40 Maltby Street Bar

Review

The curvaceous, white corrugated interior of this railway arch in the arse-end of Bermondsey doubles as a wine merchant's warehouse and a basic but brilliant wine bar and brasserie.

A functional interior boasts exposed brickwork and a bare grey painted concrete floor, while green enamel factory lamps hang over the long wooden bar counter. Chefs work in a tiny kitchen at the far end of the bar, turning out Mediterranean-influenced small plates in sight of all. Beyond, a cage-like wall separates the cardboard cases of wine lying in what is extensively a wine merchants warehouse (Gergovie Wines, to be precise).

Its USP - "wines produced by a handful of wine-makers who eschew the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in favour of letting the land and the grape speak" - has its advantage in that wines sold by the bottle and glass here are superb and well-priced. There's also a nice line in boutique eaux-de-vie.

It's popular, especially on Saturdays, due to the adjacent Maltby Street foodies market - a smaller version of Borough Market. There's no booking so come early and you'll find yourself perched on a bar stool among locals rather than tourists.