Due to a combination of work and a cold, we missed Wednesday-Friday. Saturday was also world gin day. We started with a lunch of bagels and Pished Fish gin and tonic smoked salmon and a GnT, before returning to our scheduled program.

Lovely Girlfriend decided to go and explore Fitzrovia. Not an area we’ve ever been to. None of the stuff we do is around there, so we don’t have any experience of any of it. Adventure!

First up was a place called Riding House Café. Two Chenin Blanc’s (one French, one South African) and an orange wine. I was very excited to see what the orange wine would be like from somewhere that was neither that rubbishy wine tasting, nor one of the best restaurants in the world.

But first the Chenin Blancs. The first one tasted of green apples. It tasted SO much of green apples I almost wondered if it was green apple. The South African one was also appley, but nothing like as appley as the French one. Now the orange wine.

Nom.

It was very dry, and had that yeasty toast flavour that you get with champagne. We were squeeing about it so much that the lovely wine man gave us a sample of the other orange wine. It was also fantastic. Turns out orange wine is something that I like. Also really liked Riding House Cafe. Definitely going back.

Next up. London Wine. No. Really. We went to a place called Percy and Founders and they were serving a trio of London wines. They buy the grapes and make them in to wine, so it is cheating, but yeah. London wine. They weren’t too bad. In fact the Chardonnay was very good. We also had some amazingly good fries. Definitely going back.

Somewhere called Dickie Fitz next for Australian wine. Our first Pinot Grigio of the week. It was OK. A lot more interesting than most, but also not very interesting. Next up: The only wine I didn’t want to finish. It was a Rosé and I didn’t like it. Rounded off with a wine called Barry. It was great. A really rich plummy red. It was good enough to make up for the Rosé. Just.

The next place was a tapas place called Barrica. They were doing a trio of Rosé. Given the previous place I was worried. I shouldn’t have been. Every single one of them was great. As were the the fine selection of pig products and then Spanish puddings. Definitely going there again.

Final stop of the evening was another Spanish place called Drake’s. Two flights this time. One of lesser known reds and one of non-sparkling whites made with grapes that are traditionally cava grapes. Turns out non-sparkling whites made with grapes that are traditionally cava grapes is a really good thing. I enjoyed all of them. The reds were pretty powerful too. We then decided to stay for another glass of wine. In my case it was actually a sherry, as they had big casks of them and a hooky thing to get them out with. This wasn’t the best idea in the world as it was probably a drink too far. The pale india sherry was delicious though. I was a little delicate the next morning. (we’d definitely go there again).

All these bars are in the Fitzrovia area of London.