Cambridge Wine Merchants - Bridge Street Wine Bar in Cambridge

Today,we had another great experience, as always,staff fabulous ,cheese and wine fabulous, but a little light music in the background wouldn't go amiss xx

Bar and shop with really relaxed atmosphere and obviously popular. Thoughtful tasting notes to browse. We were given great advice about the right wine to pair with carbonara - we bought a most excellent Ruby -red Valpolicella 2022. Great advice thank you!

There was a bit of a downside in the lack of atmosphere as there was no music and they looked quite understaffed for how busy they were as everyone was rushed off their feet. Kiran was absolutely phenomenal on the other hand. Very knowledgeable and funny. The wines that we had were amazing based on the suggestions that he made.

Great selection of wines and wasn’t disappointed. Cheese served with sour dough and chutney. Lovely vibes near Magdalene bridge especially at sundown.

This place is awesome! The wine is great, the cheese is top-notch, and the staff is super friendly. We've been going there for a while now and I highly recommend it if you're looking for a good time.

El enfoque más grosero. Compré dos botellas de vino una hora antes. Regresé a tomar una copa antes de volver a casa. Muy grosero. Pedí el baño y muy corto y simplemente no es acogedor en absoluto. No recomiendo.

Brilliant service, with experienced and knowledgable staff. I've always been incredibly impressed with the service. Ambience is also fab, and the wine of course is excellent. All wines by the glass are delicious, and they've got an extensive store to take away too! 100% recommend

Impresionantemente grosero y embarazoso comportamiento del personal. Mi esposa y yo vinimos en c. 4 pm para una copa en una pequeña mesa exterior. El lugar estaba ocupado, pero había algo de espacio. Las mesas se numeraron a través de pequeños trozos cuadrados de papel escritos a mano pegados a las mesas. Las mesas estaban mugrientas así que limpié una. Luego cambiamos de posición por comodidad y cambiamos de mesas, así que conservamos la limpia. Había personas en las mesas 53 y 56; ahora estábamos en el número 55 y el número 54 estaba vacío. Tomamos un trago y pedimos un segundo. Un hombre de mediana edad, camisa azul y pelo corto muy blanco, vino de la tienda a nuestra zona, se detuvo, miró y comenzó a manifestarse con nosotros. Parecía que no le daba sentido a las mesas y cuando dijimos que habíamos cambiado dos, dijo en voz alta: "¡Oh no, esto lo estropea todo! " Pensamos que debíamos estar bromeando, pero él no. Luego dijo, de nuevo en voz alta: "¡Esto es un desastre! " Luego pasó a la mesa 53 , donde se disculpó abiertamente con la pareja sentada allí "por el fango - arriba" mientras miraba a mi esposa. El cuadro 53 no tiene nada que ver con lo ocurrido. Cancelamos nuestra segunda copa y dijimos que queríamos ir. Nunca he visto un trato así -y sin razón alguna- a los clientes fuera de Fawlty Towers. Nunca volveré.

Lovely location right by the river. Service, drinks and snacks were well needed

Great selection of wines and brilliant location but terrible service. The tables were dirty. We were publicly shamed for moving a table by a member of staff. I didn’t get his name but he was middle aged with dyed blonde hair. I have never experienced such awful customer service. Perhaps he was having a bad day…

Highly recommended- Very good wine selection and helpful staff, and cheese board was a good pair with wine. My boyfriend and I had a lovely time there after punting!

Really good drinks menu, specialising, obviously, in wine with a decent choice of nibbles and cheeses to go with it. The quality of the drinks is excellent and the staff were helpful

Made a lovely little stop here. Service was so so friendly. Great spot for a casual drink or a nice bottle to take home.

We are spoiled in Cambridge! An excellent wine shop: I’m always served with a smile, accompanied by a serious depth of knowledge and enthusiasm. The range is impressive - and the sherries sit on my favourite shelves. The wine bar is the best spot in town for a tasty tipple, or a nibble, while watching the crowd drift by outside. Thinking about it, probably one of the best spots in the country. Thank you Kyran, Jonny and John, for your brilliant welcomes and service over the past year. And for the finos, amontillados and oysters - keep them coming!

Very arrogant and unfriendly staff. I came to ask for advice about a bottle of wine as a present. There were three men in the shop, and each of them, in turn, would say - My colleague will help you. In the end, no one was willing to help as if my request was beneath them. Given that there were no other customers in the shop, I find this really quite outrageous of order.

My favourite place to hang out in Cambridge. Perfect for a cute date. Absolutely amazing wine and champagne list with very good French and Californian wine. (This is coming from a French person). The atmosphere is very cool and chill, making you feel at home. PS: For the price you’d pay for a mediocre bottle of wine in any pubs in Cambridge, you could be drinking very good wine in the Wine Merchant. 😜

We paid for our wine, did not order any food, and we were bullied to pay the gratuitous fee which I find absolutely unacceptable. Loved the ambience, until we were shamed and bullied by a male server who called another server and telling us off out loud when we said we wanted to opt out of the 12% gratuitous fee, which was optional as written on the receipt. Mind you we bought two bottles, and cork price of £12 was also applied on each bottle we bought to keep the place running. While the servers were quite friendly, we did not receive over the top service when choosing the wine, to which we did not mind at all. My only complaint is that if the gratuitous fee is mandatory, please just include it on the bill and do not add “optional” to avoid misunderstandings and embarrassment.

We visited this wine bar for a light lunch. We had a nice view of the river and Magdalene Bridge from a table by the window. We enjoyed a cheese board, washed down with a good bottle of wine. We very much enjoyed our lunchtime visit.

Always a great selection of wines and cheese. A lovely place to spend a few hours watching the world go by!

I went to buy a drink from there and they told us we not allowed to stay at the table outside. I didn't see any policy saying you you have to spend a lot of money so you can get a table outside. Awful place

Had a lovely evening with some friends, super friendly and funny server, knew exactly what we should be drinking for the evening, will be back again thank you for having us

Very friendly advice and helpful service. Huge selection of wines. Interesting tastings and delicious cheese. Top! We'll be back 😃 👍🏻

Large selection of wines. e Everyone will find something for himself. I highly recommend it. best regards

Wine shop and wine bar all in one room in the city centre close to the river. Good selection of reasonably priced wines. Very relaxed informal atmosphere with friendly efficient staff. Modest but characterful environment.

Top notch liquor and wine store. Beer selection is small, but varied and good quality. Super friendly and helpful staff.

We are regular visitors and were delighted with the new revised and "upgraded" menu for snacks, cheese etc. Still good value. The salami platter is a big improvement and the brie (New supplier?) was unctuous as was the sourdough bread and chips

Jonny and the team are amazing, the atmosphere is great, the wine is fantastic and their knowledge is second to none.

Very simply a great place to sit down and enjoy a glass of wine with nibbles to match. Atmosphere,service and choice of wines first glass. Thanks.

Great wine but was removed from our table for other guests.

Well this was a nice surprise find Great place to browse and drink lovely wine The owners a knowledgeable and helpful We bought a few bottles , drank a few glasses and left happy We will return !

Love it! Spotted it when walking past the previous evening. Turned up for pre-dinner drinks c6:30pm and it was full. The waiter informed us that they weren't permitted to have standing drinkers so, having seen one spare stool by the door, we asked him if they had any other chairs. Fortunately, he produced one from behind the bar! Enjoyed one drink perched just inside the doorway. Not a great spot to sit but the atmosphere in this place relaxed us immediately. After about twenty minutes we were asked if we'd like to move to a table that had just been vacated. Happy days. Essentially, this place is a wine and spirit shop and the shelves are filled with bottles of all shapes and sizes. It has a small seating area inside and a few tables and chairs on the pavement for serving drinkers. I don't think they do food. Generally, an older customer base but this created a nice relaxed atmosphere. people were in there simply to chat over a drink. Staff are friendly, knowledgeable and helpful, even allowing me to venture behind their counter to view the whisky collection at close quarters. I wish there was a place like this close to my home. Recommended.

Really nice and friendly staff with an excellent selection of wines from across the globe. Definitely Eurocentric but they do have some shelves from the Americas and other less known wine regions of the world. Additionally they do serve beers, cider, mead and other liquors. Definitely a spot to check out in Cambridge, situated next to the water. Come early to secure a seat next to the window and people watch as punters boat down the river

Great shop yo buy any kind of alcoholic drinks! They can also give you good recommendations

Had a great time here and Connor was exceptionally good - treated us so friendly and great service

Amazing service from Connor!! Thank you so much !!

The best place in Cambridge for drinks and nibbles! Lovely staff, always attentive and knowledgeable and a beautiful location. Highly recommend!!

My favourite spot for a drink in cambridge. Great service, Kyran was especially attentive to my dietary needs. Lovely for an aperol spritz in the summer or a bottle of wine any other time of the year. Cannot fault this place.

Adore this place - awesome selection of wines and the staff are second to none. So friendly and knowledgeable, I would happily spend an afternoon sipping on something special and making my way through a cheese and charcuterie board. Thanks Team for always making me feel welcome!

This used to be my go to tipple in Cambridge, but is now focused more on profits than their customers. I purchased a gift voucher for a friend who lives in a couple of hours away during COVID as a birthday present. They could not use it by the expiry date and called Cambridge Wine Merchants who said due to the pandemic not to worry about the expiry date and come in when they could. When we tried to use the voucher, we were told that it was too late and they wouldn't honour it. The waiter was rude and dismissive and I had "no proof" that the voucher was extended. Silly me for actually taking someone's word and not getting it in writing. When I emailed to complain, got a horrible response belittling my experience and upset. This is all for a mere £50 - very happy to take your money but not honour the voucher. Absolutely appalling! Edit for clarification: The response is telling in its lack of care for customers. The voucher was purchased in 2020, so was less than three years ago (as opposed to being 'three years expired'), so I was asking for less than a year extension. And those three years were mostly through a global pandemic! Not sure how the company can justify taking money in the form of vouchers and strictly enforcing expiry dates when they have promised flexibility. I note that Scotland have laws requiring all vouchers to have a minimum of five years expiry dates for this exact reason. And of course the employee denies being rude - but I have a table of four people who can vouch otherwise, including one person from out of town who could not understand why I had (previously) spoken so highly of the venue.

The place to go for a glass (or few!) of wine. Fantastic selection and options available by the glass or bottle. Particularly enjoyed the recent South African wine flight this branch offered with a delightful cheese board. The staff are very knowledgeable and attentive and recall what I’d tried previously! Highly recommend Cambridge Wine Merchants to locals or passers-by.

Pleasant relaxed place to enjoy a glass of wine after long walk round city. Would have stayed for longer but had to drive later in day,

Really good service and amazing wine as always! Highly recommend the wine flight and Cremant!!

Great place to visit, staff are so knowledgeable and helpful. The wines that were recommended to us were all delicious as were the olives and the cheese with chutney and oat cakes. We will definitely be back.

Incredible selection of bottles and staff that actually know a thing or two about wine. Always stop for a glass of something unique

Great place to go day or night . A favourite place whenever I’m in Cambridge. The knowledge and professionalism of the staff is great . Makes it a fantastic place to enjoy good wine, watch the world go by with some lovely nibbles as well . Very much reminds me of a favourite wine bar we used in Sicily. Great work guys.

Over the years I’ve visited Cambridge regularly this is my no1 go to place . First the knowledge of these guys is amazing I was never a white fan until one of there guys turned my head around. The wines are amazing and you don’t have to go all out for expensive stuff ! Be open minded and a little adventurous and your be amazed at what you like . I like the Bar layout and the fact I can nibble good quality snacks , again it seems a lot of thought has gone into this ! In a world where it’s quick to complain it should equally be the same to compliment. Well done all . Hope to be back soon .

Excellent spot for a glass of wine! I recommend sitting outside if it’s not raining. Great for people watching. It was a little loud inside. Got a class of the 2011 Felton Down white, which was a recommendation on the board.

Great shop for purchasing wine but definitely a very small menu to order from. It almost forces a customer to find a bottle and then pay the corkage fee to enjoy a glass you particularly want. The staff seems knowledgeable but still seems limited on specific wines that one may enjoy consuming. I’d recommend it for a quick stop in to grab a nice bottle of wine, but not terribly the spot to enjoy a glass.

Arrived found a window table with friends then all down hill,found staff disinterested and negative, chose a wine only to be told there would be a £10.00 corkage charge what planet is this place on, finished bottle of wine and asked for just 2 glasses of same but told can only have a glass of most expensive. Staff need training in communication,etiquette and listening skills

john is a legend and we’d come back just cos of him

Great spot! Great service! John is awesome we loved him! Definitely will come back ❤️

This is a fantastic concept .. the wine merchant offers an amazing selection of great wines and spirits ( whisky&Gin) you pay the price per bottle and if you drink 🍹 your beverage at the bistro which is part of the store you get a top up of 10 pounds .. the service was friendly and helpful… the location of the wine merchants is next to the river with the famous boat 🛶 stop ..

Nice food, great location, friendly staff and not too expensive. One of the best places in Cambridge

Cambridge Wine Merchants were very helpful and informative. Enjoyed a glass of Pinot Noir and olives with a friend. We sat inside and watched the world outside as Cambridge Wine Merchants is located at the bridge.

Enjoyed this place. Good selection. Very busy and services suffered slightly for it.

I took my two freinds her today they had never been before. I found staff unapproachable ti be far as if they really didn't want to be doing what they where doing

We visited the Bridge Street site yesterday lunchtime with another couple, but after sitting at our table we couldn't avoid noticing a woman with a small child who did not stop talking loudly. After bouncing him on her knee he proceeded to run about the bar shouting and screaming with no restraint from the mother. The staff just smiled at the child so we decided to sit outside to get away from uncontrolled child. From our viewpoint looking into the Bar area the child continued running about pretending to wipe tables and presenting the tissues to the tolerant staff. One woman near mother and child began putting her fingers in her ears to protect them from the screams. We noticed at least 3 groups leave in quick succession owing to the increasing noise level which obviously meant loss of trade and income. We did ask a member of staff could they not ask the mother to control the child, but he responded we are a child friendly bar! She eventually left an hour later and we returned inside to buy some more drinks and enjoy the peaceful bar again. Perhaps the place needs to change their policy regarding children as the name suggests, it is a wine bar not a play area.

Disappointing that discounts are based upon buying 12 of the same wine rather than a mixed case. Most other merchants offer basic 10% on buying 12 bottles. It might be the case that you offer a mixed case discount instore but you don't online. I put 6 of one bottle and 6 of another and was only given 5% discount. So I have not been misinformed, and you lost the business.

Excellent selection of wines and other alcoholics from all around the world!

Great wine and cheese, friendly staff. Closing at 10 which is a shame, but definitely worth a trip to.

Really helpful service and a great knowledge of their stock. They always give a good personal experience and recommendation that is honest. Don’t be put off and think it’s all really expensive. They have wines for all budgets.

We stopped here for a drink and light snack after a busy day in Cambridge. It was great to be able to try some more unusual wine and we enjoyed the cheeses on offer. You could choose your cheese type and whether to have it with bread or oatcakes. It came with onion marmalade and the cheese was a decent size portion. It was £23 for two glasses of really nice red wine and two portions of cheese. We live nearby and will definitely do this again.

I order just a single case of wine, it didn't turn up, I chased Cambridge Wine. When the order arrived it was a different vintage to the one I ordered. I contacted Cambridge Wine again who went out of their way to resolve things during a challenging busy period. Very impressed with their customer services.

Luckily we timed our visit well and only a had a short wait this evening. The staff here are always so friendly and helpful and the huge selection of great wines to browse through makes us go back time and again. We love the vibe in here. Looking forward to our return.

Always fantastic! Great selections of wine, excellent service and delicious snacks. A lovely busy atmosphere for a relaxed drink on a Sunday evening.

Visited yesterday. Received very good advice from a friendly chap with grey hair.

Great wines which can be bought for consumption on site with a brilliant selection of cheese and characterise.

To leave selected goods on the counter after being told they don’t accept cash is ridiculous. The server said to me that he is sick to death of hearing this from customers. THEN LISTEN TO YOUR CUSTOMERS!!! Any business at the best of times, let alone in the current climate, who lets customers leave having given cash and won’t accept it - is sheer madness!!! Couldn’t believe it. Don’t then moan about rising costs Mr retailer!!!

Hi all Visited this place a couple of times over a week or so. Good selection of champagne and of course other wines. Friendly staff and pleasantly quiet compared to the madness of Cambridge on a summer weekend. They also have a few tables inside and out where you can sit down and slip a few glasses down. Well worth a trip.

Very helpful and knowledgeable staff. Vast selection of wines at a great range of prices.

Stepped in to grab a quick drink before our punting tour. They have a good selection of wine inside their store and some nice outside patio seating.

What a beautiful place. Great wine, lovely service and nice nibbles.

Tasty wine at a reasonable price

Excellent wines and place overall

After a punt down the river head to this establishment which has a great selection of wine. But you can sit down and have a glass or two with some great wines and other nibbles.

Omg if you're a wine lover this is a great place to try before you buy. Taster set of 4 2 reds 2 whites £11 with a cheese board to share was a lovely break during afternoon shopping trip

Always a great vibe. One of my favourite spots 🙏

We both stopped for a nice glass of wine and stocked up on tinnies for our punting trip 🤭 this found this place excellent for both, lovely service and great selection - wish we'd had more time to look at the extensive wine selection!

What rude people treating my wife and her freind so badly absolutely disgusting. My wife and friend ordered two separate cheese board they got one to share. When asking for two boards please. They were so rude and snappy. My wife and freind came away upset hurt and felt completely ripped off. Other people got more food and were treated differently. What a terrible way to treat people. Completely out of order. Iv replied to the email they gave me guess what no reply. Terrible customer service

We enjoyed a carafe of a very nice Syrah while enjoying the weather. Service was good but the wine is a little pricey - £18 for 500ml.

A great and interesting selection of wines at decent prices 🍾

What a shame we have made this are regular stop point when ever we are in Cambridge and our 12 year old son has been with us most visits we spend a reasonable amount each vist but on trying to get a seat just 15 minutes ago we was told in an abrupt manner we are not seating children today only one person was sitting outside so hardly busy such a shame to have had such pleasant visits here to now have to say its lost our patronage from now on ....

Very cheerful and charming spot in Cambridge, the service is however not the best around the area.

The Cambridge Wine Merchants is a good place to seat and enjoy a nice glass of wine or champagne and just see the world go by, as the location is great. They have a wide selection of good wines that you can also buy to take home. But the service is not good, they are not friendly and not helpful at all. If you like wines, is a good choice, otherwise I wouldn't bother visiting.

Outdoor space second to none in Bridge Street.

Great range of craft beers and knowledgeable friendly staff

Really enjoy visiting this establishment. Staff very friendly and helpful. Delicious cheese boards and wines superb.

Acogedor, gran variedad de vinos, aunque los precios no tienen nada que ver a los de España

They serve (probably) the best Negroni in Cambridge!

Superb choice of wines with very helpful staff who really know their wines. Pointed me in the direction of a couple of excellent Italian reds I probably wouldn't have tried.

Great shop .friendly and helpfull staff.

Regular visitor on my many Cambridge trips to purchase a particular bottle of wine for my son. Large selection. We usually visit the store on Kings parade

After an afternoon lunching and walking around Cambridge, what better way to spend a couple of hours than sipping a couple of glasses of wine in a buzzing atmosphere? The inside was full on a cold Saturday night, but we were seated outside and promised a move indoors when a table became available. True to their word, we were seated inside in no time at all. Decent choice of wines by the glass, the House Pinot Noir was my second but preferred choice vs the Brouilly, which I found to be disappointing - but that’s wine for you....

Very cosy and nice place for a glass of wine.

Bought an £80 bottle of Gevrey Chambertin for Christmas day..Pure vinegar, clearly horrendous provenance. How did they respond? Oh we couldn't possibly refund you, you'd have to drive with the bottle to Oxford for us to prove there was something wrong with it. As if I was lying and looking for a free ride. Had an immaculate bottle at Core restaurant the week before. Never again. Stick to the reliable, trusted vintners and those who have your back when something goes wrong.

We stopped over at the Cambridge Wine Company shop for a couple of glasses mulled wine on the way home. The advertisement black board outside said that the mulled wine was £4.50 per glass in big letters. When we came to pay we were charged £12.00 instead of £9.00 . When I questioned the serving assistant I was told that it was for take a way price not sitting in price. When I asked why this was not indicated on the black board I was shown an A4 size paper sign stuck on the shop window, I told the assistant that they were being deceitful to paying customer and the blackboard should clearly state that £4.50 was the takeaway price, the assistant's answer was 'Perhaps we should, noted'. This shop will not see me as a customer again.

Very nice place to stop for a bottlevof wine and nibbles.

Our second visit and another brilliant time. Excellent service, good wines and cheeses, and a wonderful environment.

What was once just a wine shop is now a busy wine bar with an incredible selection of fine wines

A lovely place to have a lovely chat. Great wine, great location. Do bring warm clothes though, I didn't ask if they had any but I would love if they had some blankets so you could be outside and having some wine. Although going my my mother's reaction of red wine and any sort of spillages, I guess that might be risky