London: Gordon's Wine Bar

A friend of a friend spoke super-highly of Gordon's Wine Bar, touted as the oldest wine bar in London. That rocketed it right up my list of must-visits on the last trip, and my friend LaShauna was only too happy to join!

There's a lot of space here--cave-like rooms inside (up and down some scary-looking stairs) and outside, but it's a really popular location, so you had better grab a seat as soon as you spot it. It was a comfortably cool night, so LaShauna held our table in the outdoor alleyway (filled with tables, upturned wine barrels doubling as tables, and random chairs--also all packed) while I made my way to the extremely bustling bar.

You can't be shy at this point, folks--wallflowers will wilt waiting for service. A lovely chap let me take his spot after he got his order "You'll wait all night for nothing there," he told me, explaining that he'd waited almost 30 minutes in the same spot where I'd been waiting. I'm a patient girl, but life is short. I thanked him and took up his better spot, and within 2 minutes I'd ordered a bottle of a tempranillo wine from Portugal for 16 pounds (about 25 dollars).

I picked up an overflowing cup of olives for another 2 pounds 50. These were delicious and more than enough.

Doesn't that look lovely? 1 bottle, 2 glasses, a dozen or more olives--a recipe for a lovely evening outdoors. But wait, there's more!

Gordon's has plenty of cheese to go with that wine, too--don't you worry about that! After I came outside with the wine, LaShauna went back in to get some cheese and bread--and she came back with a jaw-dropping amount.

Gordon's is more than generous with their bread (this isn't including half-loaf on the table AND the other half-loaf that fell off the plate!) AND cheese--we ate to our hearts' and bellies' delight and STILL had more than half left.

They also have plenty of 'freebies' to add, gherkins, chutneys, etc. The gherkins I loved, but the chutney was too sweet for me. Not my thing.

We toasted our fabulous trip and enjoyed a few hours there, people-watching, eavesdropping listening in on the most interesting conversations going on around us, and savoring every sip, every bite of the London nightlife. I would definitely recommend Gordon's to anyone visiting London--it has a fun, energetic vibe, a mostly-young crowd outdoors, though it was a mix of all kinds inside, and what a fun location!

Gordon's Wine Bar
47 Villiers Street
London WC2N 6NE, United Kingdom
020 7930 1408