Real House Wines of London
Searching for where the vibes, the views, the value and the vino meet across London’s best pub gardens. Follow @realhousewinesoflondon on IG
Just like that, summer’s over. There’s a back-to-school feeling, Practical Magic is back on our screens and there’s a chill in the air (well, not really, but we can blame El Niño for that).
We actually love September. After the excitement of summer, there’s something rather nice about pulling back on social plans, getting back into a routine and having a bit of a reset.
One thing we never pull back on, of course, is our quest for London’s best house wine and the vibiest place to drink it. But the criteria for a place – and a wine – that satisfies our autumn drinking needs are rather different. It’s goodbye overcrowded pub gardens, outdoor DJs and, alas, beautifully pale rosé.
So this month, we’re swapping summer maxxing for autumn stomping, and we’ll be telling you the best pubs and wine bars in London to head to after a big, long walk in the autumn air. Don’t be ashamed to let your wholesome hun out.
Best Pub in North London – The Albert, Primrose Hill
Imagine you’ve just finished a long walk up primrose hill, pretending you’re in a Richard Curtis film and you’re now desperately seeking a meet cute in a quintessentially British pub, cue The Albert.
The house white is a very respectable Verdejo from Campo Flores for £7.20. It’s elegant, dry and fruity (their words not ours) but we thought it was a pretty accurate description, and we loved that it’s organic.
Being independent gives them free rein over their offering, and it shows: there’s clearly been some thought put into both the house choice and the wider wine list. Also the wine was served in a lovely glass for such a pubby pub – IYKYK. Long live the thin stem.
In terms of vibes, it’s a super cute neighbourhood spot in one of those areas you’d consider selling a lung to live in. They have tables out the front and a big, leafy garden at the back. Inside, it’s full of Victorian features, dark wood and lil nooks and crannies – perfect for autumn.
Vibes ✓
Views ✓
Value ✓
Vino … pretty standard
Best Wine Bar in East London – Hectors, Du Beauvoir
Is there a more stunning neighbourhood for a Sunday stomp than Du Beauvoir? I think not and it’s also not short of delicious spots for a drink.
Hectors is an intimate wine bar and bottle shop, serving yummy small plates and wines by the bottle and glass. They have a rotating wine list, so technically all the wine is house (halleulujah) and we had a chilled red and orange. They have a rotating wine list, so technically all the wine is house (hallelujah), and we went for a chilled red and an orange at £10 a glass.
The red was Mas de l’Escarida Fai Virar Rosé 2023, a natural, aromatic 100% Gamay from the Ardèche. Light, juicy, full of flavour and just banging. The orange was Schlehe, made by a husband-and-wife team in Austria. Fruity, velvety and just our type of funky.
Tbh, the wine here is outstanding. With the price tag, you’d expect it to be, but still, please take our money.
Vibes wise, Hectors is chic and wine focussed but a very sexy spot for a date or catching up with a friend. It gets absolutely packed on a Saturday afternoon, so we’d recommend mid-week or post your Sunday walk.
Last thing – THE OIL DIFFUSER IN THIS LOO SMELLS SO GOOD! Our recommendation is to drink plenty of wine and make sure you keep needing a wee.
Vibes ✓
Views ✓
Value … expensive but worth it
Vino ✓
Best Pub in West London – Old Ship, Hammersmith
The Hammersmith riverside will forever have our hearts as both your house wine huns originate from West London.
A perfect day consists of meeting the girls at Barnes and slowly ambling your way down the riverside, watching the rowers and letting autumn sink in. There’s certainly no shortage of pub stops along the way, and we’d highly recommend trying them all out for yourself, but today we’re stopping at the Old Ship for our wine.
Alas, it is a Youngs pub so the house wine isn’t going to change your life. A classic Pinot Grigio – light, citrusy and crisp. It’s extremely inoffensive and £7.20 a glass.
The Old Ship has gorgeous views of the river and is truly a fantastic spot for people to watch. If there isn’t outside space you can perch on the wall and get good pics for your gram. There’s a stunning upstairs balcony but be careful because the staircase is perilous. Particularly good for a post walk on Sunday.
Vibes ✓
Views ✓
Value ✓
Vino…will suffice
Best Pub in South London – The Abbeville, Clapham
Do a lap or two of The Common checking out both the rugby boys and the quidditch players and then make your way to Abbeville Road where you’ll find a pub that manages to be both rustic and refined. It looks like it could have been lifted and shifted straight from the home counties.
The wine list here is super interesting and split into split the kind of categories people actually use to describe wine; easy drinking, food friendly, full bodied and something different.
The Spanish, El Ninot de Paper Tinto was the very respectable choice for the house wine. Juicy, light and with a hint of spice, it’s £7 for a glass but they also serve carafes. We love carafes.
A lovely, cosy, community pub to while away your Sunday.
Vibes ✓
Views ✓
Value ✓
Vino ✓
Happy walking and wine-ing friends, don’t forget to check out @Realhousewinesoflondon on Instagram should you need any more recommendations xx
Fancy another? Explore more RHWOL pub picks.