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Best Wine Bars in Soho are rarely just about the wine.
This part of London has always been built around late nights, conversation, and places that feel a little bit hidden. Behind narrow doors and above busy streets, you’ll find small rooms lined with bottles, candlelit cellars, and restaurant bars where the wine list quietly steals the show.
Some of Soho’s best wine spots are dedicated wine bars. Others are restaurants with thoughtful lists curated by people who care deeply about what’s in the glass. What they all share is atmosphere. Places where a quick drink turns into a second bottle and the evening stretches longer than planned.
Bar Crispin
Bar Crispin sits on Kingly Street, right where Soho’s constant movement meets the slightly calmer edge of Carnaby. From the outside it looks understated. Inside, it’s one of the more thoughtful places in the area to sit down with a proper glass of wine.
The space is small and polished. Counter seating, soft lighting, shelves of bottles, and a room that always feels just busy enough. It’s the sort of place where you come for “a glass” and suddenly realise you’ve stayed for dinner.
Wine is the backbone here. The list leans towards low-intervention producers, with a strong presence of European bottles and a rotating selection by the glass that makes exploring easy. You’ll find skin-contact whites, elegant Loire Valley reds, Alpine wines, and smaller producers that don’t often appear on bigger restaurant lists. Staff know the wines well and are quick to suggest something interesting based on what you like.
Food follows the same philosophy: seasonal, precise and designed to sit comfortably alongside the wine. Dishes might include Cornish crab with citrus, grilled pork with fermented chilli, or delicate vegetable plates that shift with the seasons.
The crowd is very Soho. Creatives, industry people, couples on dates, and friends start the evening before moving deeper into the neighbourhood. Bar Crispin is one of the few places in Soho where the wine program clearly leads the conversation.
Website: Bar Crispin
Address: 19 Kingly St, Carnaby, London W1B 5PY
The Black Book
The Black Book feels exactly like the name suggests. Slightly secretive. Dimly lit. The kind of place you hear about from someone who knows Soho well. The place is small enough that you could walk past it without noticing. Inside, candles on the tables. Shelves lined with bottles. A room that encourages conversation rather than noise.
Wine is the clear focus. The list is compact but thoughtful, leaning toward independent producers and small European vineyards. You’ll find elegant Burgundy, textured Italian whites, interesting Spanish reds, and a rotating selection by the glass that changes regularly depending on what the team is excited about. Natural wines appear on the list, but it never feels dogmatic. The emphasis is simply on good bottles.
Food stays simple. Cheese boards, charcuterie, and small plates that support the wine rather than compete with it. This is not the place for a long dinner. It’s where you sit with a bottle and let the evening unfold.
The crowd tends to be made up of Soho regulars, post-theatre couples, and wine lovers who prefer intimate spaces to nearby louder bars.
Website: The Black Book
Address: 23 Frith St, London W1D 4RR
Le Beaujolais
Le Beaujolais is one of Soho’s quiet legends.
On Frith Street, just a few doors down from some of the neighbourhood’s busiest restaurants, this small French spot has been pouring wine here since the 1970s. Step inside and it feels like Soho from another era. Wooden tables, handwritten chalkboards, bottles stacked everywhere. Downstairs, there’s even a small cellar dining room that feels closer to a Parisian bistro than a central London restaurant.
Wine is the soul of the place. As the name suggests, Beaujolais wines are a speciality, with several bottles from small producers across the region. But the list stretches across France as well. Burgundy, Rhône, Loire and Bordeaux all appear, often from family-run vineyards rather than the larger labels you’ll see elsewhere. It’s the sort of list that rewards curiosity.
Food follows a traditional French bistro style. Think onion soup, duck confit, escargots and simple plates of cheese that pair perfectly with a glass of Gamay or a bottle of Burgundy.
Le Beaujolais feels timeless. In a part of London that changes constantly, this small French wine house continues to do exactly what it has always done: serve good wine in a room full of character.
Website: Le Beaujolais
Address: 25 Litchfield St, London WC2H 9NJ
Antidote
Antidote sits quietly on Greek Street, but anyone who cares about wine in Soho already knows it.
From the outside, it looks modest. Inside, it’s one of the neighbourhood’s most serious wine-focused restaurants. The dining room is warm and intimate, with wooden tables, shelves of bottles, and a feel that’s built for long dinners rather than quick drinks.
Wine drives the entire experience here. The list leans heavily into organic and biodynamic producers, with a strong focus on French vineyards but plenty of interesting bottles from Italy, Spain and beyond. Burgundy and Loire wines appear, alongside smaller growers you won’t always see on mainstream restaurant lists. The by-the-glass selection rotates often, which makes it easy to explore without committing to a full bottle.
Food works alongside the wines rather than competing with them. Expect elegant plates such as grilled fish with beurre blanc, roasted vegetables with delicate sauces, or beautifully cooked meat dishes that change with the seasons. It feels more like a small European restaurant than a typical Soho bar.
Antidote treats wine with real respect. If you’re the kind of person who likes discovering producers rather than just drinking labels, this is the place. If you’re planning dinner here on a busy evening, Capital A List can often secure one of the better tables before the room fills with the after-work crowd.
Website: Antidote
Address: 12A Newburgh St, Carnaby, London W1F 7RR
Marjorie’s
Marjorie’s feels like the kind of place Soho was made for. Just off Carnaby Street, it’s small, lively, and built around the idea that good wine and simple food should carry the entire evening. The room is narrow, with a long counter and tightly packed tables that encourage conversation between neighbours. It feels relaxed and energetic. The kind of place where the entire room slowly gets louder as more bottles open.
Wine is at the centre of everything here. The list leans heavily toward low-intervention producers and smaller European vineyards, with a strong presence from France, Italy and Central Europe. You’ll see skin-contact whites, chilled reds and interesting Alpine wines alongside more familiar bottles. The by-the-glass selection changes regularly depending on what the team is excited to pour that week.
Food follows the same philosophy. Small seasonal plates designed for sharing and pairing with wine rather than dominating the table. Expect dishes like grilled vegetables with bright sauces, delicate seafood, or beautifully simple meat plates that feel almost Mediterranean in spirit.
Marjorie’s captures the modern side of Soho wine culture. Slightly chaotic, full of personality, and always centred around what’s in the glass.
Website: Marjorie’s
Address: 26 Foubert’s Pl, Carnaby, London W1F 7PP
The Mulwray
The Mulwray is the kind of place you only find if someone tells you about it.
Tucked above The Blue Posts on Rupert Street, it feels hidden even by Soho standards. You climb the stairs, step into a small room lined with bottles, and suddenly the neighbourhood noise disappears. The space is intimate. A few tables. A bar. Shelves stacked with interesting wines. It’s the kind of room where everyone seems quietly focused on what’s in their glass.
Wine is very much the point here. The list leans heavily toward low-intervention producers, with a strong emphasis on European vineyards. Expect orange wines, skin-contact whites and elegant lighter reds that feel made for long evenings. There’s also a thoughtful selection of classic bottles, but the real appeal is discovering producers you probably haven’t encountered before.
The team behind the bar knows the list well and will happily guide you toward something new. Tell them what you usually drink and they’ll likely suggest something unexpected that still makes sense. Food is minimal. A few snacks, perhaps some cheese or charcuterie. It’s not a dinner destination. It’s a place to sit with a bottle and let the evening unfold slowly.
Website: The Mulwray
Address: First Floor, The Blue Posts, 28 Rupert St, London W1D 6DJ
Baaria – Italian Café, Wine and Cocktail Bar
Baaria brings a slice of Sicily to Soho, and the wine list is a big part of the reason people return.
The space feels warm in that unmistakably Italian way. Tables sit close together, the bar is usually buzzing, and the room carries the hum of conversation that builds as bottles start opening. It’s not a formal wine bar, but wine clearly plays a central role in the experience.
The list leans heavily Italian, which is exactly what you want here. Expect bottles from Sicily, Tuscany and Piedmont alongside lesser-known southern regions that don’t appear on many London lists. Nero d’Avola and Etna Rosso show up frequently, alongside crisp Sicilian whites that pair beautifully with seafood dishes. There are also several wines available by the glass, which makes it easy to explore without committing to a full bottle.
Food is where Baaria really shines. The kitchen focuses on Sicilian classics, with dishes like fresh pasta, seafood plates, and rich ragù that feel made to sit alongside a generous pour of Italian red. Baaria proves that great wine bars aren’t always labelled as such. Sometimes the best bottles are hiding inside a buzzing Italian restaurant.
Website: Baaria – Italian Café, Wine and Cocktail Bar
Address: 76-78, Charing Cross Rd, London WC2H 0BD
Bar Kroketa
Bar Kroketa is known first for its croquetas. But spend a little time here and you realise the wine deserves just as much attention.
The space is compact and lively in a way that feels unmistakably Spanish. There’s a small bar, tightly packed tables, and the constant rhythm of plates arriving from the kitchen. It feels more like a Madrid tapas bar than a typical Soho restaurant.
Wine plays an important supporting role. The list leans heavily toward Spanish, which makes perfect sense with the food. Expect bottles from Rioja and Ribera del Duero alongside fresher styles from regions like Galicia and Catalonia. Albariño appears regularly and pairs well with the seafood dishes coming out of the kitchen. You’ll also find lighter reds that work well with tapas.
The food menu centres around croquetas in different styles. Jamón ibérico is a favourite, but there are often seasonal variations as well. Beyond that, expect classic Spanish small plates: tortilla, grilled meats, seafood dishes, and simple vegetable plates designed for sharing. Bar Kroketa captures the spirit of wine drinking in Spain. Casual, generous and built around good food and conversation.
Website: Bar Kroketa
Address: 21 Beak St, Carnaby, London W1F 9RR
Firebird | Restaurant & Wine Bar
Firebird is one of the newer names in Soho, but it already feels like it belongs. Set just off Poland Street, the restaurant revolves around an open-fire kitchen and a wine list that clearly takes its role seriously. Walk in, and the space feels warm and animated. Flames flicker in the kitchen, bottles line the shelves, and the room carries that familiar Soho energy where dinner often turns into drinks.
Wine is central to the experience. The list leans toward European wines, with a strong focus on small producers and low-intervention winemaking. You’ll find elegant bottles from the Loire Valley, interesting Alpine wines, textured skin-contact whites, and lighter reds designed to pair with food. The by-the-glass selection rotates frequently, giving regulars a reason to keep coming back.
Food is built around live-fire cooking, which gives the menu a slightly rustic edge. Expect dishes like grilled vegetables with bold sauces, seafood cooked over flame, and charred meats that arrive meant for sharing. It’s the kind of food that naturally encourages another bottle.
Firebird makes this list because it understands the relationship between food and wine. The bottles aren’t an afterthought here. They’re part of the entire experience.
Website: Firebird | Restaurant & Wine Bar
Address: 29 Poland St, London W1F 8QR
Cork & Bottle Wine Bar Leicester Square
Leicester Square above ground is loud, bright and relentlessly busy. Then you walk down the stairs at Cork & Bottle and everything suddenly slows down.
This underground wine cellar has been part of the neighbourhood since the 1970s, and stepping inside feels like discovering a small slice of old European wine culture hidden beneath the West End. Brick walls, low ceilings, candlelight and shelves filled with bottles give the space a cosy, slightly timeless atmosphere. It’s the kind of place where people settle in rather than rush through a drink before a show.
The wine list is impressively deep, particularly if you lean toward classic European regions. France dominates the offering, with strong representation from Burgundy, Bordeaux and the Rhône Valley, but you’ll also find Italian and Spanish bottles alongside a few interesting surprises. There’s a good selection by the glass for pre-theatre visitors, though the real joy is choosing a bottle and letting the evening unfold.
Food follows the same old-world approach. French onion soup, steak frites, cheese boards and simple dishes designed to pair with a good red. It’s comforting and unfussy, exactly what a proper wine cellar should serve. Cork & Bottle offers something rare in central London: a wine bar with genuine history and atmosphere. If you’d like one of the better cellar tables before the theatre crowd arrives, Capital A List can usually arrange it.
Website: Cork & Bottle Wine Bar Leicester Square
Address: 44-46 Cranbourn St, London WC2H 7AN
