If your date appreciates a good glass of wine then you’ll want to take them to Sager + Wilde, a smart urban wine bar in the heart of Shoreditch.
Before you write it off as a trendy east London venue that will be here today gone tomorrow, and full of, well, Shoreditch types (I love you really!) I can safely say it wasn’t like that at all. In fact it had possibly one of the most diverse clientele I have seen in London and that’s saying something. The real beauty of Sager + Wilde is that it’s for people who enjoy wine. No pretence, no ponce, just good wine at affordable prices in a welcoming, and still pretty cool, bar.
It’s a great London date idea and one that your date probably hasn’t done / been too before, bonus!
Whilst I might be able to tell the difference between a Chablis and a Pinot Grigio (just!) I am no wine buff.
I mean, the very fact I just mentioned Pinot Grigio will probably have wine enthusiasts reaching for the bottle with a stern disapproving shake of the head! But that didn’t matter. Ok I did feel slightly out of place when I didn’t give my glass a theatrical swill but it still tasted good!
My friend and I walked to the bar from Shoreditch High Street though it’s only a stones throw away from Hoxton station. Think exposed brick and shutters and you’re on the right track. Cool, smart and big enough to have a good atmosphere without being so lost you’re lost in a sea of people. The staff were attentive and friendly without being over bearing.
Winemaker Wednesday
On the night we visited, JM Stephan from Cote-Rotie was in attendance pouring wine from his vineyard.
What can I say? They all slipped down very easily!
Even better was that this wine was slightly lower in alcohol than your typical plonk so I woke up hangover free, icing on the cake really 🙂
As the night went on all tables were taken and there was lots of hustle and bustle as people sat chatting, drinking wine and snacking from the menu. Sager + Wilde doesn’t have an extensive menu, that’s not what this place is about, but there is plenty for you to graze on whilst chatting to your date. We enjoyed a selection of olives, almonds and sourdough bread with olive oil. We were planning on getting the charcuterie and cheese boards but the night slipped away with us.
Make the effort for your date
One of my bug bears with dates (and any of my male clients at Mutual Attraction will know this!) is when there is no thought put into the venue. There’s a time and a place for your local All Bar One and it’s not on a first date! Time is precious for you both, go somewhere different, go somewhere new, experience something, share in something new together. Sager + Wilde is perfect for that.
