Andrew Polmear writes for the love of wine . . .

I’VE ALWAYS THOUGHT of wine bars as being like the iPad. There we were, happy with our laptops and our smart phones, unaware that we needed anything in between. Then we saw what a lovely piece of kit the iPad was and we made it part of our daily lives. So it is with wine bars. We had pubs, some of which served decent wine; we had cafés and restaurants; so where was there room for something else? Step into L’Atelier du Vin on Dyke Road, just south of the Seven Dials, and you’ll find out. You are immediately cocooned in a warm, old-fashioned atmosphere of good taste, where armchairs have cushions, shelves have books on them, and Charlie attends to your needs as though he has all day just to talk about the wines on offer. Continue reading L’Atelier du Vin →