Best Places in London to Drink English Sparkling Wine

English sparkling wine is still not quite as ubiquitous in London as I feel it should be, and it baffles me that there are currently no dedicated English wine bars in the capital.

However, there are of course a number of restaurants and wine bars in the city which have at least some ESW on their wine list as part of a broader drinks offering. I spent far more time than any sane person really should poring through wine lists to bring you this list of places where English sparkling wine (and in  a few cases Welsh sparkling wine) is available.

So here's the list, in descending order of the number of English sparkling wines on the wine list:

1. The Coral Room in the Bloomsbury Hotel currently has 33 (!) English sparkling wines on their current wine list, with a rotating selection of 6 available by the glass. See here for a visit report and more details. 
2. Kerridge's Bar & Grill has 23 English sparkling wines (and 1 Welsh sparkling wine) on their current wine list - from a wide range of producers: Ancre Hill, Digby, Lyme Bay, Furleigh, Denbies, Nyetimber, Ridgeview, Court Garden, Davnport, Biddenden and Hush Heath.
3. Simpson's in the Strand's current wine list features 13 English sparkling wines from 7 producers, with a heavy representation from Ridgeview (6 of the 13) and the remainder from Bluebell, Furleigh Estate, Harrow and Hope, Coates and Seely, Hush Heath, Gusbourne and Chapel Down. Two of these (a special edition of Ridgeview's Cavendish for Simpson's  and Furleigh Estate's rosé) are available by the glass. 
4. Park Room at Grosvenor House Hotel has 12, all from Nyetimber, on their wine list, with an impressive range of vintages going back to 1998.
5. The Oxo Tower Restaurant and Bar has a total of 11 English sparkling wines on their current wine list from 5 producers: Digby (including the Harvey Nichols own brand), Gusbourne, Wiston, Hambledon and Hattingley Valley. There are also still English wines from seven producers. Bonus points for them as they have a bar as well as a restaurant, so you can go just for drinks to sample a few ESWs. The Harvey Nichols (Digby) is available by the glass.
6. The Ritz's current wine list has 10 English sparkling wines from 3 producers - Nyetimber, Rathfinny and Gusbourne. The Ritz also currently has Rathfinny as its sparkling wine of the month (May 2019) and is showcasing their three new releases prior to it going on general sale in June - all three are available by the glass.
7. Grays and Feather, a wine bar specialising in global sparkling wine, has 10 English sparkling wines on their wine list, from quite an eclectic range of producers: Blackdown Ridge, Henners, Forty Hall, Furleigh Estate, Westwell (Pelegrim), Jenkyn Place, Davenport, Gusbourne and Cottonworth. The Blackdown Ridge Primordia is available by the glass.
8. The Wine Bar at Fortnum and Mason has 10 ESWs from 7 producers in the current wine list online (April 2019) - although this is bolstered by the fact Nyetimber was their sparkling wine of the month in April, and Camel Valley their grower of the month, so they were offering a flight of three wines from Nyetimber, as well as the Fortnum's own brand English sparkling, made by Camel Valley. The other producers featured are Digby, Hambledon, Laverstoke Park, Gusbourne and Ridgeview. In total 7 of these English sparkling wines were available by the glass (3 from the standard list and the 4 featured in the sparkling / grower of the month).
9. The Beaufort Bar at the Savoy has 8 on their current wine list - from Rathfinny, Coates & Seely, Gusbourne, Bluebell, Hush Heath, Ridgeview and Chapel Down. Three available by the glass.
10. Boyds Grill and Wine bar has 8 ESWs on their current wine list  - 2 from Harrow & Hope, the remainder from Nyetimber. The 2 from Harrow & Hope are available by the glass.
11. Skylon's current wine list has 7 - from Nyetimber, Hambledon and Gusbourne. One (Nyetimber) available by the glass.
12. Dalloway Terrace has 6 from 6 different producers on their wine list - Greyfriars, Bolney, Harrow & Hope, Coates & Seely, Albourne and Exton Park. Three available by the glass.
13. Forman's has 6 from 5 producers on their wine list, and also an impressive selection of still English wines, with very reasonable prices (ESW from £32.50 in a restaurant - a bargain!). The two from Chapel Down are available by the glass.
14. Berners Tavern's current wine list has 6 from 4 producers - Hattingley Valley, Bride Valley, Gusbourne and Nyetimber. One (Nyetimber's 2013 Blanc de Blancs) available by the glass.
15. Mark Hix Oyster and Chophouse most recent wine list (February 2019) has 6 from 4 producers - three from Hambledon, Lyme Bay, an own brand made by Castlewood  and one from Chapel Down. One (Hambledon) available by the glass.
16. Chapel Down's bar and restaurant at Kings Cross has 5 sparkling wines on their wine list (see photo below - there doesn't seem to be a wine list on their website, which is slightly baffling) - all from Chapel Down of course. All 5 available by the glass.
17. The Gilbert Scott's current wine list has 5 - from Nyetimber, Hattingley Valley and Gusbourne. Two of these (Nyetimber and Gusbourne) available by the glass. They have a bar (quite a nice one in fact) - now named George's Bar as well as the restaurant - if you're looking for a pre / post ESW cocktail the rhubarb gimlet is excellent.
18. Roast - on the most recent wine list on their website (dated October 2018) has 5 English sparkling wines from Ambriel, Breaky Bottom, Sugrue and Forty Hall. Two of these (Ambriel's white and rosé) available by the glass.
19. Searcys at the Gherkin has 5 wines from Nyetimber on the most recent wine list on their site (March 2019) - 3 normal size bottles, 2 magnums (with the Classic Cuvée offered in both standard bottle and magnum, so perhaps this ought to only count as 4 in total?). However they're also currently offering Nyetimber tasting experiences which include the 1086 and Cuvée Cherie, not on their regular wine list, so the total number of ESWs they serve could be 7. Or could if you only count the Classic Cuvée regular bottle size and magnum as a single wine. Two are available by the glass.
20. 108 Brasserie has 5 ESWs from 3 producers on their drinks list - Nyetimber, Ridgeview and Gusbourne. Three available by the glass.
21. Cakes and Bubbles have 5 ESWs from 3 producers on their wine list - Nyetimber, Chapel Down and Rathfinny. Possibly just one (Nyetimber's Demi Sec) available by the glass.
22. Noble Rot's current wine list has 4 from England & Wales from three producers: Tillingham, Ancre Hill and Hambledon. Not clear from the wine list whether any are offered by the glass.
23. Vinoteca's current wine list has 4 English sparkling wines - 2 from Camel Valley, one from Wiston, and one rather off piste offering from Renegade London Wine. Again not clear from the wine list whether any are offered by the glass.
24. Greenberry Cafe's current wine list has 4 - Ancre Hill, Gusbourne, Wiston, Nyetimber. One (Gusbourne) by the glass.
25. Ormer's current wine list has 4: Henners, Nyetimber (Blanc de Blancs and Tillington 2010), Ridgeview. Not clear whether any are offered by the glass.
26. Corrigan's Mayfair has 4 on their current wine list: 3 from Nyetimber, 1 from Furleigh Estate.
27. The Gladwin Brothers' restaurants (Rabbit, The Shed and Nutbourne) serve wines from their family vineyard, Nutbourne (see here for a visit report), which is next door to Nyetimber. Their wine lists typically feature three ESWs from Nutbourne. I've been to The Shed, and really enjoyed it. At The Shed one of their ESWs (Nutty Wild) is available by the glass.
28. Lady of the Grapes has 4 on their current wine list - 3 from Ambriel and one from Oxney.
29. Medlar's current wine list has 3 - from Ridgeview, Gusbourne and Bride Valley.
30. Jews House Restaurant has 3 on their wine list - 2 from Gusbourne, one from Hambledon.
31. Adam Handling Chelsea has 3 on their wine list - an own label (I think from Ambriel), another from Ambriel, and  one from Sugrue.
32. The Tate Restaurant's current wine list has 3, 2 from Nyetimber, one from Coates & Seely. One (Nyetimber) available by the glass.
33. The Booking Office Bar has 3 on their drinks list, all from Chapel Down.
34. Shepherd's has 3 on their wine list from Furleigh, Ridgeview and Nyetimber. 
35. Langan's Brasserie has 3 on their wine list - one from Bluebell, two from Wiston.
36. St Pancras Champagne Bar has two on their current wine list: from Greyfriars and Furleigh Estate. Both available by the glass.
37. The Drift's current wine list - two, from Chapel Down and Ambriel. One (Chapel Down) available by the glass.
38. Little Kolkata has two on their drinks menu, both from Hattingley Valley. I sometimes have ESW with Indian food at home, great to see this in a restaurant!
39. Frederick's have two from Wiston on their wine list. The Finest Bubble also hold Champagne tasting events here, which usually include two from Nyetimber in the lineup.
40. The Holborn Dining Room  just has one on their current wine list (from Gusbourne) but I ate here in December 2018 and their sommelier, Michael Raebel, seemed to have a keen interest in ESW - he has visited a few vineyards and had a couple of extra wines available which were not on the list.
41. Hakkasan has Digby's Vintage Rosé, also available by the glass, which is (somewhat) exclusive to them.
42. Bubbledogs seems to only have one ESW on their current wine list (from Gusbourne - under "...In Different Area Codes"), but I get the impression they may have offered more in the past.
43. St. Ermin's Hotel offers an afternoon tea with English sparkling wine - I think Nyetimber.
44. Similarly Olley's Fish Experience, another fish and chips restaurant, looks like back in 2017 it had an impressive English wine selection - possibly the best in the country, and was the venue for a tasting organised by The Buyer. However I can't see any evidence of that on their website today. I have emailed them to confirm. 
45. Davy's Wine Bars have around 20 bars / restaurants which seem to have a fairly standardised wine list between venues (with one ESW from Court Garden). So take your pick from a variety of locations: The City Boot, The Bottlescrue, The Boot & Flogger and elsewhere.
46. Quo Vadis' current wine list seems to just have one - Nyetimber.
47. Putney Pies has one on their menu from Furleigh Estate. Love the idea of pies and ESW!
48. The Roebuck has one (from Davenport) on its wine list, and deserves special mention not just for being one of the only pubs on this page serving an ESW, but also for picking a great one (Davenport's Limney Estate was my personal favourite from the organic ESW tasting I did), and very reasonably priced at just £40.
49. Yupa's Thai has one from Chapel Down on their drinks menu - I can't say I've ever tried ESW with Thai food but it sounds intriguing!
50. Millie's Lounge "serves classic dishes alongside a selection of English sparkling wines", but I could only see one on their wine list, from Nyetimber.
51. Bella Bar and Restaurant, which serves Italian cuisine, has one from Greyfriars on their wine list.
52. The Rose Pub & Kitchen has one, from Henners, on their wine list. 

This is obviously not an exhaustive list - but it's certainly the longest one I know of anywhere on the web. It shows there are at least some places in London are making an effort in terms of representing English sparkling wine - over 30 bars or restaurants with what could reasonably be called "a selection" (i.e. at least two!) of English sparkling wines, and over 50 which have at least one.

Appendix

I also made Google Maps list of the top 20, all of which have 5 or more English sparkling wines on their menu. You can follow this list and these places will be highlighted on Google Maps.

Here's the sparkling page from the wine list for Chapel Down in King's Cross, as there doesn't seem to be one online anywhere:

Some other articles on where to drink ESW in London which I used for some initial research, (although the majority of places on the list do not feature in any of these):

• Evening Standard, May 2017
• The Drinks Business November 2017
• Ideal Magazine April 2018
• TimeOut May 2018 (not all ESW related)
• Design My Night May 2019