London
in England

Pop by 107 Wine Shop & Bar for some glasses of low-intervention, natural tipples. Though when chef in residence, Julie Hetyei is in the kitchen staying for dinner is a no-brainer. Her menus change regularly, though expect a dozen or so French-influenced dishes and some ridiculously good puds. 

Before the food stalls arrived on Maltby Street, wine-importing business Gergovie Wines was quietly doing its thing, with a secret, stripped back kitchen and bar. There are still no reservations, and only high stool seating inside the railway arch, but the restaurant is now adored in foodie circles. The natural wine is sourced from small-scale producers and the chalkboard menu is made up of terrines and tarts, smoked trout and chicken schnitzels. This is where restaurant critics eat on their night off.

Known as "The Bar with No Name". Also referred to as the bar with great live music. Or even the bar that's the best place to start (and end!) your night. 

London is a city with a world-class Indian food offering that includes everything from canteen-style Punjabi feasts at Tayyabs to two-Michelin-starred Gymkhana via the brilliant Dishoom. But it’s Gymkhana’s younger, funkier little sibling that is stealing its waiting list. Ambassadors Clubhouse is a low-lit warren of striped pillars and loud swirling carpets, where staff dish up crisp keema naans and resplendent pots of biryani. The Tamatar Martini is worthy of note – poured with just the palest tint of tomato, but with the flavour of a full-blown Bloody Mary. A lot of fun that’s hard to fault. 

When art dealer and restaurateur Andrew Edmunds died aged 79 more than 600 people turned up to his memorial. His wine-lovers’ restaurant is a slice of old Soho, dishing up homemade focaccia with smoky cod’s roe, pumpkin soup dotted with bacon and deep-fried buttermilk rabbit. The Academy Club he founded with Auberon Waugh (son of Evelyn) is still thriving upstairs. A perfect date spot to keep in your back pocket.

Though you can order a great plate of arancini (amongst many, many other small plates) Bambi sticks in our minds for a whole lot of other things. From it's great wine lists (sparkling wine fanatics this is the place for you) to its "music-led" agenda; if you're looking for a place to groove and move, head to Bambi. 

London is not a city short of wine bars and small plates. So when such a place becomes as renown as Bar Crispin you know it's going to be good. Headed by chef Fabien Spagnolo (who rustles up dishes such as crispy polenta, fried prawn sando, and devilled brown crab) and sommelier Alex Price who is an expert in low-intervention wines. This is not a spot to miss. 

Tony Conigliaro is the name to know on the London cocktail scene. And this Italian café meets drinking den on Old Compton Street – founded with coffee pro Marco Arrigo – is a winner. It’s famous for Tony’s Negronis: pre-made, aged and served chilled but without ice, in tiny coupes, plus cheese and charcuterie to snack on. Mini but magical.

Part bottle shop, part bar, this place puts a focus on small producers and family-run vineyards, showcased by a team obsessed with good wine. Corkage is free on Mondays and Tuesdays, but it’s a great one to know about on any night of the week as it manages to remain just under the radar in a very busy part of town.

While we don't often hang out deep underground, this cute, plant-filled basement just might change that. This Clerkenwell restaurant is perfect for brunch or a sunny Saturday afternoon spent on the terrace.

The lotus-root crisps and sushi-heavy set menu at this spot inspired by a Japanese izakaya draw the crowds. But regulars end up coming back for the jazz nights and DJ sets – it’s open until 1.30am at weekends. Note: this is only a good idea if you’re up for a dimly lit and noisy night. 

Bruno’s is an epic floating cocktail bar that adds edge to the canal it resides in. It is not your typical date night bar because 1. It is floating and 2. It serves unmatched cocktails and sophisticated entrees to nibble on as you drink. It is a classy and unconventional spot, ideal to celebrate the birthday of any Aquarius or Libra and an exquisite option for a seductive late-night martini outdoors. 

Mix top-notch wine importers Beattie and Roberts with king charcutier George Jephson and you get Cadet, a wine bar and shop serving rustic French plates such as confit rabbit with chard and aïoli or shallot tarte tatin. If the weather holds, snag a coveted spot out front. A Newington Green treasure.

Steal a sip and share in a laugh. The Camden Head is a relaxed local boozer that's as good on a weeknight as it is a Sunday afternoon.

Before every other restaurant was inviting guest chefs to mix up their menus, there was Carousel. Not quite a pop-up or a supper club, it’s a space with a constant string of short-term residencies from some of the world’s coolest chefs. Ahead of its time, the premise still holds – supper here is an opportunity to try Japanese flavours from Tokyo-based Seto Sousuke or flame-grilled favourites by Niklas Ekstedt. An insider ticket.

From the brotherhood of Top Cuvée comes Cave Cuvée. An intimate wine bar come bottle shop which is the perfect place to come with friends, relax, and chat with a glass of the freshest pet-nat in your hand. Hot dogs, charcuterie, and even oysters are on the menu for when you're feeling peckish. 

Hidden beneath Charlie Borrow’s leather workshop off Columbia Road,this is not a bar most people stumble upon. It’s only open on Thursday evenings, which just adds to the allure. Message on Instagram in advance to make sure there’s space and then ring the doorbell hard. Inside, there is candlelit mood lighting, five classic cocktails and wood panelling carved by Charlie.

Chesham Arms is a cosy traditional pub saved by its loving local community. It is known to be a splendid place to indulge in excellent beers in its outdoor garden during the golden hour. Simple and laidback, they turn on the fire during winter and serve Pizzas from their neighbor pizzeria. 

There’s always an interesting crowd huddled under heaters on the busy pavement terrace outside this Bloomsbury trattoria. The menu may be an AngloItalian mix of salmon tagliatelle and bolognese, and the pepper grinders comically large, but there are few spots in the city quite this cheerful. Generous plates of pasta and a rabblerousing piano player on weekends.

With its Art Deco chequered floor, resident pianist and cucumber finger sandwiches at tea, Claridge’s is about as classic as it gets. Yet it also has an eye on what’s cool: in the gargantuan subterranean spa with its own Josh Wood hair salon, for example. And in the John Pawson-designed ArtSpace Café, with its gallery-like patisserie counter and access to an actual gallery of rotating free-to- enter exhibitions from artists such as Damien Hirst and Mary McCartney. Hard to beat for its all-out excess.

Dan’s is a wine, beer and spirits boutique and bar. Head to this place at sunset time and rejoice in their array of wines with nibbles like tinned fish, Perilla olives and seriously good Sourdough bread. A candlelit room, experimental music and cool people in East London will never disappoint. 

Head out of the back of Paddington Station and you’ll emerge into the network on canals that leads to the charming neighbourhood of Little Venice, just to the north. Right opposite the steps find Darcie and May Green, two converted double decker barges brightly decorated by artist Peter Blake. Darcie is home to the kitchen offering a menu of classic Aussie-style brunch and diner classics through the day, May is the cute bar with full selection of classic and funked up cocktails. Both have an extensive list of Australasian wines by the glass or bottle. A table on the open top deck in the summer is a rare treat to watch the ducks and commuters pass by. As you’d expect from an Aussie outpost, the coffee is excellent, the wines big and the welcome warm.