The wineries along Portugal’s huge Douro river are most famous for producing grapes for port, but there’s much more than fortified grapes being poured at this azelujo-tiled room in a Southwark railway arch. The all-Portuguese list takes in the length and breadth of this sometimes undervalued producing country, with many rare bottles. Bar Douro also happens to be an excellent ambassador for Iberian food too.
Address: Bar Douro, Arch 35B, 85B Southwark Bridge Road, SE1 0NQ
Telephone: +44 2073780524
Website: bardouro.co.uk
Winemakers Club, Deptford
Proof that the natural-wine trend is invading every inch of London, this small shop and importer (with an original venue in Farringdon) is now serving organic and biodynamic expressions in deepest Deptford. In a comfortingly rustic room, chatty staff introduce locals to wines that might include orange wines from Slovenia, sparkling reds from Austria and 10-grape blends from Alsace.
Address: Winemakers Club, 209 Deptford High Street, SE8 3NT
Telephone: +44 20 8305 6852
Website: thewinemakersclub.co.uk
40 Maltby Street, Borough
Opening early in the 2010s, this barebones operation was one of the first of a wave of London eateries to pair conversation-starting natural and organic wines with punchy and uncomplicated plates, all served in a no-frills space (the premises of wine importer Gergovie). A trailblazer then – and very much the leader of the pack today.
Address: 40 Maltby Street SE1 3PA
Telephone: +44 20 7237 9247
Website: 40maltbystreet.com
Wine Rooms, Kensington
The menu here is something you could easily get lost in – long, with dozens of wines by the glass, sorted into helpful categories like ‘Juicy & Bright’ or ‘Aromatic & Dry’. They’re all kept fresh by the banks of Enomatic wine-preservation machines that line the wall of this classy Kensington bar. Everything on the food menu comes with a suggestion for a matching wine.
Address: Wine Rooms, 127-129 Kensington Church St, W8 7LP
Website: winerooms.london