London’s oldest wine bar has taken no bookings since 1890. It now takes exactly one, for a table called the Cage.
“First come, first served has been the Gordon’s motto since 1890. Our much vaunted ‘Cage’ can now be reserved!”
That is the whole booking policy. Everything else in the building, and everything on the terrace, is turn up and wait. The Cage is the single reservable table in the place.
The bar’s own advice for the rest: “As reservations are not taken, the best way to grab a table is to turn up early. Please talk to one of the staff on arrival and we will do our best to seat you.”
Guided wine tasting sessions and private tastings can also be booked, which are the other way to guarantee a seat.
Open at eleven, which is when to go
Monday to Saturday 11am to 11pm. Sunday midday to 10pm.
Given a no-booking policy in a cellar that seats very few people, the opening hour matters more here than almost anywhere. A cellar table at 11am on a weekday is realistic. The same table at 6pm is not.
Sunday is the short day at both ends: an hour later opening and an hour earlier close.
The terrace solved the queue
A recent change that most guides have not caught up with.
Gordon’s has rebuilt its outdoor area on Watergate Walk, with two serving cabins and a team of serving staff, so you order from the table rather than queueing at the bar.
Their words: “No more queues and a huge selection of great food and wine available for you to order from your table.”
And it works in winter: “Outdoor seating under heated awnings provides an all year round al fresco experience.”
So the old Gordon’s problem, queueing twice over, applies to the cellar and not the terrace. If you want to be served rather than to queue, sit outside.
The cellar is the reason to come
It is not a themed room. It is the original one.
A vaulted candlelit cellar with old oak barrels filled with sherries and port, walls covered in old photographs and newspaper clippings of historic events.
There is no electric lighting worth the name down there, which is the point and also the warning: it is genuinely dark, low and cramped. The romantic cellar tables are tucked away and small.
Still a family business
Established 1890, and thought to be the oldest wine bar in London, which makes it over 135 years old.
It is owned by Wendy Gordon, widow of Luis Gordon, and overseen by Luis’s eldest son Simon. The registered directors are all Gordons.
That continuity is unusual in central London and it shows in the room, which has not been refitted into anything.
Fifteen cheeses and a deli
The food is built for wine rather than the other way round.
More than 15 different cheeses, a charcuterie selection, and vegetarian and vegan options, alongside sharing boards, snacks and home-made dishes.
There is also a separate Gordon’s Deli, and gift cards and vouchers.
Where it is
47 Villiers Street, Charing Cross, London WC2N 6NE. Telephone 020 7930 1408.
Between Charing Cross and Embankment stations, minutes from Trafalgar Square, close to Covent Garden and the theatres.
Villiers Street runs down from the Strand to the river, and it is the same street as Heaven, which is in the railway arches at the bottom. The terrace is round the corner on Watergate Walk.
How to plan it
You cannot book a table. Except the Cage, which you can.
Want the cellar: arrive at eleven, or as near as you can manage.
Want to be served, not queue: sit on the terrace, where staff take orders at the table.
Winter: the terrace is heated and covered, and open all year.
Sunday is shorter at both ends, midday to 10pm.
Guaranteed seat: book a wine tasting rather than a table.
Pre-theatre: it is minutes from the West End, but allow for the wait.
Gordon’s Wine Bar
- Address
- 47 Villiers Street, Charing Cross, London WC2N 6NE, with the terrace on Watergate Walk
- Nearest
- Charing Cross and Embankment, both a minute or two away
- Hours
- Monday to Saturday 11am to 11pm. Sunday midday to 10pm
- Booking
- No reservations, with one exception: the Cage can now be reserved. Guided and private wine tastings are bookable. Otherwise first come, first served. Call 020 7930 1408
- Price
- Wine bar prices. More than 15 cheeses, charcuterie, sharing boards and home-made dishes, with vegetarian and vegan options
- Standing
- Thought to be London’s oldest wine bar, established 1890, with a vaulted candlelit cellar, oak barrels of sherry and port, and a heated year-round terrace on Watergate Walk
How to get in
First come first served has been the policy since 1890 and the only bookable table is the one called the Cage. The cellar is genuinely dark, low and small, so arriving at the 11am opening is the realistic way to get a table there. The rebuilt Watergate Walk terrace has two serving cabins and table service, which removes the queue, and is heated and covered for year-round use. Still owned by the Gordon family, with Wendy Gordon as owner and her stepson Simon overseeing it.
Where to go next
London’s wine bars covers the rest, and the oldest pubs cover the other survivors.
Who takes walk-ins in London sorts venues by how you actually get in, and Covent Garden covers the streets above it.
Questions we get asked
Can you book a table at Gordon's Wine Bar?
Only one. Gordon's has operated first come, first served since 1890, and the single exception is the table known as the Cage, which can now be reserved. Guided wine tasting sessions and private tastings can also be booked. For everything else you turn up and speak to staff on arrival.
How do you get a table at Gordon's Wine Bar?
Arrive early. The bar opens at 11am Monday to Saturday and midday on Sunday, and its own advice is that turning up early is the best way to get a table. The cellar is small and fills fast after work, so late afternoon onwards means waiting.
Does Gordon's Wine Bar have outdoor seating?
Yes, on Watergate Walk, and it works all year. The area has been rebuilt with two serving cabins and serving staff so you order from your table rather than queueing, and the seating sits under heated awnings for year-round use.
How old is Gordon's Wine Bar?
Established in 1890, which makes it over 135 years old and thought to be the oldest wine bar in London. It is still family owned, by Wendy Gordon, widow of Luis Gordon, and overseen by Luis's eldest son Simon.
What are Gordon's Wine Bar's opening hours?
Monday to Saturday 11am to 11pm, and Sunday midday to 10pm. Sunday is an hour shorter at both ends, which matters at a bar that takes no bookings.
Where is Gordon's Wine Bar?
47 Villiers Street, WC2N 6NE, between Charing Cross and Embankment stations and minutes from Trafalgar Square. The terrace is round the corner on Watergate Walk. It is the same street as the Heaven nightclub, which sits in the arches at the bottom.
Written by Robert J Wills, no. 358 in the guide.
Last checked 6 October 2026 against the venues' own published information. Nobody pays to appear here and we take no bookings.
