135-year-old London wine bar still being lit by candles

By Imogen Howse

Welcome to London's oldest wine bar - a 135-year-old hidden gem still lit by candlelight and utterly unfazed by influencers.

Family-run business Gordon's Wine Bar, located mere meters away from Charing Cross Station, first opened in 1890 - and has been a central London staple ever since.

But you can only book one table - so punters are often forced to queue outside the tiny unassuming entrance - or by the bar.

The interior is essentially a candlelit cave - with low ceilings and sounds of trains running overhead.

There is a drinking spot known as 'the cage'. Here, you'll find the only bookable table in the venue - which is behind a row of metal bars and seats 12 or 'a snug 15'.

The most expensive wine - found on the special 'Fine Wines List' - is a 1996 red Chateau Lafite Rothschild, which is priced at £1,850.

Gordon's is "a family endeavor", previously owned by Luis Gordon, who died in 2002, and now owned by wife Wendy. Their son Simon runs the establishment, with plenty of help from brother Tom.

The venue, which also boasts an extensive outdoor seating area, attracts all sorts of customers - from families, to local workers, to people on first dates.

There are plenty of regulars, such as one group of retired men who enjoy a lunch every Thursday - and order the same bottle of wine and same meal each time.

Despite some customers' consistency, there's plenty to choose from on the wine list, with both the house white and house red on offer for $34.50.

Gordon's offers salads, mezze platters, meat boards, and a wide selection of cheese, with the truffle raclette a firm customer favorite, according to staff.

For those just passing by, the bar's next-door deli, which opened around a year ago, offers sandwiches, sweet treats, and even 'picnic baskets'.

Business manager Amanda Whitehead, who has worked at Gordon's since 2009, says the wine bar's atmosphere is "relaxed," "authentic," and "discreet" - and an "environment for everyone".

She said: "We sometimes call Gordons 'the best known hidden gem' - as it has the atmosphere of a hidden gem, but actually, a lot of people know about it.

"What you get here is a very relaxed atmosphere - but at the same time we pride ourselves on having really good quality food and wine, at good prices.

"If you go inside, you're here for the atmosphere - it's dark, it's candlelit. And it's authentic - filled with things we've collected over the years.

"We're discreet and not showy. We get a lot of requests from influencers, including those overseas, who say they'll come and take some pictures here and post it to their millions of followers.

"But we don't seek that vibe. We say they're welcome to come to the bar - but we don't need the pictures and posts.

"We get lots of different customers. We really hope we're an environment for everyone.

"In the day, we often get older generations who come in for a glass of sherry or port.

"Often, they've been coming for decades.

"Then at around 4pm or 5pm, we get plenty of people coming in for post-work drinks. Usually, they all work locally.

"Otherwise, we get lots of first dates. And, from that, we often get couples who come in and say, 'We first met here, and now we're getting married.'

"We also get lots of families. There's one family who have been coming for years.

"Now, their three sons are all grown-up and working in London - and they still all come here as a family.

"We're also often a destination for people who come from all over the country for meetings or celebrations, as we're right by Charing Cross.

"Today, we have a group of friends who are having a big reunion.

"So we have lots of regulars. We recognize plenty of faces."

Apart from 'the cage', none of the tables inside or outside are bookable - but Whitehead said they operate a virtual queue and people simply wait with a drink by the bar.

There is also standing space inside, but for licensing reasons, everyone outside has to be seated.

Discussing their food and wine menus, Whitehead said: "The majority of our wine you can't get elsewhere - especially not through the high street - and typically not for these prices.

"They're all selected because they're unique.

"One of our really popular wines - which isn't found in many places - is our 'Honey Wine'.

"I was hesitant at first but when I tried it, it's a beautiful honeyed flavor, without being sweet.

"On the menu, our cheese boards are really popular. The truffle raclette is a firm favorite, and brie is always popular.

"People also love our Pork Pie, which has a secret recipe - so I can't tell you what's in it."

Gordons has recently started hosting bi-monthly wine tastings, where customers can enjoy food and five different wines.

There is also a 'secret' wine on offer at each session - which changes every time and, according to Whitehead, is always "very special."

You can reserve a place for the tastings, and book a table in 'the cage', online.

Whitehead said that, like most hospitality businesses, the last few years have been tough.

However, their core team - most of whom have been at Gordons for years - got the bar through.

She said: "We have a staff of 70, which sounds like a lot, but we can seat 168 people outside and 110 people inside.

"So in the last few years it's been hard finding staff but our core team is well-established, and we've all made it through together.

"It really is a family endeavor. And I think you can feel that when you're here."