Bedales, Southwark, London

I have been to Bedales several times, and never been disappointed by the quality of the food or the atmosphere that is really pleasant!! I highly recommend it to anyone willing to eat well!

Bedales is a little gem of a place in the bowels of the Borough market (in their cellar you can feel the vibrations as trains rattle overhead). It offers a brilliant selection of wines from small and unusual wineries. If you are bored of drinking the same old wine or in a wine rut this is the place to come. On a Qype tasting we also got to sample Bedale’s charcuterie and cheese boards which were truly brilliant - especially the comte and pickled garlic. Arnaud the Managing Director and “Bedales Wine Drinker” is a wealth of information and enthusiasm so if you can track him down in the store for advice you should do so.

When education, wine, and food come together in a charming setting, it’s a very good night.

I enjoy wine, though I confess that I am not educated. I usually grab a random bottle, or re-visit the same wines over and again, but at Bedales I learned a lot about why I make my choices and why to not base my choices on grape variety alone.

In the future, if I am wanting to try a new wine or too, or take an out-of-town guest out for a nice bottle, this is exactly where I will return. The staff is knowledgeable, friendly, and the pours are what they should be - sized for sipping, not gulping!

What a treat. A proper wine shop that knows it stuff, where you can sit down and try things by the glass and if you’ve tasted something that’s really tickled you pink, buy a bottle to take home with you to enjoy later. It’s a wine bar too see, and food to compliment your glass they also have. Cheeses, meats, olives- everything to work those taste buds into a frenzy and all things that are satisfyingly salty making the wine all the more delicious. The Borough Market branch of this three store strong business is the first. Bedales head drinker and managing director Arnaud Compas started selling organic wines in 2001 in the market. Slowly one thing led to another, bonds were made, money was found and Bedales was born. Their philosophy is pure and simple. Drink the wine you enjoy and enjoy the wine you drink. This is not about knowing the chemistry behind it all, it’s about the result: the drinking. Know the flavours, excite your taste buds and enthusiasm and the knowledge will come later. With things you won’t be able to find elsewhere and things you would never have tasted before (I urge you to try the Fugnano Vernaccia di San Gimignano, but hold onto your seats, you’re in for a surprise) Bedales is surely in a realm all of its own. All hail to the gods of wine.

This is a great little wine bar in the Borough Market. Its decor is on the rustic side, comfortable and spacious, all stone and wood.

I was here for a wine tasting, held in the cellar, and a great venue for it. A central table held a fascinating selection of bottles and some tasty tapas (pickled garlic = yum). Our host, Arnaud, was great: knowledgable, funny, and good at showing people that their own opinions and tastes can’t be wrong.

The majority of their wines are organic and biodynamic. Whether you believe in the efficacy of the latter system or not, they’ve got some tasty bottles on hand.

Handy place for a drink just away from the bustle of Borough Market.
Well designed with an authentic winery feel. Wines by the glass or bottle, and some beers. You can choose any bottle from their shelves with an £8 corkage. There’s a lot of seating in the cellar, which can be hired for group tastings.
Some great looking charcuterie platters.
However the more I looked the range didn’t seem that great, so in the end I felt it was really a wine bar rather than a wine merchant with drinks….. unless I missed something and they have another shop as well.

Situated on the edge of Borough market - Bedales is a great little place for a visit for those who love their wine and those who just like visiting great little bars. The ground floor has plenty of seating for those looking to enjoy a tipple from the very large selection of wines they have on offer round the walls of the room. The back has some seating which flows out into Borough market itself, and downstairs is an excellent cellar bar. The whole place has a great atmosphere to it, with lots of interesting characters enjoying their purchases. Staff are very friendly, although somewhat distracted when it get busy.

The corkage fee of £8 on each bottle I believe which is a bit over the top in my view. Especially when you consider the dictionary definition of corkage: “a fee charged, as in a restaurant, for serving wine or liquor brought in by the patron.”

Well - didn’t we just buy the wine there rather than bring it with us?

Excellent selection of wine, a cute, cosy cellar to drink it in and the best, most delicious tapas platters ever.

Bedales is a must when you visit Borough Market. You can escape the hustle and bustle of the Market and enjoy a glass (or 2).

The downstairs bit is nice and cosy. Ideal to spend an afternoon enjoying the wine and food. The wines are very good.

All around a lovely place to while away the time in a relaxed atmosphere.

Popped in here last night for a few glasses of wine. Excellent selection and the staff are happy to give you a taste before selling you a paritcular glass or bottle. Lots of room to sit down and, although we didn’t eat, the food looks great. A very decent bottle of wine won’t cost you more than £20.

Killer location and certainly a hidden gem of Borough Market!