Even the savviest of wine lovers is aware of the sinking feeling that may come when perusing a restaurant’s wine checklist. My very own private bugbears embody wines offered – fairly actually – as a listing, with no try to explain their important characters or why you may wish to order it, and costs that zoom up and down like a rollercoaster as an alternative of helpfully ascending from low to excessive. The wine checklist lottery is sufficient to make you attain for a drink to calm the nerves earlier than even choosing a bottle.
Restaurant critiques have a tendency to focus on the meals; few hassle to speak concerning the wine. And but what’s served within the glass can have an effect on the enjoyment of a meal simply as a lot as what’s served on the plate.
Too many wine lists, nevertheless, require blind religion within the choice course of behind them – or else an encyclopaedic data of grapes and areas, kinds and vintages. The cynic in me wonders whether or not that is merely a ruse for the sommelier to push their most worthwhile bottles, although few issues are as prone to kill repeat customized than upselling wines.
What’s extra, all too typically the eating places with essentially the most lauded wine lists are additionally the most costly. Nothing improper with that for these that may afford it, after all. However it tends to not encourage one of many best joys of wine: experimentation.
As an alternative, beneath we’ve chosen the eating places throughout the UK the place imaginative lists have been assembled, with as a lot of an eye fixed on affordability as enjoyment and – even when the wine checklist gives little by means of annotation – employees who’ve been completely educated to supply educated and reliable recommendation.
Learn on to find the place good worth is matched by nice alternative and, if unsure, verify the wine checklist on the restaurant’s web site beforehand.
Greatest worth restaurant wine lists
The ten Circumstances, London
Solely ever shopping for 10 instances of wine for its ever-changing checklist – all out there by the glass – and nice food-matching too.
Askham Corridor, Penrith, Cumbria
The household seat of the Earls of Lonsdale excels with basic Burgundy and Bordeaux from the household cellar; the Loire and South Africa are additionally robust.
The Black Bull, Sedbergh, Cumbria
Characterful, quirky and good-value wines from small, sustainable European producers, together with areas less-travelled by many lists.
Chez Bruce & La Trompette, London
La Trompette
Each underneath the identical possession. Distinctive lists with tons by the glass, and a few costs cheaper than retail.
The Drapers Arms, London
A reasonably-priced checklist virtually solely focused on artisan European producers all of the extra shocking for being in a pub.
The Felin Fach Griffin, Brecon, Powys
The Gurnard’s Head, St Ives, Cornwall
The Outdated Coastguard, Mousehole, Cornwall
This trio of Welsh and West Nation inns is united by wines sourced from regionally specialised retailers, additionally out there to remove for nearly price worth.
Freemasons, Clitheroe, Lancashire
A listing so effectively written that it may function a novices’ information to wine, with reds and whites divided into 4 kinds every, playful descriptions all through and one thing for all tastes and budgets.
Kitchen W8, London
Credit score: Andrew Hayes-Watkins
A classically European checklist not priced as dearly as may be anticipated by the Kensington location, Kitchen W8 excels with a weekly altering number of tremendous wines provided by the glass at price worth (£10 to £30).
The Newport, Newport, Fife
Masterchef: The Professionals winner Jamie Scott’s bistro boasts a superb checklist from a neighborhood service provider.
The Outdated Bridge, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire
The Wine Store
Proprietor and MW John Hoskins gives 15 wines by the glass, 20 extra from an Enomatic and wines with between £10-£20 added from retail worth; the broad, style-led checklist can be out there to take dwelling from the Wine Store subsequent door.
Otto’s, London
Credit score: Nic Crilly-Hargrave
Otto Tepasse eschews something that one may discover within the grocery store, as an alternative choosing nice vintages from basic French areas, and he’s normally on-hand to supply recommendation.
Park Home, Cardiff
An impressively broad checklist of 1,500 bins, particularly robust on Australia, at scarcely plausible costs.
The Terrace Rooms and Wine, Ventnor, Isle of Wight
Among the lowest wine mark-ups within the nation on an accessible 35-bin checklist with virtually nothing over £100 and wines chosen to be at peak ingesting drink now.
Tyddyn Llan, Corwen, Denbighshire
A 250-strong international checklist sourced from small wineries run by hands-on house owners, providing fascinating and inexpensive choices alongside the classics.
Wild Flor, Hove, East Sussex
Not, total, the most affordable checklist however wines for each funds and temper, helpfully grouped by grape.
Greatest restaurant chain wine lists
Brasserie Blanc
Now 14 branches, and a brief, helpfully annotated checklist that’s extra rigorously chosen than at many chains.
Carluccio’s
Some less-obvious Italian decisions, and you should buy from the store to drink together with your meal (£5 corkage applies).
Côte
Cote’s all-French wine checklist won’t be the simplest to pronounce however the useful annotation couldn’t be any simpler to grasp.
Gaucho
Gaucho Charlotte Avenue
The costs are slightly steep, however it has a critical and unrivalled number of Argentinian wines.
Hawksmoor
Hawksmoor Manchester
Every website has its personal wine checklist however all favour a mixture of small producers and big-name vineyards with a desire for the steak-friendly.
Resort du Vin Bistros
Native shopping for choices are allowed, with sommeliers even shopping for wine at public sale.
Loch Fyne Seafood and Grill
Centered on whites to go well with the primarily fishy delicacies; a well-composed checklist.
