Bow Wine Vaults Bar - Bistro - Restaurant in City of London, Westminster

Met with a colleague for a business lunch. Made reservations and were promptly seated in the basement wine vaults. Nice corner banquette, noise level is low and perfect for discussing business or other matters. The service was good and efficient and very very discreet.

Very disappointing. Yes it was a Monday night and therefore quiet but there was a larger group and another couple dining who were there before us and still sticking it out when we left. The initial welcome was insipid with no effort made to engage. By 8.40 the manager was clearing away all the outside furniture around us - stacking the chairs, folding the tables, removing all the flowers and decor (and not quietly either). There was no attempt at offering desert, coffee or even the bill. The food was ok but nothing to write home about. We felt very unwelcome and basically a nuisance to be chased away so that the staff could go home. Given the price (standard for London but well above what the food and service merited) it was a frustrating end to what could have been an enjoyable evening.

Alistair was a lovely and funny host. Really made our evening and just wanted to say how much we enjoyed it because of him!

Had lunch here Sat outside, nice place to sit on a warm day even though people busying past. Best fish and chips for a long time. My granddaughter ate all her double burger. Fast friendly service.. Somewhere I would definitely come again.

Had an early dinner here before seeing Tina. Lovely pub with good food and great service. Close walk to Mansion tube station so getting to the show took us 15 minutes. Staff were very friendly, and we really enjoyed the beer and wine from their own brewery & vineyard.

Conveniently placed close to Mansion House for preprandial refreshment. Attentive, polite staff.

We had drinks here yesterday and absolutely loved it - Alistair was a super host, very knowledgeable about the wine and really friendly. Love the place as well - the wine selection great and we tried a few recommendations.

Excellent service in a well located position. Really enjoyed my food and coffee. The wine, as usual, was delicious. A little on the expensive side but this is London and it's a nice restaurant.

Incredible service from start to finish, it's always a pleasure to go there. Special thanks to Orlando who, as always, has gone above and beyond to make our meal so special!

Bow Wine Vaults saw a change in ownership during the pandemic. The manager and his team have done an amazing job of keeping former customers happy along with bringing in new clients, who may have seen the venue as a tad old fashioned. The kitchen has an excellent and varied menu, which often changes, the bar is very broad and it's nice to eat at the bar if one wants to do so.

Whilst the atmosphere was good and the staff attentive, the problem occurred when the bill came...... One of our group had ordered a bottle of wine. It turns out that it never arrived. After we had settled up the bill, the group member asked if the wine was on the bill - it was - £35..... I asked the waitress about it and she went away and brought the bottle of wine, and as we were leaving we asked it it could be credited back to the credit card that we had used. The "manager/owner" appeared and advised that he was unable to credit back the amount to our credit card, but handed us a business card and said that if we were to come back he would give us the wine then...! At this point tempers were starting rise so we decided to leave and never go back... It left a rather nasty taste in our mouths!

Worth the visit if you are in the area.

We enjoyed a meal at what used to be Bow Wine Vaults yesterday evening. My colleague's calves liver and bacon looked excellent and my £19 chicken schnitzel was very good. The £25 house white cotes de Gascogne was pleasant enough. Service was very attentive but without being overbearing which we appreciated. I mentioned to staff that we didn't want to order food straight away and they were happy to let us move along at our own pace which seems rare these days. There's nothing worse than feeling like you're being ushered off your table or being sped up for the next booking. The only negative was the pudding I ordered; chocolate brownie sundae. For £9 this was an absolute disgrace and I'm surprised any chef would be happy sending it out. A few tiny cubes of Sainsbury's tasteless chocolate brownie on top of 2 scoops of aldi ice cream was as embarrassing for the waitress to serve as it was for me to eat. It had no place on the menu and for the price was laughable. The mains are good, so I'm not sure what they were thinking.

Awesome venue, lovely atmosphere and relaxing. Very friendly and knowledgeable team. Would definitely go back. Nadia was helpful and went out of her way to make the evening special.

I came here on a Thursday afternoon for post-work drinks. It was nicely busy and the atmosphere was buzzing. I had a couple of delicious cocktails, which were given to me by a very friendly staff member. Although it was busy at the bar, we didn't have to wait long for our drinks order! The interiors were cool and it was the perfect spot to enjoy a nice cold drink on a summer's evening! Would definitely come back.

Whether it be food or wine 🍷 or a bit of both, this is a fabulous place

What a great afternoon! So welcoming and so professional. Loved the wine, management exceeds expectations, my new fav spot in the city 🖤 thanks guys x

Lovely place down an alley middle of central London. We had snacks not a whole playe of food . The snacks though were so delicious I am sure the rest of the food is amazing.

Nice atmosphere. Great for relaxing during the afternoon. Decent outdoor space for the summer. Yummy food too.

Very nice bar with great service

Such a great place, amazing staff and authentic ambiance and great selection of wines! Their sparkling wines are must to try.

Lovely good quality food with an amazing selection of wine and beers. Very smart interior situated in historic area of London.

Wonderful service and food. Loved the short rib and mushroom toast. Will be back again.

tasty liver, friendly helpful staff

Interesting menu and really impressive quality. The wild mushrooms on toast were a triumph.

Food was really good and the waitress helped me with gluten free options.

This is a wonderful place for food and wine, it’s located in a great area and has an ambiance that is very hard to leave….

The moules were fantastic but my favourite is still the chicken Kiev

Great staff and lovely food and drink. Busy and noisy though so not for the faint hearted.

Everything was fantastic and as big fans of Balfour living close to the Winery - and being Balfour members - we were not disappointed. Food amazing & service fantastic and loved the cranberry gin fizz. The decor was fabulous and on our way out the bar vibe upstairs was great. Orlando was fabulous and our waiter (sorry forgotten his name but he was irish) was superb. Another Balfour triumph and we will return!

Good food with prompt and friendly service and a nice atmosphere. Recommended.

This is rapidly becoming my favourite lunchtime eaterie! A great warmth and welcoming atmosphere - I’m going to try the bar next time as this was buzzing when we came in! Firm favourite for me is the monkfish scampi - it’s ‘to share’ but so yummy I order one for myself! Recommended to try the hogs shepherds pie - so scrumptious and really hearty - perfect for a cold December day! Such a great team - visit if you can - you won’t be disappointed

Great service, good food and good wine.

Great food and wine. Good service.

A city institution - with a “dusting” of new ideas . I’ll be back.

Great service. Nice choice of bar, lite food or restaurant.

Excellent venue, fine food and lovely service. Will definitely be back.

Second time going since the takeover and food is better than before and service is great and prices reasonable for the City. Will definitely remain a go-to lunch spot.

Came in without a reservation at about 5pm, it was very busy but the assistant manager Nadia was able to sort us a table within 5 mins. After that we were served by Alistair, who gave us excellent recommendations, brilliant service throughout our stay and was always there when we needed him. Nadia was able to talk more with us about their Christmas bookings menu and availability and we're going to book soon, shall be back very soon and a big thank you to all the staff again!

Great service, good wine selection , nice setting to catch up with friends

Excellent food and excellent service.

Excellent service and excellent food! The new updated decor was very nice and it kept to the nice traditional look it was always loved for!

Fantastic service, great wines, goof food.

Visited for a business lunch and we ate downstairs. Atmosphere was fairly quiet but helpful and the waiting staff were all excellent; friendly and attentive. In particular their help with one of our party who had food allergies was exceptionally helpful. The menu was varied and the food was well presented, very tasty and thoroughly enjoyed by all of our party. Would happily recommend.

Table for 10 organised at short notice for a late afternoon lunch. Orlando, GM, was exceptional, keeping the kitchen open and looking after our party very well indeed.

I was invited by my investment firm who wanted I assume to make a good impression on their firm . What a complete disappointing experience. I ordered the vegetarian burger, which I must say sounded interesting. The burger turned up and the bum was so old, stale and unappetising that I had to ask for another dish . Absolutely shocking for a restaurant this class. I went for the bavette instead ,which was a bit better but definitely cold, over cooked and not the great cut of meat you would get in a normal restaurant. To top it up, the chef was standing right by me and instead of doing his customer service, didn't even apologies nor acknowledged the fact the meal was terrible. I will make sure your restaurant gets the reviews it disserves ( none) . What a poor and definitely not recommended experience. Regards.

Great to be back at this city landmark restaurant - the refurb and downstairs restaurant are top notch! And a welcome return to bow lane - fab service and menu - the beef tartare doesn’t disappoint

What a great restaurant! Orlando and the team are amazingly helpful and it’s truly great value for money too! My go to spot in The City of London! David O’Reilly

The new menu and wine list are most welcome, and the 'refresh' of a much loved and (over many years) much visited landmark has been done very well. Good service, good food, great ambiance....what more could one need?!

Lovely small wine bar. Great reasonably priced wine list. Excellent service

Good food , new staff being trained so not up to the usual excellent standard. Will be back in a few weeks time as an great venue in the city.

I love this place and this was my first visit after its recent refurbishment. The menu has been updated somewhat and there's plenty to choose from. It's good bistro fayre - I had cured salmon followed by t-bone pork chop - both were excellent. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their food. What let the experience down on this occasion was very slow service. We ordered bread but this arrived late and was not great quality. Everything took longer than we would have liked. The waitress was very apologetic and clearly run off her feet. I suppose it's the same issue every other restaurant is having - a chronic lack of staff thanks to Brexit.

Love this place. Great spot in the summer months as well

Very nice work lunch with an excellent, locally sourced beer and wine list.

I didnt enjoy the menu and the scampi at £12 as a starter was very overpriced and disappointing

Sat at our usual table and enjoyed the usual excellent service. Back to 'business as usual'. Great venue - thanks a lot. We enjoyed it - again.

Been coming here for over 20 years, has been and always will be the best, food or drinks

I have been going to the Bow Wine Vaults for many years , as it is somewhere in the heart of the City of London to meet clients and friends. .

I was only there an hour but very mice

So over prised this place, when i looked at the menu the cheapest main course was £20. The veal milanese that i took was £26!!. They start with putting bread and butter on the table when you arrive at your table (without you asking) and then charge you £2 for it when you ask for the bill The total bill was £40 for a beer and veal with pasta Totally over prised. Service was good (has to be if you pay £6.5 on £33) and the food was ok but definitely not the price on the menu. It’s been a while i left a restaurant feeling so ripped off!!!

Just like it was before. So nice to have all the familiar staff serving us! Love it

Could do with a wider selection of beer on tap but atmosphere was nice

First time back after lockdown and just as welcoming as ever. Turned out to be first day back with an unadvertised, low key return. No food on offer yet but the usual warm welcome and remembering wine preferences after six months absence (and we're only occasional visitors - once every couple of months)! Look forward to seeing customers returning - it's a great place!

Maitre d was lovely, full of energy and welcoming. Waitress was the polar opposite. Unfriendly, little eye contact and a negative vibe. Nice ambience - pub turned bistro with a bar. Food was very average and forgettable. Reviews gave us hope for a 4.5/5 experience. Good was a solid 3.3/5. Average, unremarkable and overpriced for what it is.

Not many exist like this anymore. Classic city lunchtime wine bar and restaurant , with extremely welcoming and helpful staff.

A lovely lunch .. great service and the best ravioli i have ever eaten.

This is a great place with very friendly staff but my calves liver was pretty tough and rubbery the other day!

Very good meal - plenty of space to enable a good conversation.

Always fantastic service from the brilliant staff, been coming here for 25 years now and never had a bad meal or poor service. It's a city institution God bless it ! 5/5

Food was as good as always (7/10) but service was very disappointing. Took 20 minutes for our order to be taken. Once it was taken, food came quick. Would still return.

Great food as always in this place, service is absolute top quality, very attentive but your left to get on with eating and talking...would certainly recommend this to anyone if they are looking for great food.

As usual, a wonderful lunch, terrific service and great food.

The restaurant is downstairs and is quieter than the lively brasserie/wine bar on the ground floor. We enjoyed our meal although my calves liver was a bit tough but the bacon flabby so an unpleasant combination. Service and ambience excellent.

This is a great lunch venue for a business or social gathering. The menu is good offering a good choice at very reasonable prices. The restaurant is a good size with the tables well placed. It is light and nicely decorated. The food is well cooked and nicely presented. The service is good

Good environment, good food, very helpful staff. Thanks

Back again to this favourite location in the city for a delcious meal of scallops and small glass of white wine, whilst my companion enjoyed a dish of ravioli with a lime and soda. This is a very pleasant, attractive, family-run restaurant, and is to be highly recommended.

Excellent all round as ever. Reliable and top quality.

Lovely. Great selection of Mediterranean bistro dishes. Sensible wine prices. Always busy lunchtime. Book

For a business or family meal, Bow Wine Vaults is hard to beat for a City of London location. Good, unhurried service, and excellent choice of dishes and wines. Will surely return to explore more of the City.

Great authentic food and pleasant service. Wonderful little place tucked away very close by to St Paul’s. The salmon was amazing as was the veal and a bit of Gavi washed it down well!

Great value, service, food and wine.

Great food in pleasant room. Service is wonderful.

I adore this tiny wine bar tucked in the shadow of Bow Bells Church. I've been a regular for years and it's lost none of it's charm. Sandwiched between Bank and St Paul's, be transported from the City's mayhem to a cosy nook slightly off the main road. Take a seat al fresco and enjoy table service as you sip delicious wines at reasonable prices. Yes, the City crowd will surround you, but that's rather fun in itself. So happy that this is still a place I want to come back to.

Met with a colleague for a business lunch. Made reservations and were promptly seated in the basement wine vaults. Nice corner banquette, noise level is low and perfect for discussing business or other matters. The service was good and efficient and excellent. Staff was very discreet.

Lovely, quiet setting. Very reasonably priced for the area. Friendly and attentive staff. I did not find the food itself knockout - my skate was rather meh, swimming in a bit too much butter, and came with rather unexciting potatoes. Nothing would prevent me going back to give it another try but I would not order that dish again.

Lovely classic restaurant, impeccable service and delicious food, would highly recommend a visit !

Can’t really work this place out. Excellent location and interesting premises. Thoughtful wine list and no doubt lovely food is available too. Stood waiting at the bar for 10 minutes or more at about 6.45 one evening. Was eventually able to order a bottle of wine just under £30 because the main barman had stopped pouring pints of lager (in a wine bar) and had also stopped walking from one end of the bar to the till and back. Classic time and motion study.... Presented my contactless card for payment and had to put in code because 10% service had been added. Tempted to say this is all a bit criminal but there’s probably a very good reason !??

Excellent meal and great environment. Nice old.pub atmosphere upstairs

Introduced to the Vault in 2015 and keep returning, great wine list and restaurant, upstairs and downstairs for a more serious business meeting. This time it was pre-Xmas drinks with 2 different sets of friends (yes the whole afternoon) and pleased to see the bar menu - well worth it for when you forgot to book a table. Keep it up.

Angry serving chap and expensive

Fantastic wine bar and restaurant

This is an excellent choice for a business lunch in the City but you'll neeed to make a reservation in the restaurant downstairs rather than the brasserie on the ground-floor. Good choice of well-priced dishes, a reasonable winelist, efficient service. Have been for lunch numerous times and it's never disappointed.

Quiet business lunch. The food came SO quickly each time!

Lovely wine selection and nibbles, also very good restaurant down stairs.

Had a great meal here on a Friday lunch time - not too busy, in fact not at all busy, good food - liver and bacon and minute steak and service was just right. Superb value main course and mainly soft drinks for 2 came to 50 + service charge.

Had two glasses of wine which costs £20 and tasted like vinegar. Would have been better off buying a cheap bottle from Tesco !!

Relatively few people would seek out Bow Lane for a meal, but this narrow passage is lined with eating houses of all types. This establishment, situated just behind Bow Church is well worth a visit, although its popularity makes pre- booking advisable. There is a substantial and interesting menu and whilst it is not inexpensive it offers good value for quality meals in a pleasing environment with plenty of atmosphere.

Mi compañero y yo visitamos después de una semana ocupada de trabajo. Ambos examinamos detenidamente la lista de vinos y elegimos una copa de vino cada uno (¡no es el vino más barato que me apresuro a agregar!) Y, sinceramente, he bebido mejor, mucho más a un precio razonable en la universidad, lo cual fue sorprendente ya que el lugar se llama a sí mismo " bóveda de vino "! ! Excelente ubicación y un agradable ambiente de la vieja escuela muy lejos de un bar de cadenas, pero no te dejes engañar por su nombre. ¡Apégate a sus cervezas!

Fabulous bar not far from St Paul's, perfect and fast service and a great choice of wines.

Veníamos de una reunión matutina en Canary Wharf, que es el nuevo distrito financiero de Londres (nuestro Centro financiero de Marina Bay es una versión pequeña de esto) y nos encontramos con nuestros colegas en este lugar. Es un bar al nivel de la calle y nos llevaron al sótano, que es la sección del restaurante. Éramos 6 de nosotros. Probamos los entrantes como calamares, ensaladas y linguini (en salsa roja y con gambas). Todo esto se veía muy bien. Probé un poco de calamares. Me quedé comiendo un plato que era el de los platos principales, probé el filete hecho medio. Vino con ensalada y papas fritas y un poco de salsa amarillenta. El filete fue hecho correctamente y todo estaba bien. El momento de la comida también era bueno, ya que el personal era muy atento. Estaban observando nuestro ritmo, entrando para rellenar agua, tomando pedidos para recambios de bebidas. El lugar es de hecho muy popular ya que muy rápidamente todas las mesas se llenaron completamente. ¡Daría un visto bueno al servicio amable proporcionado por los camareros! A pesar de que estaba lleno, el lugar era espacioso y el nivel de ruido era manejable. No estoy seguro de cuándo será la próxima vez que vaya a Londres en un viaje de trabajo en el futuro, pero volveré a este lugar si sucede, está bastante cerca de nuestra oficina de Londres.