Champagne + Fromage is the kind of friendly, unassuming place where you can imagine yourself popping in for a coffee on a Sunday morning and leaving an hour later with a parcel of cheese and a bottle of champagne. Based on the simple concept of grower champagne (producers who own the grapes that they use to produce their champagne) and French cheese, the emphasis is on exploring different small producers, and subsequently the variations of taste that stem from a focus on their craft.

Each location of Champagne + Fromage has its own character – Covent Garden caters for the theatre crowd, while Brixton Village pulls upon the community spirit of the surrounding market – but all take inspiration from a French country deli. Greenwich is the last branch of the three to have opened, following the foodie scene’s gradual trickle from central London to more residential areas out east.

Sager + Wilde’s first incarnation was a weekly pop-up in 2012,
where a limited number of brilliant wines at overly tempting prices
were open at any one time, and new ones were announced by the
ringing of a bell. The wine, plus the cheese toasties and low-key
vibe, meant that word spread quickly and by the time Sager + Wilde
opened their wine bar they already had a small, intrigued
following.

Situated on a sunny corner of
Hackney Road, the permanent version of Sager + Wilde has the
same spirit as the pop-up, albeit a little more organised and
without the bell ringing. Staff are encouraged by owners Michael
and Charlotte Sager-Wilde to express their individuality when it
comes to clothes and music, and to use whichever language they’re
comfortable with when describing wine to customers. The result is
that Sager + Wilde has a lot of character, and is also a lot of
fun.

The wine itself is sourced from “a handful of brilliant
importers”, and frequent ‘winemaker nights’ show the strength of
Sager + Wilde’s relationship with producers around the world.
Interiors nod to the history of the building, a former east London
boozer called The British Lion, and were inspired by the reclaimed
pavement-light bar top that the Sager-Wildes sourced from a salvage
yard. Charlotte describes the look as “industrial/slightly gothic
chic”, adding “everything is very subtle and understated. Not
remotely like it’s owners or patrons at all”.

Sager + Wilde have recently re-branded their second location,
Mission, as the Sager + Wilde restaurant and scrapped a former
focus on California to open up the range. It’s within walking
distance so if all the wine drinking leaves you hungry, point your
nose in the direction of Paradise Row.

Next time you go for dinner in central London, here’s our tip:
pay your check after the main and head to Compagnie des Vins
Surnaturels for the cheese course. Hidden away in Neal’s Yard, CVS
is sheltered from the tourist hustle of nearby Covent Garden
streets and has a magic combination of gorgeous art deco interiors,
comfy seats, low light and attentive waiters.

It’s also the perfect spot for a romantic date. Many of the
tables were set up for two when we popped in for a glass of
Jurançon and a cheese board, and plenty of animated faces were lit
by candles in cut-glass tumblers.

To get down to the ethos of CVS, the ‘Surnaturels’ part of the
name can be misleading at a glance. Indeed we originally read it as
having something to do with ‘natural’ wine, which is en vogue at
the moment, but this doesn’t seem to be the case. ‘Surnaturels’ is
linked to mysticism, the unknown, and when we learned that CVS is
owned by the same people who run the Experimental Cocktail Club, it
started to make sense – the owners seem to be aiming to bring the
magic of speakeasy-style cocktail bars to wine bars. The result is
a varied wine list which will leave even seasoned wine drinkers
scratching their heads in an attempt to work out how CVS found some
of the producers. There are some big names, and you pay
accordingly.

A full menu is served in addition to the aforementioned cheese
boards, and although it includes vegetarian dishes the focus is
more heavily on meat, fish and cheese (which makes sense as the
original CVS is located in Paris). Wine tastings are also held
periodically if you wish to learn more.