You’ll know the moment you arrive why Terroirs is our favorite Natural Wine Bar in London. When you enter, it feels like you’ve left the bustle of London and stepped into a bistro in the French countryside. This wine bar is comfortable in an understated way — a welcome reprieve from the neon glow of London’s West End — its warm lighting and open arms of friendship pull you off the street with a promise of homecoming.

Terroir is French for “a sense of place” — the idea that an artisan good should reflect the region where it was made. Many Natural Wine Growers hold dear the concept of terroir. They aim to make wines that express, in every sip, the minerals that fed the grapevines, the whims of Nature that ripened the grapes, even the personality of the wine’s grower.

The owners of Terroirs have incorporated their namesake into every aspect of the wine bar. The decor is casually tasteful, a mix of well-worn woods highlighted by a handmade zinc bartop. The food passes on current trends and instead sticks to rustic, seasonal dishes done beautifully: country bread with cultured butter and anchovies, tomatoes with white beans and wild sage, braised beef with English peas and pan sauce. The charcuterie is also excellent.

And, of course, there’s the wine. Terroirs serves exclusively Natural Wine, made with minimal intervention so that it expresses the land from which it came. Their cellar is encyclopedic, with somewhere between thirty and forty pages of Natural Wines that are organized by both varietal and location.

Terroirs’ wines are carefully chosen with terroir in mind. Every wine evokes the air, soil, climate, and intention that made it. With just a few glasses, the adventurous patron can take a trip around the world, experiencing the powerfully shifting seasons of France’s Northern Rhône Valley, the Mediterranean warmth of Sicily, the playfulness and mineral-rich soil of Puglia, and the lush brightness of eastern Austria.

Next time you visit the West End in London, whether for shopping or a show, stop in at Terroirs. You’ll find warm friendship, beautifully simple food, exceptional Natural Wine, and a sense of place that makes you feel like you’re exactly where you should be.

Terroirs: London