Where to Find the Best Wine and Street Food Pairings in London
Foodies and winos, unite! London’s culinary scene isn’t just Michelin stars and fancy wine bars – it’s also food trucks, market stalls, and pop-up kitchens serving incredible street food, often alongside some seriously good wine. In fact, pairing wine with street food is one of the capital’s latest delicious trends. Whether you crave tacos with Tempranillo or burgers with Barolo, we’ve got you covered. Here are the top spots to find amazing wine and street food pairings in London:
1. Winedrops Live Festival – Wine & Street Food Heaven
It’s no surprise that Winedrops Live tops this list – this East London wine festival is built around the idea that great wine deserves great food. At the festival, you’ll find award-winning street food vendors curated to complement hundreds of wines on offer. Imagine strolling with a glass of Bordeaux while nibbling a perfectly cured, or sipping a crisp Riesling with gourmet cheese toasties . Winedrops Live brings it all together under one (very large) roof.
What to try: They feature vendors like Jumi Jumi, who serves raclette & a mouth watering toasties – heavenly with a robust red or an Italian Chianti. Craving a pizza? Big Penny Social slings gourmet, fully topped sough dough pizza; try one with a bold Malbec or a juicy Zinfandel for a carnivore’s dream pairing. And don’t miss Bray Cured for award winning cured meats – these flavourful bites go great with a Spanish Rioja or a dry rosé. The idea is to roam and mix-and-match: maybe a glass of Champagne with some truffle cheese toasties, then a fruity Argentine red with charcuterie. With over 500 wines and multiple cuisines at your fingertips, the pairing possibilities are endless.
Where: Winedrops Live is held in East London at Big Penny Social. Within the festival, head to the Food section where all the street food stalls are clustered. They even encourage pairing – vendors and wine advisors can guide you on what wine goes best with that raclette or pizza.
2. Mercato Metropolitano – Food Hall with a Wine Soul
For a year-round fix of street food and wine, Mercato Metropolitano is a top choice. This sprawling food market in Elephant & Castle (with spin-offs in Mayfair and even Ilford) offers dozens of street food stalls and a fantastic on-site wine bar/enoteca. At Mercato’s original location, you’ll find an Enoteca (wine cellar) nestled inside the market, pouring generous glasses of biodynamic and small-producer wines. Grab your wine, then wander among street food from all over the world.
What to try: Mercato is all about global variety. You can pair Neapolitan pizza with a glass of natural Italian red – the Enoteca’s staff will happily recommend a rustic Chianti or a funky Sicilian Nero d’Avola to match that wood-fired pie. Feeling something Asian-fusion? Perhaps you snag some dumplings or bao and pair with an aromatic off-dry Riesling or a crisp Alsace white (cuts through spice like a charm). There’s also Venezuelan arepas, Argentine steak wraps, poke bowls – truly an around-the-world trip. The beauty is, the wine bar stocks a wide range: organic wines, orange wines, local English wines, you name it. So you can be adventurous. Try a biodynamic Georgian amber wine with curry, or an English sparkling with fresh pasta – why not? The atmosphere is lively and communal; long tables where everyone chows down and clinks glasses. On some evenings, Mercato even hosts wine tasting events or live music, making the pairing experience even more enjoyable.
Where: Mercato Metropolitano (42 Newington Causeway, SE1). Nearest Tube: Elephant & Castle. Once inside, find the Enoteca stall – often staffed by passionate sommeliers who love to chat about their selection. In Mercato Mayfair (its sister venue in a converted church in Mayfair), you’ll similarly find wine served on tap and by bottle, with street-food style vendors all around (think charcuterie boards from one stall, dim sum from another). It’s basically foodie paradise. Go with friends, divide and conquer the stalls, then reconvene at a wine table to share your haul – and maybe a bottle or two.
3. Borough Market Bites with Wine on the Side
Borough Market isn’t just for grocery shopping – it’s also a street food haven at lunchtime and weekends. While Borough is famous for its artisanal produce and street eats (hello, raclette melted over potatoes, wild boar sausages, paella pans, and duck confit sandwiches…), you might not immediately think “wine bar” here. But tucked around the market are a couple of fantastic wine options to elevate your grazing. Bedales of Borough is a cozy wine bar and shop right in the market, and they’ll happily pour you an interesting glass to take with you as you wander (in plastic, to-go friendly). There’s also Borough Wines shop and sometimes pop-up wine stalls featuring English wines.
What to try: The strategy here is to curate your own pairing. For instance, grab a gooey grilled cheese sandwich from Kappacasein (a famous Borough Market stall), then pop into Bedales and ask for a glass of something that loves cheese – perhaps a creamy Chardonnay or a funky farmhouse cider (if you want to veer off wine, they have that too). Or say you snagged a carton of Spanish paella loaded with chorizo and saffron – match it with a Spanish Rioja or Navarra rosé from the wine bar. Sweet tooth? Borough’s bread pudding or doughnuts could pair with a little tot of sweet sherry or dessert wine from the shop. Essentially, Borough Market lets you create a movable feast: pick and mix food from different stalls and get a wine to pair with each course. There’s even a stall called Jumi Cheese at Borough (also featured at Winedrops Live’s food lineup) – if you get their raclette (hot melted alpine cheese scraped over potatoes and pickles), try it with a crisp white like an Alsace Pinot Gris or a Swiss Chasselas if available. Some vendors at Borough now sell English sparklings by the glass too – nothing like bubbly and oysters from the shellfish stall for a luxe street food moment.
Where: Borough Market (London Bridge). Wine-wise, head to Bedales (5 Bedale St) – they often have an outdoor stand in nice weather. Alternatively, Vinoteca Borough is a proper restaurant/wine bar adjacent to the market if you want a seated pairing experience after grazing. But the fun is really in strolling the market with a beverage in hand. Note: Borough is busiest on Saturdays, but that also means the liveliest atmosphere.
4. Pop Brixton – Global Street Food + Specialist Cellar Wines
In South London, Pop Brixton is a community of shipping containers turned foodie hub. It’s known for its eclectic mix of street food stalls (Caribbean, Mexican, Vietnamese, you name it) and lively events. One gem here is Specialist Cellars, a New Zealand-focused wine bar/shop tucked among the containers (a true hidden gem for wine lovers). They offer an awesome selection of New World wines (not only NZ, despite their Kiwi roots) and serve them in a super relaxed setting – you can drink inside their cosy container or take your glass to the communal areas outside among the food stalls. It’s an ideal setup for pairing high-quality wines with fun, affordable eats.
What to try: Given Specialist Cellars’ New Zealand lean, it’s almost obligatory to try a NZ Sauvignon Blanc with something like battered fish tacos or grilled halloumi fries from a neighbouring stall – that zingy sauv blanc cuts through fried goodness perfectly. Or grab some jerk chicken from the Caribbean vendor and bring it to the wine bar – ask them for a bold, fruity red like an Aussie Shiraz or a Chilean Malbec to match the spice and char. The staff at Specialist Cellars are super friendly and passionate; if you tell them what you’re eating, they’ll suggest a spot-on pairing. Pop Brixton also has stalls like a pizza joint, Indian street food, and even a little bakery/dessert spot. A dry rosé or a light Pinot Noir from their list could be amazing with a variety of those, from samosas to pepperoni pizza. And since you might end the night with something sweet, see if they have a late-harvest Riesling or a local London-made dessert wine to sip along with a brownie or churros from the dessert stall.
Where: Pop Brixton – 49 Brixton Station Rd, SW9. It’s a few minutes’ walk from Brixton Tube/Rail. Once inside the colourful container park, find Specialist Cellars (look for a container with wine bottles in the window and likely a Kiwi flag or two). They often host wine tastings and events as well, so you could end up doing a mini wine flight before or after chowing down. The vibe at Pop is hip and laid-back, often with music playing and lots of young locals. It’s especially fun on weekend evenings. (Heads up: after 9pm on Fridays/Saturdays there may be a small entry fee, which includes a drink token – sometimes even usable at the wine bar.)
5. Bonus – Food Festivals and Markets with Wine Pop-Ups
London frequently hosts food festivals where wine gets a starring role alongside street food. For example, the Taste of London festival (usually in summer and sometimes a festive edition in autumn) has wine vendor booths and wine tastings sprinkled among the restaurant stalls. Or the new Nourished Communities Food Festival at Big Penny Social (in Walthamstow) – primarily a food producers market – also offers natural wine tastings. Keep an eye out for smaller events too: local weekend markets (like Maltby Street Market or Netil Market) sometimes feature a wine stall amid the craft beer and cocktail stands. If you find one, you’ve struck gold: you can enjoy that artisan wood-fire pizza or Ethiopian vegan wrap with a nice glass of something unexpected (perhaps a Portuguese Vinho Verde from a micro-importer’s stall, who knows).
One charming example is Herne Hill Market on Sundays, where a small vintner like Le Grappin has been known to pour Burgundy wines alongside street food – in fact, Le Grappin’s summery Burgundy wines were once sold at a London farmers’ market for on-the-spot enjoyment. So that trend of “pop-up vintners” Phoebe Luckhurst wrote about is alive and well. Always be on the lookout for a wine truck or trailer at street food events. If you see one, go forth and pair!
If reading this has you craving an event dedicated to wine and street food, don’t miss Winedrops Live’s Food lineup to see how they do it – it’s basically a crash course in perfect pairings curated for you. And of course, the Wines list shows which producers are pouring, so you can dream up combos (Sushi rolls with Champagne? Texas BBQ with Aussie Shiraz?) in advance. London’s street food scene is incredibly wine-friendly once you know where to look. So grab a glass, grab a bite, and enjoy the best of both worlds. Cheers and bon appétit!