Vinoteca Restaurant / Wine Bar

Camden Town / Islington, London –

No need to board a plane to travel the globe – London dwellers can just head to Vinoteca and revel in a booze-powered journey with hundreds of wines from all over the world.

The combination wine shop, bar, and restaurant has been a big hit with a diverse mix of regulars since opening in 2005, catering to foodies, snooty oenophiles, and plenty of budget-minded grape enthusiasts with its vast selection, regularly changing menu, and wholly unpretentious vibe.

Relaxed during the day, the small space picks up energy as gentlemen gather after work, their Financial Times abandoned as they reminisce over a bottle of Chianti, while trendy-hip locals perch on side stools at the bar to review the daily specials scrawled on the giant chalkboards.

Full-length windows and an array of wooden café furniture foster a relaxed yet sophisticated environment, buoyed by the dressed-up girls drenching chunks of baguette in olive oil and the creative groups of friends trying to pick from a seasonal menu that might include mussels, roasted pigeon, and spinach lasagna.

Serious connoisseurs are drawn to the corner alcove beside the bar, where row upon row of bottles for sale weigh down thick wooden shelves, while celebratory groups take advantage of the massive table in the private dining area downstairs.

With a selection that would please a sommelier and the laid-back ambiance of an Italian café, Vinoteca satisfies every kind of wino.