66 finalists in Star Wine List of the Year UK 2026 – meet them all!
Star Wine List is getting ready to name the best wine lists in the UK. The finalists in this year’s competition stretch from Scotland to the Isle of Wight by way, of course, of London, where a host of former Gold Stars will be battling it out for the 2026 titles – with some fresh competition, too.
On 23 March 2026, we will host the sixth edition of Star Wine List of the Year UK, in association with The Buyer. The jury has now convened to assess what was a record number of submitted wine lists, and we can reveal the 2026 finalists. Gold Stars will be presented at an awards ceremony at 1 Hotel Mayfair (attendance by invitation only – please contact us for press accreditation).
Judges Richard Hemming MW, Kathrine Larsen-Robert MS, Stephen Wong MW and Mikk Parre (reigning Best Sommelier of Europe, Africa and the Middle East, ASI) have selected 66 venues across the competition’s 13 categories. These include many of last year’s winners, back to try and claim another Gold Star – London’s Core by Clare Smyth, Doppo, Dovetale, Mountain and Wild Corner, plus Moor Hall in Aughton, The Terrace Rooms & Wine in Ventnor and Where The Light Gets In, Stockport all won Gold Stars in 2025 – in addition to strong performers from previous years such as Apricity, Les 110 de Taillevent, Trivet and the Noble Rot group in London, and Climat, Manchester. We look forward to learning who the winners are later in March.
Back by popular demand are the ‘local’ categories assessing the best lists for rosé and for the wines of Spain, along with a new award recognising the Best Riesling Wine List. Winners in the 10 categories classed as ‘international’ will automatically be entered into the Star Wine List of the Year Global Final 2026, which will take place this June in southern Sweden, in association with Terra Skåne.
Meet all the finalists, below.
INTERNATIONAL CATEGORIES:
Best Long List
For wine lists with more than 600 references
A category presented by Bibendum
Finalists:
Claridge's Restaurant, London
Core by Clare Smyth, London
Doppo, London
Dorian, London
Les 110 de Taillevent, London
Moor Hall, Aughton
Noble Rot Lamb’s Conduit, London
Noble Rot Mayfair, London
Noble Rot Soho, London
Raffles London at The OWO, London
Row on 5, London
The Clove Club, London
Best Medium-Sized List
Recognises the best wine list with 200-600 references
A category presented by Dreissigacker
Finalists:
Blandford Comptoir, London
Climat, Manchester
Krokodilos Kensington, London
L’Enclume, Cartmel
Maison François, London
OMA, London
Sager + Wilde, London
The 10 Cases, London
The Twenty Two, London
Trivet, London
Where The Light Gets In, Stockport
Wiltons Restaurant, London
Best Short List
Recognises the best wine list with fewer than 200 listings
A category presented by The Buyer
Finalists:
Brat x Climpson's Arch, London
DakaDaka, London
Dinings SW3, London
JÖRO Restaurant, Sheffield
Plates London, London
Restaurant Mýse, York
Sessa, London
Sollip, London
Solstice by Kenny Atkinson, Newcastle upon Tyne
Old Stamp House, Ambleside
Best By-the-Glass List
Recognises the best ‘by-the-glass’ list
A category presented by Lingua Franca
Finalists:
BODEGA Cardiff, Cardiff
Da Terra, London
Doppo, London
Dorian, London
Krokodilos Kensington, London
Les 110 de Taillevent, London
Noble Rot Lamb’s Conduit, London
Noble Rot Mayfair, London
Noble Rot Soho, London
Row on 5, London
Wild Corner, London
Wild Izakaya, London
Best Sparkling Wine List
Recognises the best list for sparkling wines
A category presented by Laurent-Perrier
Finalists:
Claridge's Restaurant, London
Comptoir Mayfair, London
Core by Clare Smyth, London
Doppo, London
Les 110 de Taillevent, London
Moor Hall, Aughton
Noble Rot Lamb’s Conduit, London
Noble Rot Mayfair, London
Noble Rot Soho, London
NoMad London, London
Raffles London at The OWO, London
Row on 5, London
Best Newcomer List
Recognises a venue that has recently opened
Finalists:
Alta, London
Corenucopia by Clare Smyth, London
DakaDaka, London
Labombe by Trivet, London
Mezzogiorno by Francesco Mazzei, London
Moi, London
Sessa, London
The Chancery Rosewood, London
Wild Izakaya, London
Sustainability Prize
Assesses the sustainable commitment of both the wine list and broader venue via a supplementary questionnaire submitted during the application process
A category presented by Esterházy
Finalists:
Apricity, London
Plates London, London
Restaurant Pine, Newcastle upon Tyne
Restaurant St. Barts, London
Spry, Edinburgh
Where The Light Gets In, Stockport
Best Austrian Wine List
Recognises the best list for the wines of Austria
A category presented by Austrian Wine
Finalists:
AngloThai, London
Claridge's Restaurant, London
Dorian, London
Labombe by Trivet, London
Lady of the Grapes, London
Moor Hall, Aughton
Newcomer Wines, London
Best Italian Wine List
Recognises the best list for the wines of Italy
Finalists:
Bacchanalia, London
Bocca di Lupo, London
Claridge's Restaurant, London
Doppo, London
Dorian, London
Franco's, London
Luca, London
Manteca, London
Mezzogiorno by Francesco Mazzei, London
Noble Rot Mayfair, London
Row on 5, London
Special Jury Prize
Rewards a wine lovers’ place that does something out of the ordinary
The winner will be announced at the awards event.
LOCAL CATEGORIES:
Best Rosé Wine List
Rewards the strongest rosé section
A category presented by Château Galoupet
Finalists:
Dorian, London
Lady of the Grapes, London
Mountain, London
NoMad London, London
Row on 5, London
Sager + Wilde, London
The Grape Escape, Cheltenham
The Terrace Rooms & Wine, Ventnor
Timberyard, Edinburgh
Where The Light Gets In, Stockport
Best Spanish Wine List
Recognises the best list for the wines of Spain
A category presented by Familia Torres
Finalists:
Brat, London
Dorian, London
Dovetale, London
Moor Hall, Aughton
Mountain, London
Noble Rot Lamb’s Conduit, London
Noble Rot Mayfair, London
Noble Rot Soho, London
Row on 5, London
The Terrace Rooms & Wine, Ventnor
Best Riesling Wine List
Recognises the best representation of wines made from the Riesling grape
A category presented by Dr. Lippold
Finalists:
Claridge's Restaurant, London
Cloth Restaurant, London
Core by Clare Smyth, London
Doppo, London
Les 110 de Taillevent, London
Moor Hall, Aughton
Noble Rot Mayfair, London
Row on 5, London
Trinity, London
Expert jury panel:
- Richard Hemming – Master of Wine
- Kathrine Larsen-Robert – Master Sommelier
- Stephen Wong – Master of Wine
- Mikk Parre – Best Sommelier of Europe, Africa and Middle East 2024 (ASI)
Rules
Read our full terms and conditions here.
Commercial partners
Please email us to discuss commercial opportunities at this or other Star Wine List of the Year events.
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Austrian Wine
The Austrian Wine Marketing Board is based in Vienna, and is a national service body for the Austrian wine industry. The aim is to strategically support, coordinate and maintain quality and sales.
Bibendum
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Château Galoupet
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