Le Bouchon Wine Bar

This place was a lovely find for us on Bön Fire night. We chose this place at random due to its location near the park and near the rail station. I hadn’t been to blackheath before so we booked a table for 6 of us after the fireworks. Very classic French warmth with minimal fuss. Exposed brick, wood and leather. The staff were very accommodating with joining our friends table with ours and seating us. The selections of wine were fantastic, but the cheese was the real winner here. Just amazing. I did feel for the staff as they took a lot of flack with not be able to seat everyone, but they remained calm and professional. The atmosphere was classy and relaxed in true French style.

French wine bar, Le Bouchon, has recently opened in Blackheath, replacing the past it’s sell-​by date Curry Garden restaurant.
Apart from the shape of the room, you’d be hard pressed to notice any similarities as the new management have done a complete re-​fit. It looks and feels exactly like you’d expect from a European wine bar, with exposed bricks, wooden tables and a chalk board showing the current specials.
On the warm Friday evening we visited, the bar was busy with South East London locals keen to try out the new offering, but not to the point where we couldn’t get a table. They also had a couple of outside tables, meaning even smokers can enjoy a glass of wine without having to step outside.
Service was on the slow side, with our water and bread, olive oil and toasted almonds being brought out almost immediately, followed by a 5 minute wait for the bottle of wine. The waiter was apologetic, and the owner did admit they needed to improve their service speed, so I’m sure it won’t be an on-​going problem.
They have an extensive wine list, with mostly French offerings, along with a few other international selections. Being French there’s no choice of glass sizes, it’s either a 175ml glass, 500ml carafe or a full bottle. Prices were on the higher side (starting at £18 for the cheapest bottles and quickly escalating as you progress down the list), but I think it’s a reflection on the quality. The £31 bottle of sauvignon/​chardonnay blend we had was excellent.
We didn’t try the food apart from the bread, which was good and according to the menu, is from the French bakery next door. There were set meat and cheese platters available, or you could go «a la carte» and make your own selection.
I’m not particularly a wine bar person, instead preferring a beer at the pub, but Le Bouchon is somewhere I’ll definitely return.