Natural wine has grown up. The bars pouring it best now treat it like any good list: short descriptions, fair prices and staff who ask what you like before telling you what they love.
Look for places with food that matches the wine, a list that changes often and a by-the-glass section bigger than the bottle one.
Our favorite bars
We spent a month going back, ordering differently each time and asking a lot of questions. What we found was less a trend than a change of habit: people want fewer, better things, and they want to linger over them.
“Tell me if it is fizzy, funky or fresh. That is all I need.”
Ordering like a regular
Ask for something light and cold to start. Follow it with whatever the bartender is excited about. Trust the orange one, at least once.
None of this needs a reservation app or a dress code. It needs a free afternoon, a friend who says yes, and the good sense to order one more thing for the table.
Theo Okafor
Food Editor
Theo eats out for work and cooks in for fun. Opinions on bread, small menus and where to sit.
