With a fantastic location on The Strand and a solid choice of wine and champagne, it’s easy to see why Dalys Wine Bar is more than just another tourist trap.

The Venue
Dalys Wine Bar certainly stands out on The Strand, which is no mean feat given there’s so much to look at on this stretch of road. The sign is huge and in your face; it makes a big point of its champagne and fine wine selection on its signage and huge canopies hang low over the street, covering a few outdoor tables. The period windows are pretty and allow glimpses of the good-sized space within. And inside it’s light and airy and has a cafe-like appeal with plenty of cute little tables that fill the space without feeling sandwiched in. The wine emphasis is obvious, with bottles lined up in neat little rows on shelves and behind the bar. They're just waiting to be drunk. Better get started, then.

The Atmosphere
Dalys Wine Bar attracts plenty of business types from the many offices nearby – mainly legal offices – and the expense accounts are clearly open for business as tables are lined with champagne and wine. And it’s not cheap as a result. After all, what do these people care about a couple of quid here and there? But the old adage ‘you get what you pay for’ is true and the staff are incredibly friendly and the service is very good – as you’d expect when forking out for an expensive bottle of vino.

The Food
Burgers, steaks, hot sandwiches and salads mix with a few more unusual options like venison, Welsh rarebit, and bubble and squeak. However, the prices are on the high side, although they are in keeping with one of London’s most famous streets. You can expect to pay well over £10 for what amounts to little more than a snack. And that’s before you even factor in the wine...

The Drink
Wine and champagne are the focus of the drink menu at Dalys Wine Bar – no big surprise there. But the selection is excellent and above that of many other central London bars that claim to serve a good choice of wine. The selection is lengthy and covers new and old world bottles and a huge selection of grape varieties, plus they offer a solid choice of more unusual bottles including some nice choices from Argentina and Chile.

The prices range from £15 and work their way steadily upwards to the dizzying heights of older quality bottles, but this allows you to choose something to suit your own budget. And the choice is incredibly well described with the staff extremely well versed if you’re unsure about what to order. You certainly won’t be made to feel stupid for asking questions. Impressively, they have four roses, which is unusual with most bars offering just a couple, and the champagne selection is very solid with Dom Perignon, Veuve Clicquot and Laurent Perrier all making an appearance with tackier bottles like Cristal refreshingly absent.

The Last Word
Dalys Wine Bar is a good option for enjoying a nice bottle of wine if you don’t fancy crushing into one of the many over-subscribed bars nearby.

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