The best bars in Wimbledon — according to its bartenders
Plus: Find out where I'll be heading this Black Friday
Good morning, Wimblers — I hope that everyone is having a lovely Thursday! The weather is being its usual impertinent self, but that’s ok. We’ll survive. In the meantime, we’ve got a nice, snappy little edition for you. But before we get to that, please remember to share and subscribe. We’re itching to cross that 4,000 subscriber mark by the end of the year.
This week, we’ve got your usual news snippets, another shockingly nice property of the week and enough recommendations to keep EVERYONE in the family happy. Our feature this week is with the local bartenders of Wimbledon town centre; I hit the concrete sidewalks of SW19’s “main strip” and asked the people making our drinks three quickfire questions — scroll down to see what they said.
I think that’s everything for now…
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News snippets 🗞
🎾 Merton Council’s move to give all tennis coaching contracts to Emma Wells Tennis has been met with complaints from local residents and Wimbledon MP Paul Kohler. A petition against the tender has been signed by over 1,000 residents, which reads: “The decision treats local businesses extremely unfairly, in a way which we simply cannot support. Other local tennis coaches have been successfully coaching in Wimbledon Park for, in some cases, decades and have now had their livelihoods summarily taken away from them.”
The council has responded with a statement defending the tender: “The council underwent an open and competitive tender process to find the best company to do this – and, importantly, to also make sure the coaching was of the very best quality, price and to the highest safeguarding standards … All qualified coaches can – and are encouraged – to apply to work under Tennis in Merton”. Read the rest of their statement here.
🎶 Calling all parents: A new choir for locals with young children is coming to Wimbledon. Crib Notes Choir is set to launch their fourth London-based singing group on 7 January next year in South Park Gardens, Wimbledon. The company already has three existing choirs in Balham, Beckenham and Crystal Palace, so you can check out their website to see some of their previous work.
🎭 Sir Grayson Perry is coming to Wimbledon next year with his new show Are You Good? Perry will be performing his show about humankind’s virtuosity at New Wimbledon Theatre on November 23, 2025. Tickets for priority pre-sale are available here.
💥 Railway bridge in Wimbledon is third “most bashed” according to National Rail. The bridge on Lower Downs Road — which South Western trains use to travel between Wimbledon and Raynes Park — was hit 17 times in 2023/2024 by lorries too tall to pass underneath.
📚 Wimbledon BookFest director Fiona Razvi has spoken about the “devastation” following the loss of the BookFest’s biggest sponsor, Baillie Gifford, last summer. Razvi was one of several panelists at this year’s FutureBook conference, which took place on Monday. Here is just a snippet of what she had to say about the difficult future for BookFest and charities like it: “I think we’re all devastated. It has hit us incredibly hard … we will be cutting staff, we are cutting everything. It’s very difficult.” The Wimble was lucky enough to chat with Fiona about the BookFest’s lack of funding in a previous edition, which you can read here.
💷 Black Friday comes to Wimbledon Quarter this week. Shops from Oliver Bonas to The Body Shop are offering discounts of up to 40%. I hear that Pandora are offering up to 30% off on some items, including their Nutcracker Dangle Charm — which you can buy just in time for the Polka Theatre’s new and exciting take on the traditional Christmas ballet (see the trailer below). Check out the Quarter’s homepage for a full list of offers.
Property of the week 🏡
Here’s another ridiculously opulent mini-mansion for us to dream about living in. This time, we’re talking seven bedrooms, five bathrooms, a detached one-bedroom annex cottage (because who doesn’t need a second, smaller home within the grounds of their already massive estate) and views of Wimbledon Common. This “Arts and Crafts” house, built in 1910, is the perfect blend of modern and antique. If I had £9.5m, I’d snap it up. Better get saving. Check out more photos here.
The Wimble’s to do list 🎭
🎄 Christmas in the Village: The bells are ringing out. The elves are in town. Santa is making an appearance. Head up to the village for a day of festive fun, food, drink and activities to keep you and your loved ones entertained and in the Christmas spirit. There will be Santa’s Grotto, face painting, balloon modelling, fairground rides, a meet and greet with the local fire brigade (every child’s dream? Yes.) and even Santa’s horseback parade (I’m as curious as you are). Many of the activities are free, though some need to be booked and are already selling out fast.
Where: Wimbledon Village
When: Sunday 1 December, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
🎨 Winter Show at Aubergine Art: Aubergine Art is an independently-run family gallery in the heart of Wimbledon, and this winter they are showcasing a collection of art by 12 different artists. According to their website, the art has been chosen to “uplift, stimulate and brighten the darker months”. Go on, pop in and have a look. You know you want to.
Where: Aubergine Art Gallery, Queen’s Road, SW19 8NG
When: Friday 15 November - Tuesday 31 December
🎟 King’s College Christmas Fair: This Christmas fair attracts over 2,000 visitors every year and it’s the only public event where the famous school opens its doors to the community. There will be over 80 market stalls selling everything from mulled wine to children’s toys.
Where: King’s College School, Southside, SW19 4TT
When: Saturday 30 November, 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
🍾 Tasting at Friarwood: Roebuck Estates English Sparkling Wine: English wine is often misunderstood and underappreciated. But that shouldn’t be the case — at least not when it comes to our sparkling. Don’t believe me? Head over to Friarwood in the Village and try some of Roebuck’s delicious wine for yourself. Booking is not required and entry is free. What more could you ask for?
Where: Friarwood Wines, Wimbledon Village, SW19 5BY
When: Sunday 1 December, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
🪴 Greener Giving Holiday Pop-up: Toddle along to Wimbledon Quarter this Sunday for your chance to discover some quirky and exciting eco-friendly gifts from local and sustainable businesses. There will be everything from organic skincare products to beautiful pieces of jewellery.
Where: Wimbledon Quarter
When: Sunday 1 December, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
“I think it’s my round”: We ask Wimbledon bartenders for their favourite local bars 🍻
We’re back again this week with another quickfire Q&A. This time, it’s all about booze (how Christmassy). I ventured out onto the streets near Wimbledon town centre to ask local bartenders three pressing questions: What is your most popular drink? When are you at your busiest and quietest? And, if you had to drink anywhere in Wimbledon that wasn’t your own bar, where would it be? Scroll down to hear what the pint pourers and cocktail shakers of SW19 had to say. I’ll give you a heads-up: Christmas is unsurprisingly everyone’s busiest time.
Lordwin and Joe — The Golf Groove, Wimbledon Quarter
Most popular drink:
I reckon it’s an Amaretto sour.
Busiest and quietest times:
We’re super busy in December because it’s cold outside and people want to play golf indoors. That said, we’re really dead in January. Maybe the end of the summer, too.
Bar recommendation:
601 Queens Road is really cool. I haven’t actually been but I want to go [laughs].
Margo —All Bar One, Wimbledon Hill Road
Most popular drink:
I’m quite new here, but I’d say it’s either a Peroni or our salted caramel old fashioned — the old fashioned is actually free right now, so that’s probably why it’s so popular.
Busiest and quietest times:
Christmas and Wimbledon tennis are by far our busiest times. January and February are typically slower.
Bar recommendation:
The Dog & Fox in the village. It’s such a lovely pub.
Sam — The Old Frizzle, The Broadway
Most popular drink:
Definitely Estrella.
Busiest and quietest times:
December is the busiest, as you’d expect. January, especially because of Dry Jan, feels like the quietest by far.
Bar recommendation:
The Hand & Racquet or the Prince of Wales. They’re cheaper than the Alex and they’re not a Wetherspoons.
Sophia and Rob — Prince of Wales, Hartfield Road
Most popular drink:
Guinness, especially now because of the rugby.
Busiest and quietest times:
Christmas and most other holidays are the busiest. January and February are always the quietest.
Bar recommendation:
The Old Frizzle is really nice.
George — 601 Queens Road, Wimbledon Quarter
Most popular drink:
That depends. Do you mean best selling or my favourite? Madri is definitely our best-selling drink, but I think we’re also very well known for our margaritas here. They sell very well. We’ve got the classic, the picante … we do a lot.
Busiest and quietest times:
I’d say we’re the busiest during the summer because of our roof terrace. People can sit out there in the sun and enjoy a cocktail — it’s really nice. January and February are much more quiet.
Bar recommendation:
The Leather Bottle. It has an amazing pub garden. It’s about 20 minutes from here if you walk, but it’s worth it.
Will —The Alexandra, Wimbledon Hill Road
Most popular drink:
Estrella by a country mile. No doubt.
Busiest and quietest times:
We get really busy in the summer because of the tennis. We’re also packed throughout the Christmas period. As you’d expect, things die down in January and February.
Bar recommendation:
It’s got to be the Hand in Hand for me — that’s my favourite pub in the village.
Question of the week 🔍
Last week, I asked how many square feet the ice rink in Wimbledon Quarter is. The answer: 3,000 sq ft.
Q: Which singer from Fairport Convention tragically died in Wimbledon at the age of 31?
You’re up to date 👋
Thanks for reading this week. Please do get in touch: let me know your Wimbledon Christmas recommendations; tell me about an idea or a story; drop me a message saying hello; ping me your photo of the week. And, above all, please subscribe if you haven’t already and share with your friends. See you next time!