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Vinopolis (Bar)

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No.1 Bank End, London Bridge & Bermondsey, London, SE1 9BU
Cuisine: Tapas
Tel: 0871-402-2541 ? | Email to Vinopolis | Transport: London Bridge | Write review

Vinopolis Review

I’ve always liked drinking wine. I’d even go as far as saying I know a little about the wine I choose to drink – I know my Sauvignon Blanc from my Chardonnay, I know I prefer dry fruity whites to sweet dessert wines, I know what red to pair with steak and what red to glug into my Spaghetti Bolognaise (in my personal opinion, a full bodied red like a Shiraz goes perfectly with a lovely piece of Sirloin, for all those interested). But I didn’t really understand or appreciate how to taste wine correctly – that is, until I visited Vinopolis, London’s wine and spirit tasting venue.

Vinopolis, near London Bridge station, offers a number of different wine tasting tours. At the beginning of each there’s a ‘How to taste wine’ session – a 20 minute talk by a likeable presenter who knows her stuff, armed with a glass of (white) wine each and enough information without being overbearing about the technicalities of tasting and understanding wine. For wine connoisseurs (and that is definitely not me), there probably isn’t that much to learn from the short introduction talk. Saying that, the talk was interesting and was reassuringly guided by a wine expert who taught us the fundamentals – to assess the wine with its colour, its nose and its flavour. We learnt simple things like what to look for when trying to determine the age of the wine (the colour against a white background), how to gauge the alcoholic content of the wine and how to ‘slurp’ the wine correctly so that it coats all of your taste buds therefore allowing you to properly taste the wine.

Once we had received the talk we were handed a number of tokens all corresponding to the tour we had chosen beforehand. We had decided to take the Vinopolis Vineyard tour, a tour that allows you to sample five regular wines, a Bombay Sapphire cocktail (in the specially themed cocktail bar), two premium wines and two rum tastings. It was possible to get different tours – for example, there is an absinth bar where they prepare the absinth properly so that visitors don’t keel over from the sheer alcoholic content, and there is a champagne bar for all the people on the Vinopolis ‘Celebration’ tour.

Vinopolis is housed in beautifully converted railway arches, with brick walls and high ceilings that do everything to add to the experience. The building is split into different sections, which are decorated accordingly – it is possible to sip Italian wine while sitting on a Vespa and shown clips of rural Italy from the perspective of the bike rider. The exhibits are fun and not all are informative – for wine buffs these exhibits could seem tedious and unnecessary, but for the average wine drinker there is information to be learnt if the person wishes to. There is plenty of information on the walls plus visual and audio displays all themed around the wine – separate tables split the wine up into categories (European, Australian, Thai/Chinese and Indian etc) and there is a separate area for the premium wines.

Slightly out of keeping with the wine tasting were the areas for spirit sampling. In particular, the Bombay Sapphire room was an experience on its own. Neon blue lit a corridor decorated with shelves of artistically beautiful cocktail glass designs from all over the world. A professional mixologist served fruity and refreshing cocktails and was happy to talk to us about the origins of the cocktails and could go into length about the gin.

Vinopolis touts itself as a place to visit for a number of reasons – work parties, hen nights and gift ideas are all suggested as reasons to enjoy the tours on offer. When you think of hen nights, you think of rowdy, raucous females wearing ‘learner’ stickers, not people serious about learning how to taste wine. So suddenly the wine tasting may not seem like a good idea. Fortunately, the wine tour we experienced was anything but trashy hen night material. The staff were friendly and informative, the information brief but interesting and the wines on offer were delicious (recommendations were given by the staff).

It was easy to lose two or three hours within the Vinopolis building, walking around the exhibits and sampling wines (and spirits) from around the world. However, be aware, the measures are generous, so by the end of the tour you may think you know more about wine than you really do!
...read more

Claire Williams

Vinopolis Description

Out with the old and in with the new…Vinopolis is OPEN once again!

Join us and discover first-hand our brand new interactive wine experience. With a huge range of packages to choose from we’ve got something for everyone, from those who just want to dip their feet into the world of wine to those who fancy a swim! Vinopolis is bursting with new flavours to explore. Quite literally.

Our brand new Wine Tasting Experience near London Bridge comes complete with interactive technology that is specially designed to enhance your learning and experience of different wines from around the world, allowing you to discover new flavours in a totally informal setting and develop your taste profile with every visit.

With 3 different packages to choose from, everything you learn on your Wine Tasting Experience is your call – it’s your taste, your pace. Explore different flavours at your leisure, chat to our experts, discover great wine, and delve into interactive technology to help you develop your taste profile with every visit. New educational and tasting zones make for a dynamic, engaging and full-flavoured experience.

As you venture through the interactive tasting and educational zones, you will be able to spend your drink tokens on a huge range of samples of your choice. No matter which package you select - Essential, Classic or Quintessential - you can taste any of our wines, spirits and Champagnes! On this self-guided journey through the magnificent Vinopolis arches, you are free to explore the world of wine in your own time – it’s your pace, it’s your taste...

Intrigued? Purchase tickets now.
Prices start from £27. Group discounts available for 10 or more.

Opening Times
Wednesday 18:00- -21:30
Thursday-Friday 14:00-21:30
Saturday 12:00- 21:30
Sunday 12:00- 16:00
(last admission 2hrs before closing)
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Additional Information

Vinopolis Food & Drinks

Vinopolis Food Menu

If you feel like a lite bite to eat while you are enjoying the wine experience, you can always stop by the Tapas bar for something delicious to pair with your wine. If you're looking for something more substantial then why not visit one of our onsite restaurants? Have Pizza at our new Italian restaurant- Del Mercato, enjoy pub grub at Brew Wharf or have something Mediterranean at Cantina.

Updated 22/10/2012

Special offers, discounts and deals at Vinopolis

Book a wine tasting experience at Vinopolis for a Sunday and receive a complimentary plate of Spanish Tapas to enjoy while you are here.

Updated 30/10/2012

Vinopolis Hire Details

Whether you’re looking for a traditional venue, a contemporary one, or even a mix of both, we have internal event spaces to fit your every need.

With over 8 distinct yet equally stunning event spaces, Vinopolis merges Victorian splendour with 21st century facilities, offering state-of-the-art lighting and AV solutions helping make us one of London’s top event venues.

Updated 22/10/2012

Name: Academia
Type: Private Room
Days: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Cost - Hire Fee: £ 0 / Min Bar Spend: £ 0
Options: Food Available, Seating Available,
DJ: None
Capacity: 100
Notes: Academia accommodates up to 100 guests and can be used to complement larger events or as a space in its own right.
Name: Arches
Type: Private Room
Days: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Cost - Hire Fee: £ 0 / Min Bar Spend: £ 0
Options: Food Available, Seating Available,
DJ: None
Capacity: 100
Notes: The Arches are ideal if you are looking for somewhere to hold a tiered event, as the name suggests the arches are just that, large impressive Victorian railway arches.
Name: Great Halls
Type: Private Room
Days: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Cost - Hire Fee: £ 0 / Min Bar Spend: £ 0
Options: Food Available, Seating Available,
DJ: None
Capacity: 750
Notes: The stunning Great Halls accommodate up to 750 guests; unique railway arches ideal for a corporate events with a twist, tiered events and private dining and drinks receptions.
Name: Mezzanine
Type: Private Room
Days: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Cost - Hire Fee: £ 0 / Min Bar Spend: £ 0
Options: Food Available, Seating Available,
DJ: None
Capacity: 350
Notes: The Mezzanine hosts 350 guests and is popular for training, trade shows and exhibitions.
Name: The Boardroom
Type: Private Room
Days: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Cost - Hire Fee: £ 0 / Min Bar Spend: £ 0
Options:
DJ: None
Capacity: 50
Notes: If you need space for smaller conferences and meetings, the Boardroom is ideal and has the added benefit of natural light which floods in through large windows down the length of one of the walls.
Name: The Cellar
Type: Private Room
Days: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Cost - Hire Fee: £ 0 / Min Bar Spend: £ 0
Options: Food Available, Seating Available,
DJ: None
Capacity: 50
Notes: Another space at Vinopolis suited to smaller and more intimate events. The newest event space at Vinopolis with its own private entrance.
Name: The Gallery
Type: Private Room
Days: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Cost - Hire Fee: £ 0 / Min Bar Spend: £ 0
Options: Food Available, Seating Available,
DJ: None
Capacity: 200
Notes: The Gallery has facility for up to 200 guests with a 2 storey high ceiling and fantastic white walls, it is often used for product launches and the name suggests art exhibitions.

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Venue ID: 20566

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Loved

"Absolutely fantastic place to go. We loved it. Service was above outstanding, and the cocktails are to die for. Staff is charismatic as well as knowledgeable. Thanks fluid for posting this review, it's..." Which venue is this?

Hated

"Terrible customer service. No smile and a point to the table we were meant to be seated at instead of an escort like you would expect from a good quality restaurant. One waitress even said they were not..." Which venue is this?

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