I went on a Wednesday night (November 5) expecting a casual midweek catch-up and ended up staying until 10.30pm.
One look around and I instantly got it: ‘small, but mighty’ isn’t just a slogan here, it’s a personality.
The venue featured original brickwork and glowing shelves stacked high with more than 500 artisan wines sourced from vineyard all over the world.
Every inch of wall space is covered in bottles, and every single one is available to try.
It’s also just a five-minute walk from Liverpool Street Station but somehow feels hidden away from the chaos.
My friend and I were seated right in the middle of the action – surrounded by other buzzing tables – it was cosy, busy, and effortlessly cool.
And yes, dogs are welcome, which feels very on-brand for a London wine bar that knows its crowd.
We were greeted by Hugo and served by Luca, both of whom were friendly, warm, and genuinely passionate about what they do.
They chatted through the menu and helped us pick a wine that would suit both of us (no small feat).
We landed on a bottle of Vinyes Ocults Viognier 2024 from Argentina’s Uco Valley -described on the menu as “experimenting, breaking a balance to create others.”
The first sip was hazy, juicy, and dangerously drinkable.
My friend said it was like sipping juice – and she wasn’t wrong.
For a place that bills itself as a wine bar, the kitchen is punching way above its weight.
We shared Crispy Cauliflower with lime aioli and chilli ketchup (£11.25) and a Baked Camembert with rosemary, confit garlic, and sourdough (£18.50).
The cauliflower was crispy and coated in a sauce I couldn’t stop spooning, while the camembert was soft, rich, and almost too easy to devour – I nearly ruined my appetite with the bread alone.
For mains, I had the Chicken Schnitzel with new potato salad and herb dressing (£18.50), while my friend tackled the fillet steak (£23).
The schnitzel was golden and satisfying, but the potato salad stole the show.
It had this avocado-like creaminess, probably from the herb dressing, and I could’ve eaten a bowl of it on its own.
We were full, but dessert was non-negotiable.
We shared the Chocolate Fondant with vanilla ice cream (£8) – warm, gooey and rich.
Even as we left at 10.30pm, the place was still buzzing – glasses clinking, plates scraping, and laughter in every corner.
To put it simply: Humble Grape isn’t trying to be flashy.
It’s trying to be comfortable, confident, and quietly brilliant.
There are other Humble Grape locations across London – Battersea, Islington, Canary Wharf, and Fleet Street – but there’s something special about the Liverpool Street one.
They also run “Love at First Flight,” a tasting experience that helps you find your perfect wine match by chatting through what you like, rather than pretending to understand tasting notes about “green apple and flint”.
