New M Wine Bar ups stakes in London's wine by the glass offer

By Andrew Catchpole

Published: 01 December, 2017

The hybrid M Restaurant and Wine Store in Victoria has further evolved its vinous offer with the introduction of a wine bar and what it says is “the largest collection of perfectly preserved wines by the glass in London”.

M Wine Bar, presided over by group sommelier Lenart Cernelic, offers 120 wines by the glass, of which 22 are exclusive to M, with Enomotion preservation and dispense machines, plus Coravins on hand, to help allow customers to indulge in a wealth of styles without splashing out on a bottle.

In the battle to beat the boundaries of the bottle, this exceeds the 110 by-the-glass offer at rival London restaurant Les 110 de Taillevent, although falls short of the 700 available at 67 Pall Mall - an exclusive private members' club for wine lovers, which is not open to the public.

“At M we believe in making the so-called inaccessible, accessible,” said M operations director Andre Maninni. “Guests can have a tasting ranging from £1.30 all the way to £130 for a sample of 2005 Petrus.”

In addition to democratising access to expensive or esoteric wines that guests may otherwise shy away from trying, M Restaurants is also beginning to open a handful of bespoke restaurants in London’s suburbs, with the first M Bar and Grill already up and running since September in leafy Twickenham.

The aim is for these neighbourhood outposts of the Victoria and City-based M restaurants, owner Martin Williams has told Harpers, is to deliver the quality of the original concept, but in a slightly more affordable and relaxed style for local people in outlying areas.

Two or three further M Bar and Grill openings can be expected during 2018 as and when appropriate sites arise.

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