*/
Dominic Regan and Sean Jones suggest the best restaurants to visit in order to obtain good wine at a fair price.
You have cause to celebrate. Perhaps you have just been paid for that case you did late last century. The proverbial moron in a hurry can find good wine but the art is to find it at a fair price. Here are some suggestions.
Tate Britain contains many great treasures. The finest for the oenophile are on the list in the Rex Whistler restaurant which is open for lunch daily. Those responsible for buying wine here have invested wisely and the mark ups are slight. If you want to taste great wine, be it burgundy, Bordeaux, from the Rhone or the new world then this is the place to come. The staff are passionate and will give great advice. Old champagne and stunning white burgundy are well represented.
Ransomes Dock
Ransomes Dock is just over the river in Battersea. You can read the list on the website. It is cleverly divided into categories of style rather than geographically so if you want aromatic white or big red then you will find navigation a doddle. What is remarkable here is the breadth of choice and the fact that bottles we rarely see are held. The chef/owner Martin Lam worked at L’Escargot in the 1980s which was then owned by Mr Jancis Robinson (Nick Lander).We see her guiding hand in this wise selection.
Bibendum
Our next suggestion is not in the same league for value as the other venues suggested but Bibendum in the Fulham Road is one of the loveliest, light-filled rooms in London and offers a fixed price three course lunch that is a steal. Identical items cost more than double in the evening. The wine list is massive and some bottles are far from cheap but the sommelier really knows her stuff and recently selected a big Argentinian red that was just £27. Incidentally, the staff here will gladly serve you tap water, again cutting the cost of an outing.
Bob Bob Ricard
Next, the wild card. Bob Bob Ricard is not for the faint hearted. It is lively and loud but it guarantees that the mark up will not exceed £50 and so it offers bottles which are double or treble the cost elsewhere. If you want to push the boat out and drink great red Bordeaux then this is the place to come. Their website gives specific examples showing what they charge compared to, for example, Gordon Ramsey.
Fortnum & Mason
Fortnum & Mason houses several restaurants. You can pick any bottle from the superb wine department to consume in their restaurants and will pay just £10 for the privilege. The department has a vast array of wines from all over the world. Champagne and classic Bordeaux are well represented. Incidentally, we swear by their own label wines which are sourced from the best producers. Not one has ever been a disappointment. The Australian shiraz is a joy.
The Hotel Du Vin group
Our top choice outside London is the Hotel Du Vin group. Both their hotels and restaurants within are superb. Each hotel has a list of its own. York, which is the jewel in the crown of the empire, and Birmingham are tremendous. Brighton is the weakest link in the chain but a new sommelier has been appointed and is beefing up what was a dreadful, lightweight list.
All of the above are good across the board. We have generally avoided saying drink this or that for the very reason that each list contains several gems and it would be invidious to start itemising them.
The Bleeding Heart
Finally, for those close to the Royal Courts, The Bleeding Heart empire of bar, bistro and restaurant is wondrous. They employ the man we regard as the best sommelier in the country today, Monsieur Lepin, who came from the three star Michelin Ducasse restaurant in the Dorchester hotel. His knowledge is only matched by his genuine charm. He has revamped the list and it is a thing of fair valued beauty.
Dominic Regan, Professor of Law, City University, London. Seán Jones, 11 KBW
Seán Jones KC, 11 KBW, @seanjonesqc, specialises in employment law and is General Editor of Tolley’s Employment Handbook. He also works in the sports law field. Seán launched the lawyers Billable Hour Campaign in 2015 which continues to raise funds for Save the Children to support its work trying to alleviate the refugee crisis. Find out how to donate and be a billable hero including the Legal500 humblebrag at: billablehour.org
Professor Dominic Regan @Krug79 is Head of the Knowledge Hub at Frenkel Topping. He is a visiting Professor at City Law School London and a columnist for New Law Journal. Dominic is widely regarded as an authority on wine, witness statements, Part 36 and the Jackson reforms.
Tate Britain contains many great treasures. The finest for the oenophile are on the list in the Rex Whistler restaurant which is open for lunch daily. Those responsible for buying wine here have invested wisely and the mark ups are slight. If you want to taste great wine, be it burgundy, Bordeaux, from the Rhone or the new world then this is the place to come. The staff are passionate and will give great advice. Old champagne and stunning white burgundy are well represented.
Ransomes Dock
Ransomes Dock is just over the river in Battersea. You can read the list on the website. It is cleverly divided into categories of style rather than geographically so if you want aromatic white or big red then you will find navigation a doddle. What is remarkable here is the breadth of choice and the fact that bottles we rarely see are held. The chef/owner Martin Lam worked at L’Escargot in the 1980s which was then owned by Mr Jancis Robinson (Nick Lander).We see her guiding hand in this wise selection.
Bibendum
Our next suggestion is not in the same league for value as the other venues suggested but Bibendum in the Fulham Road is one of the loveliest, light-filled rooms in London and offers a fixed price three course lunch that is a steal. Identical items cost more than double in the evening. The wine list is massive and some bottles are far from cheap but the sommelier really knows her stuff and recently selected a big Argentinian red that was just £27. Incidentally, the staff here will gladly serve you tap water, again cutting the cost of an outing.
Bob Bob Ricard
Next, the wild card. Bob Bob Ricard is not for the faint hearted. It is lively and loud but it guarantees that the mark up will not exceed £50 and so it offers bottles which are double or treble the cost elsewhere. If you want to push the boat out and drink great red Bordeaux then this is the place to come. Their website gives specific examples showing what they charge compared to, for example, Gordon Ramsey.
Fortnum & Mason
Fortnum & Mason houses several restaurants. You can pick any bottle from the superb wine department to consume in their restaurants and will pay just £10 for the privilege. The department has a vast array of wines from all over the world. Champagne and classic Bordeaux are well represented. Incidentally, we swear by their own label wines which are sourced from the best producers. Not one has ever been a disappointment. The Australian shiraz is a joy.
The Hotel Du Vin group
Our top choice outside London is the Hotel Du Vin group. Both their hotels and restaurants within are superb. Each hotel has a list of its own. York, which is the jewel in the crown of the empire, and Birmingham are tremendous. Brighton is the weakest link in the chain but a new sommelier has been appointed and is beefing up what was a dreadful, lightweight list.
All of the above are good across the board. We have generally avoided saying drink this or that for the very reason that each list contains several gems and it would be invidious to start itemising them.
The Bleeding Heart
Finally, for those close to the Royal Courts, The Bleeding Heart empire of bar, bistro and restaurant is wondrous. They employ the man we regard as the best sommelier in the country today, Monsieur Lepin, who came from the three star Michelin Ducasse restaurant in the Dorchester hotel. His knowledge is only matched by his genuine charm. He has revamped the list and it is a thing of fair valued beauty.
Dominic Regan, Professor of Law, City University, London. Seán Jones, 11 KBW
Dominic Regan and Sean Jones suggest the best restaurants to visit in order to obtain good wine at a fair price.
You have cause to celebrate. Perhaps you have just been paid for that case you did late last century. The proverbial moron in a hurry can find good wine but the art is to find it at a fair price. Here are some suggestions.
Chair of the Bar finds common ground on legal services between our two jurisdictions, plus an update on jury trials
A £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs has been made to the leading UK charity tackling international parental child abduction and the movement of children across international borders
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, outlines the drug and alcohol testing options available for family law professionals, and how a new, free guide can help identify the most appropriate testing method for each specific case
By Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, examines the latest ONS data on drug misuse and its implications for toxicology testing in family law cases
An interview with Rob Wagg, CEO of New Park Court Chambers
With at least 31 reports of AI hallucinations in UK legal cases – over 800 worldwide – and judges using AI to assist in judicial decision-making, the risks and benefits are impossible to ignore. Matthew Lee examines how different jurisdictions are responding
What has changed, and why? Paul Secher unpacks the new standards aligning the recruiting, training and appraising of judges – the first major change to the system for ten years
The deprivation of liberty is the most significant power the state can exercise. Drawing on frontline experience, Chris Henley KC explains why replacing trial by jury with judge-only trials risks undermining justice
Ever wondered what a pupillage is like at the CPS? This Q and A provides an insight into the training, experience and next steps
The appointments of 96 new King’s Counsel (also known as silk) are announced today
