Published: 29 June 2026
Soho has established itself as one of London’s most reliable areas for wine bars and restaurants. Within its dense network of streets, a concentration of venues has emerged where the wine list takes precedence, shaped by sourcing and specialist knowledge.
Wine bars have been part of London’s dining culture for decades, although their role has evolved. In the post-war period, early operators introduced a more continental style of drinking, centred on French bottles served with simple food. By the 1980s and 1990s, the format had shifted towards after-work drinking, with wine bars becoming fixtures of the City and West End.
Over the past fifteen years, the model has tightened again. Lists are now more curated, with greater emphasis on region, producer and vineyard practice. The rise of natural, organic and biodynamic wine has brought smaller growers and less conventional styles into wider circulation, reshaping expectations of what a London wine bar offers.
Best for a Large Wine List: The Black Book
Founded by Master Sommeliers Gearoid Devaney and Xavier Rousset, The Black Book is a basement wine bar and kitchen on Frith Street. Positioned close to Old Compton Street and within easy reach of the West End theatres, it has established itself as a bar for accomplished wine drinkers.
Open Wednesday to Saturday, the bar is best known for its extensive selection, including one of London’s largest by-the-glass lists, made possible by a walk-in Coravin cellar. The list changes daily and focuses on limited quantities from established producers and vineyards across Europe and beyond. Alongside this sits a concise Italo-American food menu of small plates and grilled dishes that are designed for pairing.
The site was formerly home to TRADE, a hospitality members’ club co-founded by the same team and the name references the handwritten “Black Book” of fine and rare wines once kept there. Today, the venue retains a membership option that provides late-night access after 1am.
Best for Natural Wines: Bar Crispin
Part of the Crispin group, Bar Crispin is an all-day restaurant and wine bar found on Kingly Street. The venue serves lunch and dinner throughout the week and combines a seasonal European menu with a focused and low-intervention wine programme.
The list, curated by head of wine Alex Price, is primarily European and centres on organic and biodynamic producers. It highlights regions including the Loire, Beaujolais, Savoie and the Jura, alongside bottles from Sicily, Tenerife and Greece. With around 150 wines and regular changes driven by independent merchants, the emphasis is on producer selections and minimal-intervention styles., with some bottles available in limited quantities. In the kitchen, head chef Fabien Spagnolo, formerly of Frenchie, Pollen Street Social and Casa Fofo, leads a menu of sharing plates made with sustainably sourced British ingredients.
Best for Classic Bottles: Noble Rot
Also a publication dedicated to wine, food and popular culture, Noble Rot Soho occupies the former site of The Gay Hussar. The period features of the townhouse have been preserved and the restaurant operates as a full-service dining room rather than a solely wine bar, with a licence that requires guests to dine.
The wine list focuses on established European regions and producers. Bottles span Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Rhône and beyond, with an emphasis on traditional style. The wine is supported by a food menu designed to complement the list, created by executive chef Adam Wood and head chef Áron Stigmon, with consultant chef Stephen Harris of The Sportsman in Seasalter. Service runs Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner, with a set lunch menu that is available daily.
Best for Biodynamic Producers: Ducksoup
Ducksoup operates as a natural wine bar and restaurant that is compact in size and informal in format. Founded by Clare Lattin, Tom Hill and Rory McCoy, it delivers a frequently changing food menu with a wine list that focuses on low-intervention producers.
The wine programme centres on natural and biodynamic bottles sourced through a small group of independent suppliers. The by-the-glass selection changes regularly, mirroring the kitchen’s seasonal approach and includes characterful wines from producers working with organic and biodynamic practices. In addition to the main list, Ducksoup maintains a separate cellar book featuring bottles that have been aged in-house. These wines are selected over time and released at fair pricing, without retrospective mark-ups.
The kitchen focuses on modern European dishes built around seasonal ingredients, with menus changing weekly. Service runs Monday evening and Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner, alongside a Sunday set lunch.
Best for Contemporary Wines: Firebird
Firebird is an open-fire restaurant and wine bar pairing Mediterranean-inspired cooking with a focused natural wine list. The programme is curated by co-owner and sommelier Anna Dolgushina and centres on small, predominantly Old World producers working with organic and biodynamic practices.
The list changes frequently and emphasises low-intervention bottles that express grape variety and terroir, with a balance of structured, mineral and fruit styles. Producers are selected for vineyard practices, minimal cellar manipulation and smaller runs alongside a full bar selection.
In the kitchen, dishes are built around a custom open-fire grill, with meat, seafood and vegetables sourced from local and regional suppliers. The menu spans lunch and dinner service through the week, with set lunch options available on selected days. The 45-cover space, designed by DA BUREAU, accommodates dining across a main room and bar counter.
Best Newcomer: Forza Wine Soho
Set to open in February 2026 on Manette Street, Forza Wine Soho marks the latest expansion of the Forza Wine group, following its Peckham rooftop and National Theatre outpost. The Soho site occupies a large former restaurant space with an open-air terrace just off Charing Cross Road.
As with its previous venues, the focus is expected to remain on low-intervention wines, with a list that is centred largely on Italian producers. The menu typically showcases chilled reds, skin-contact whites and bottles from small growers, alongside a short cocktail list featuring negronis and margaritas. Food follows a similar format to its sister sites, with a compact selection of Italian-influenced small plates that are designed for sharing.
Wine bars now occupy former members’ clubs, political dining rooms and rooftop terraces, with many operating sommelier-led programmes and lists that change daily or weekly. By-the-glass selections can extend into triple figures, natural and biodynamic producers sit alongside established European regions and are often built around cellar depth rather than cocktail service. The modern wine bar is no longer incidental to dining; it is the reason to go.
