Wine Bar Mayfair

A wine bar at Bocconcino Mayfair, with a 300-bottle Italian-led list

Bocconcino Mayfair on Berkeley Street is set up as a restaurant with a serious wine programme rather than as a standalone wine bar. The bar at the front of the restaurant works as a wine bar in its own right: a place to drink an aperitivo, work through a few wines by the glass, or book a couple of seats for an evening of wine and antipasti without committing to a full dinner. The wine list runs to over 300 bottles, with the spine built around Italian appellations and a serious French selection alongside.

Among the wine bars in Mayfair, Bocconcino sits in a slightly different position to the dedicated specialists. Hedonism Wines on Davies Street is the area’s most extensive wine retailer with tastings. 67 Pall Mall is the members’ club for serious wine collectors. The hotel bars run their own programmes, with Champagne lists and producer tastings through the year. Bocconcino is the option for guests who want a proper Italian wine list in a restaurant setting, with the kitchen open for antipasti and small plates alongside the wine.

The wine list: Italy first, with Champagne and Burgundy alongside

The Italian section of the list is the spine. Barolo and Barbaresco from Piedmont in depth, Brunello di Montalcino from Tuscany, Amarone della Valpolicella from the Veneto, and a working selection of Super Tuscans. Beyond these flagship appellations, the list goes deeper than most Italian restaurants in central London: Chianti Classico from across the regional sub-zones, Etna reds and whites from Sicily, indigenous varieties from Friuli, Campania and Sardinia, organic and biodynamic producers across the regions. The Head Sommelier curates the selection with breadth and interest in mind: every Italian region with a serious wine tradition is represented, and the more interesting indigenous varieties are highlighted alongside the well-known producers.

France runs second on the list, with particular attention to Champagne and Burgundy. The Champagne selection covers grand marques and a smaller curated grower-Champagne list. Burgundy runs both white and red, with the by-the-glass selection rotating through producers across the year. Bordeaux is represented for guests who prefer to drink classically. Beyond France, a smaller but considered selection from Spain, California and Argentina rounds out the list.

By the glass and Coravin

The by-the-glass selection runs from accessible to serious. House pours change seasonally and tend to focus on producers the sommelier team is particularly invested in at the time. A more extensive by-the-glass list runs alongside, with the option to taste through several producers in a single evening. Coravin pours are available on a selection of fine wines, allowing premium bottles to be served by the glass.

For guests who want to taste through the list more systematically, the sommelier team can arrange a flight at the bar or at the table. Standard flights are themed ("a tour through the major Italian appellations", "organic and biodynamic Italy") and tailored flights can be put together on request. The bar is the right place to start a flight that might lead into dinner, or to finish an evening with a glass after dinner elsewhere.

Wine pairings with the kitchen

The bar is the front of the restaurant rather than a separate room, and the kitchen is open across the standard restaurant hours. Antipasti, cured meats, cheese boards, and a smaller selection of pasta and pizza are available at the bar alongside the wine. The format works well for guests who want to drink a few interesting bottles with food on the side rather than committing to the full à la carte. The kitchen will adjust portion sizes for the bar, and the antipasti boards are a particularly good fit for two or three guests sharing.

For longer evenings the bar opens out into the main dining room, and the live music programme on the lower ground floor brings the evening forward into a longer dinner if the booking moves that way. Wine pairings can be arranged with the sommelier team for tasting menus and longer dinners, drawing on the by-the-glass list and the wider cellar.

Wine tastings, Champagne and special bottles

Bocconcino Mayfair runs occasional sommelier-led wine tastings through the year, often in partnership with specific Italian producers. The tastings are typically held in the private dining rooms on the lower ground floor and run as a sit-down format with the wines paired against a five or six-course Italian tasting menu. Dates and producers are confirmed on the events page through the year and tend to be booked out early.

For Champagne specifically, the bar runs a rotating Champagne by-the-glass programme, including grower Champagnes alongside the grand marques. Bottles can be ordered with notice for special occasions: the cellar holds a number of Champagnes that are not on the standard list and can be arranged with the sommelier team in advance.

Visiting the wine bar

The bar at Bocconcino Mayfair is at the front of the restaurant, with seating for guests who would like to drink without taking a dining table. Walk-ins are taken across the standard restaurant hours, with the busier evenings (Friday and Saturday) typically better booked in advance. The bar runs through lunch as well: wines by the glass, Coravin pours and short wine lists by the producer work for a daytime visit, and the kitchen is open for the business lunch service alongside. Smart-casual dress applies. The atmosphere is restrained rather than club-led, and the music programme on the lower ground floor brings warmth rather than volume to the rest of the room.

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