Gordon's Wine Bar

"What To Get: Wine, then cheese. More wine, more cheese. And repeat. Time Capsule Factor: This Dickensian wine bar on the Strand is a vaulted cellar. Do we know what that means? No. But it does involve candlelight, a near-death experience every time you climb the rickety staircase to the toilets, and a broody, clandestine air that lends itself to hot affairs and overthrowing governments. If that’s not your thing, there are newspaper clippings of HRH Lizzy in her 20s." - jake missing, sinead cranna, heidi lauth beasley, rianne shlebak

"Nice try Tim Berners-Lee, but the internet can’t find us at Gordon’s Wine Bar. This subterranean wine vault on the Strand has been open since 1890 and it’s exactly the kind of cavernous, candlelit bunker we picture ourselves hiding out in with our comrade camembert when everything gets a bit weird and the Alexas rise up. Its romance factor makes it permanently popular so you’ll need to make a booking online (OK, sure, thanks Tim) and know that the best things here are the cheeseboards, complete with freshly baked bread and quince jelly." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna

"The oldest wine bar in London, established in 1890, known for its vaulted cellar and great atmosphere." - The MICHELIN Guide UK Editorial Team

"Gordon’s is London’s oldest wine bar and conveniently, it’s also at the top of our list for Restaurants That Are Perfect For Espionage Fantasies. Open since 1890, this subterranean spot by Embankment station is covered in historical newspaper clippings and has the general aura of the world’s most romantic bunker. It’s ideal for sipping excellent wine with someone you desperately fancy, or for finding a corner to cosy up in while you nibble breadsticks and stew on the fact that no one liked your Twitter post. Either way, get involved in the vast cheese offering and enjoy how exceptional your skin looks in candlelight.  " - rianne shlebak, jake missing, heidi lauth beasley

"During a particularly lonesome hangover last week you extended the search radius on your Tinder and now you’ve found yourself meeting up with someone from the mythical land of Bow. Luckily that chariot of love the District line will bring you both to Gordon’s. This wine bar / underground vault of candles has a changing daily menu of British classics, cheese platters, and, somewhat predictably, a pretty good wine list. If you should decide that you’re better off as pals, (Bow is very far away, it never could have worked) then that’s fine, this classic establishment is a lovely place to spend an evening with anyone from family to friends." - heidi lauth beasley