The Olde Wine Shades

Originally a merchant’s house pre-dating the Great Fire of 1666, this venerable wine bar is reputedly the City’s oldest – a former haunt of Charles Dickens that stands above a smugglers’ tunnel leading down to the river. Not that there’s any such skulduggery nowadays, just civilised supping from the El Vino wine list in one of the Square Mile’s more tranquil settings – complete with alfresco tables out front & a gloriously spectral bar within. On the food front, make a beeline for the self-service lunchtime buffet or bag a table in the brick-vaulted cellar restaurant if you want to order from the carte: expect tapas, steaks, pasta & other international favourites.