Planet of the Grapes

In the midst of the hussle of bustle of the busy city, I found this little wine bar hidden in a little alley by Leadenhall Market.

Even though it is small and always seemed to be fully booked, it is warm, comfy and has a very friendly atmosphere. Wooden chairs table and bar, classy and old fashioned. A very good crowd and the staffs in POGT are very friendly, always ready to assist you with any queries you have. Excellent service!

This is one of my favourite wine bars. I visit this bar a couple of times a month. It’s great place to wind down after a stressful day at work. It’s a great place to relax and have a glass on your own or even enjoying it with company of friends.

The wine

The varieties of wine served by the glass are quite diverse compared to most bars. Not the most common known wines from typical bar menu. However, I am generally speaking about the wine served by the glass. The menu for wine by the glass, changes every 6 weeks. (I was just informed that the owner is currently in Argentina looking for a good range of Argentinean wine) They have fantastic range of wine by the bottles. You may even buy these bottles to enjoy at home.

The following are the list red wine bar the glass currently being servers in POGT:

Harras Syrah, 2005, Chille

Miopossa Nero D;Arola, 2009, Italy ( I liked this)

Sherwood, Pinor, 2009, New Zealand ( I liked this)

La Malta, garancha. 2008, Spain

The price

I do find POGT is a little pricey, however to open nicer bottle of wines and maintain a wine bar in the city could be very expensive. The environment and ambience of POGT is very much the main reason I like this bar.

Will I go here again?

I am there once a weel.. what else can I say?

Stuck down a dodgy side passage in the otherwise pretty Leadenhall Street Market, Planet of the Grapes isn't an obvious spot for a top notch wine bar. But that is exactly what it is. Not some '80s, Del Boy and Rodney joint, but a place to buy great quality wine, at stupidly reasonable prices.

There seem to be two sort of wine bar in the City: the “old school” Balls Brothers, El Vino, Davy's style, and the new, lighter, style, with the emphasis on seriously good wine, at seriously good prices (like here, the utterly superb 28-50 and, to some extent, Bar Battu). This new wave of wine bar is more relaxed, more focused on the wine than the old school, which seem far more interested in Rioja and sawdust.

PotG has but a few small tables (which can easily be reserved) and two walls of wine. The concept is simple: pick a wine from the wall, take it to the bar, pay the retail price and an Ayrton Senna corkage, go sit and sip. What could be easier? And the wine too is an excellent selection, from every part of the wine making world at great prices.

The service is relaxed and friendly (the bespectacled proprietor enjoys his wine, which shows as the evening moves on) and the food platters simple: cheese, meat and (most excellent) pies.

A brilliant change to the over-blown faux-fun pubs that occupy the prettier parts of the market.