is a City bolthole with an unpretentious streak. The chalkboard changes daily, and the pouring is generous: more than 20 wines by the glass, from creamy Chardonnay and Burgundy to Riesling, Pinot Noir and crisp, slightly savoury Essex sparkling, with Champagne on hand when the occasion demands. Business lunches, client drinks and wine tastings are the bread and butter here, matched with inventive pairings of good wine and seasonal British food, taken in the cosy interior or at seats outside. Friendly staff put novices at ease — a rarer quality in the Square Mile than it should be — making this one of the City's most welcoming after-work stops.
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Davy's at Plantation Place
Restaurant · Unit 8 Plantation Ln, Mincing Ln., London EC3R 7BD
In the heart of the City, directly opposite Minster Court on Mincing Lane, Davy's at Plantation Place trades the group's usual cellar shadows for floor-to-ceiling windows, outside seating and a light, contemporary feel. It works as both wine bar and restaurant: a spacious bar, elegant private rooms and a large dining area serving modern British cooking. The list carries the Davy's hallmarks — Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne at the core, with Rioja, Provence rosé, English sparkling wine and Port broadening the picture. Twenty to forty wines by the glass make it a sensible after-work choice, whether the plan is one restorative Chardonnay or a slow tour through the reds. City drinking without the crush.
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Enoteca da Luca - Devonshire Square
Wine Bar · Enoteca da Luca - Devonshire Square, 7 western courtyard, London EC2M 4AE
'Piccolo e bello' — small and beautiful — is the guiding philosophy at Enoteca da Luca, an authentic Italian enoteca in the Western Courtyard of Devonshire Square. True to the name, this is an Italian wine bar that serves food, and the drinking is the point: 25 wines by the glass, from bold Barolo and Super Tuscans to crisp Chardonnay, on a list that rotates frequently enough to give regulars something new with each visit. Italy dominates, as it should. In the heart of the City, it makes a persuasive case for the long Italian lunch surviving in EC2 — and for the idea that a Square Mile wine stop needn't be all pinstripes and Bordeaux.
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Enoteca da Luca – Guildhall
Wine Bar · 10-12 Basinghall street, London, EC2V 5BQ
The Italian word enoteca means local wine shop, and in Italy these are neighbourhood hubs serving the best ingredients and wines of their region. Enoteca da Luca translates that idea for the Square Mile, with three restaurants across the City of London, each offering a different take on the concept — this one sits on Basinghall Street by the Guildhall. Piedmont and Tuscany do the heavy lifting on the list: Barolo and Barbaresco for lovers of structured Nebbiolo, Super-Tuscans for those who like their reds with a modern edge. Between 20 and 40 wines pour by the glass, which makes it easy to compare the two great Italian schools side by side after work. A useful reminder that City drinking needn't mean another anonymous chain bar.
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Factory House
Restaurant · 37 Leadenhall Pl, London EC3M 7AA
In the heart of Leadenhall Market — opposite the Lloyds building and one of the City's most photographed Victorian settings — Factory House takes its food seriously: aged steaks and rare breeds sourced from across the UK and beyond, all cooked on Josper grills. The wine list is selected by Davy's Wine Merchants and built around robust reds that match the meat, with around 25 wines by the glass and access to premium bottles. Specialities include Aged Bordeaux, Biodynamic producers, Cabernet Sauvignon and Argentinian Malbec. The bar is also a destination for classic cocktails, making Factory House one of the more complete evenings-out in the City.
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Grapeshots
Wine Bar · 2-3 Artillery Ln, Liverpool St, London E1 7LJ
Tucked down a narrow Victorian passage near Liverpool Street — once walked by Jack the Ripper, as the bar's folklore goes — Grapeshots is a Davy's Wine Merchants site that earns its character through decades of accumulated antique curiosities and historic wine artefacts on show throughout. Wood panelling and candlelit tables create the warmth and intimacy you'd hope for from a City wine bar. The list celebrates both familiar favourites and rare finds, with around 25 wines by the glass and access to premium bottles usually reserved for the bottle list. Specialities include Biodynamic, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Grenache, off-the-beaten-track Iberian producers and a Valserrano Rioja Gran Reserva — a long-aged Tempranillo at Gran Reserva level that is genuinely rare by the glass. Classic British cooking serves as the anchor to an afternoon or evening.
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Hawksmoor - Guildhall
Restaurant · 10 Basinghall St, London EC2V 5BQ
Situated in the heart of the City of London, Hawksmoor Guildhall has become an institution in its own right — a weekday destination for a serious business crowd and, on Sundays, what the team describes as the best Sunday roast in Bank. The wine programme is guided by Clara Rubin's group-wide philosophy: lists that evolve constantly, with fresh finds, rare parcels and rare bottles that won't return the following season. The 25–30 glass options span Bordeaux, Burgundy, Barolo, Champagne, Ribera del Duero, Rhône, Rioja, Douro, Piemonte and Tuscany, with specific highlights including a 2017 Saint-Julien from Château Moulin Riche and the second wine of Margaux estate Rauzan-Ségla. The room is sophisticated and well-suited to the neighbourhood, the cooking is Hawksmoor's signature steak and seafood, and the list is never, ever boring.
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Hawksmoor - Spitalfields
Restaurant · 157A Commercial St, London E1 6BJ
The original Hawksmoor and still the one that carries the most East London grit, Spitalfields opened on Commercial Street in a room that genuinely cares whether you enjoy your evening. The list, overseen by wine director Clara Rubin — a WSET educator and international competition judge — runs to 25–30 wines by the glass, from everyday favourites through to rare bottles that won't appear again next season. Highlights have included a 2017 Château Moulin Riche Saint-Julien, a 2021 Corino Giovanni Barolo La Morra, and the second wine of Château Rauzan-Ségla — proper drinking for a steakhouse. The wine range spans Argentina, Barolo, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Chenin Blanc, Malbec, Organic, Port, Rhône, Ribera del Duero, Rioja and beyond. The atmosphere is buzzing, the steaks are serious, and the wine list refuses to be the supporting act.
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Restaurant St. Barts
Restaurant · 63 Bartholomew Cl, London EC1A 7BF
Holder of both a Michelin star and a Green star, Restaurant St. Barts hides in Smithfield overlooking the historic Church of St. Bartholomew the Great. The 14-course menu celebrates world-class seasonal produce from across the British Isles, applying techniques from around the world to show each ingredient at its best. The wine list follows the same convictions: low-intervention, terroir-led producers from the UK, Europe and beyond, with organic, biodynamic and natural bottles throughout. Thirty wines are available by the glass, supplemented by weekly-changing pairing wines that evolve alongside the menu — a rare degree of flexibility at this level of dining. For a tasting menu where the drinking is taken as seriously as the cooking, this is one of London's benchmarks.
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The Olde Wine Shades
Wine Bar · 6 Martin Ln, Cannon St, London EC4R 0DP
The oldest wine bar in the City of London — and one of the very few buildings in the area to have survived the Great Fire of 1666 — The Olde Wine Shades carries a weight of history that no refurbishment could manufacture. Run by Davy's Wine Merchants, it offers around 25 wines by the glass alongside many exclusively shipped bottles not found elsewhere, and access to premium wines that would normally require a bottle commitment. The food menu stretches to tapas, making it equally suited to a leisurely lunch with friends or after-work drinks with colleagues. A Valserrano Rioja Gran Reserva is among the glass highlights — a polished, long-aged Tempranillo of a kind that is rare by the glass at any address.
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The Vintry
Wine Bar · Off Abchurch Yard, Abchurch Ln, London EC4N 5AX
Leaded windows and polished wood set the tone at The Vintry, an atmospheric bar hidden off Abchurch Yard in the City's winding lanes. The by-the-glass list is genuinely broad — 20 to 40 pours spanning Portuguese Douro blends, lush Australian Shiraz and refreshing Oxfordshire sparkling — while the full list roams from Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Pinot Noir to Provence, Spain, South Africa and California. Fresh, seasonal dishes keep pace with the wine, and the mood is relaxed rather than reverent. It's a lively spot for after-work tastings and unhurried lunches alike, and standing proof that some of the Square Mile's best drinking happens down its least promising alleyways.
View Full DetailsWine by the glass turns a single evening into a tasting flight, and the wine bars in London above show how far a thoughtful by-the-glass programme can travel — from grower Champagne to bio-dynamic reds. Use the map to plan a crawl by neighbourhood, and open each venue for opening hours, the current pour list, and booking details.
The Coravin Guide reviews each venue independently, focusing on the ambition and depth of what they pour by the glass. No venue pays to be included.