Bar Crispin in City of London, Westminster

We had a great time at dinner last night! The wine was great and so were the small plates. The staff was very lovely and charming.

Do you know the iceberg of the Titanic? That's how the ice in their cups is. Good thing it comes with a bottle of water that nobody asked for but...surprise! they charge you for it! But the best of all, without a doubt, are the prices: a tiny glass of wine and a Vesper Martini (judge its size by the photos) for the modest price of £25.31. What a bargain! In short, don't go if you don't want to be scammed.

We went here for pre theatre food and drinks. Great small plates. The cabbage had great flavors. Would really recommend that and the trout crudo. Had some amazing food and the service was incredible. Service provided by Ella was friendly and attentive without being intrusive.

I have been to Bistrot Freddie, and their venue hijack at Studio Voltaire, but i had not been to Bar Crispin yet. This was rectified yesterday. I went for lunch, and, despite not having a reservation ( I strongly recommend to always book, as the place is tiny ), I was welcomed by the lively staff on duty that gave me a very nice table as well. I had the polenta, the tartare, the prawn Sando, the trout and the bread and butter, plus the dessert as well. This was accompanied by a great white wine from Campania, and I later changed it for a nice Riesling, which went very well with the trout main course. The service is exceptional, very efficient and competent, unobtrusive but present and there in a flash as soon as it was needed. The food is extremely well cooked, the ingredients are treated with respect, and the presentation of each dish is really elegant. I ended with the lively dessert, the only one on the lunch menu, and left after having an amiable chat with some fellow guests and the marvellous staff that was on its own during the whole service, but kept smiling and went the extra mile during the whole lunch, not just with me but with all the other guests as well. It has been a real pleasure to be there, and I can’t wait to go back ! Bravo

I don’t remember when was it last time I left a bad review here but here we go! There is sort of idea with a bad execution . Fine dining prices with a poor paper napkin and sticky table reality. Very small menu - weak dishes yet there is a bit of hope because of flavours. Portions - super tiny. I don’t mind expensive small portions if the food is great - here food is not that great. Prawn miniature dish in a white toast bred?! Overpowering with flavours stake tartare - couldn’t taste anything but seasonings. Good wine - and again - overpriced! Nothing special. Continental European sort of idea but in a very poor edition. Uncomfortable chair, interesting maybe but useless design. Sort of industrial but not really, pretty cheap. There is something missing for this place.

Nice wine bar but expensive, especially the soft drinks.

Cute vibe but poor service and very over priced. £15 for a cheese platter which was 3 tiny wedges or cheese and paper thin bits of bread. Would not recommend this at all and was really disappointed as this place has been all over my social media as somewhere to visit

We had lunch at Bar Crispin for the first time today and were very impressed with the food and the wine! It is a hidden gem in the (holiday) chaos of Soho. Ella was our server and she provided service that was better than the Michelin-starred restaurant we had dinner at the night before! Thank you, Ella!

We had a great time at Bar Crispin. The wine was excellent and the food was super tasty. Fabio, Ella and Abu provided a great service. We will be back!

Amazing meal. Great service by Abu who is a legend. Food was top top class. Bosh ✊

Such a great experience at Bar Crispin, our server Ella had great taste and recommended the Meille by the glass, would recommend!

ella was absolutely lovely! thanks for a great evening :)

A superb address, the dishes are great discoveries with fine work on balances and associations. Everything we tasted was a pure success. Added to this is impeccable service and a superb wine list. We will not fail to come back during our next visit to London!

We had booked, so it was a disappointing experience when we were essentially told they wanted our table back after 90 minutes. Not exactly a relaxing atmosphere.

Tartare crumpet, burrate were both great...but the prawn sando was epic! Warm server and a nice atmosphere. Livelier thanks your average wine bar but not too loud. Go for heavy snacking, drinks and chatter.

Had a delicious meal at Bar Crispin. We had the Prawn Sando, Burrata, and Tartare. Everything was spicy but was not overpowering. All of the flavors complimented each other. Truly delicious. The wine by the glass was exceptional and make sure you don’t pass on the sourdough bread! To top off this amazing meal, we received excellent service. Emma, our server, was friendly, knowledgeable, engaging, and prompt. If you are in SoHo, don’t miss this gem.

Great recommendations by Abu!!!!!

Lovely bar just off carnaby street with natural wines and small plates they were extremely accommodating and prepared cheese plates for us such a lovely welcoming place

This place felt like such a hidden and quiet gem in the middle of the chaos that is Oxford Street. We loved our experience here! The wine was amazing, the small plates were well thought-out and ideal for sharing — also very unique and versatile, perfect for different food tastes. Great spot for a fancy lunch with a glass of wine!

Very average wine for an extortionate price (3.5-3.6 on Vivino for a £15 glass of wine - a joke). Full of blonde izzy types and the talk of pretentious trust fund kids. Service was average and had to call staff over several times. Overall, another overpriced wine bar in central, partly my fault for coming and falling into the trap. For the price, I expected far more!

Great food with a very interesting twist. Also very nice wine selection! Definitely recommend!

Great spot and lovely natural wine! Ella was fab and had great recommendations!

Very good food and our waitress Ella was lovely

Loved it, Ella looked after us very well and advised us on the wine list which made life easy. Thank you!

We had an amazing experience at Crispin Bar! The service was exceptional, thanks to Rufus, who helped us choose the perfect dishes. Every recommendation was spot-on, and the food was incredibly tasty—truly unique and delicious. Highly recommend this place for a special dining experience!

Rufus is a very charming very handsome waiter, who was so smiley and accommodating. Thanks so much for a lovely wine! 🍷

Rufus was insane tended to our every need

Had a great evening in central , Soho! Great service - the most handsome waiter Rufus … thank you for everything you were a star ⭐️

Go for the negronis, and super service. Rufus was the dream

Ella was great, food was fab too

We had a great time at Crispin, the wines we tried were amazing and the food we asked was absolutely delicious. Abu’s customer service was excellent guiding us through the menu. Thanks so much for a wonderful dinner, be back very soon for sure!

Ella was so lovely and helpful. The vibe outside was cosy with some Christmas runners going by. The food was outstanding. All in all highly recommend.

Such an amazing place to have a great time, amazing food, very lovely wines and such a nice workers, specially Abu, who went above and beyond helping us to choose the perfect wine. Coming back again, for sure.

Phenomenal wine bar. Abu is the best waiter I’ve seen in years. He was so helpful with picking out wines - very knowledgable & kind. Will come again!

Great selection of wines and bites, even better service! Special mention to our server Rufus who was a gem and really took care of us! Will be back for sure.

Great wine list and interesting BTG selection. Innovative, well priced and well prepared food. Efficient, friendly and knowledgeable service. The perfect package!

Realy lovely on point cooking. Relaxed and friendly

Can’t comment on the food as we only popped in for a drink. As we were seated the waiter placed a refillable bottle of water and 2 glasses on the table alongside the menu, we ordered a glass of wine each. The wine was average and was a very small glass (125ml at a push). When the bill came it was £20!! £20 for 2 small glasses of wine is insane, even in central London so we checked the bill and we had been charged for the water?! Which we didn’t ask for and weren’t even asked if we wanted. But also I assumed this was tap water which legally should not be charged for?! Regardless if it was not, you need to ask people if they would like water, then ask bottle or tap!! Very overpriced, much better bars in the area for much less. It was a bustling Friday night and this was the only spot with free tables, I assume the overpriced drinks may have played a part.

I had such a great at bar crispin Fantastic food Defenitly going back

The location is very nice and cozy. There is enough choice of wines and there should be something for everyone. The food selection was small but fine, but wasn't quite as convincing for our taste. Really a highlight and the best was the beef tartar course and the mussels. Service was very nice. Prices are high and still reasonable.

Lovely service, rufus was an amazing server, would come here again.

the food was great and Rufus was a great server

We had a great meal, and Rufus looked after us really well. The restaurant’s atmosphere was lovely!

Overpriced, poor service. Solid food, nothing to write home about.

Simply the best place in Soho if you're after incredible natural wines, delicious food and a super friendly service. Can't wait to come back!

Wouldn’t attempt even coming here. So many other options in London / SoHo worth trying. There was a male waiter who was absolutely cold and rude—not very solutions-oriented and seemed to care less about helping anyone looking for a table. It’s a shame because I was excited about this place, but I won’t be going there again. The first impressions and service told me everything I needed to know.

Mid for London, good for Carnaby

Rufus Henderson did an excellent job of making sure we were well taken care of. Great wine. great snacks. great vibes. 🍷

I expected more from a wine bar. If you're traveling alone and want a glass of wine in the evening but aren't prepared to tackle a whole bottle, choose a different location. The selection of wines by the glass is extremely poor; sparkling wine is generally only one item, and that is very, very controversial. If it were just a cafe, then it would be fine, but for a wine bar it’s frankly rather weak.

Food is delicious, and there is am amazing wine selection! Prices are what you would expect for central London, so make sure you come out with some money to spend! Best dish is the mussels 😍

Came without a res and was sat quickly. Had an amazing orange wine. The food was good as well. Service is a bit slow but overall good.

Edit: a couple of years later and they’ve sadly totally taken the piss. 35 pounds for two glasses of petnat (sparkling wine). 15% service charge, £2 for tap water. It screams of a place that doesn’t want to pay to move to a bigger venue, so just tries to squeeze more out of its customers per head. To be clear, I’m the guy that initially left a review so good they actually shared it around on socials. And now they’re just cynical grubbers. Utterly sad to discover. Original review before they got cynical: For those who'd like the short version: if you miss out on this place before its popularity soars even further, you only have yourself to blame. For those who'd like a longer read, here we go: For context, my wife and I have been slowly, tipsily making our way through highly-recommended restaurants across the capital (and, when we can travel, the world) for a decade now. Recently we've been upping the ante somewhat and focussing heavily on wine – before Bar Crispin, our recent outings had included Noble Rot in Soho, To in Paris, Gazette in Battersea, Five Fields in Sloane Square and last week several jaw-dropping restaurants and vineyards in the Bandol region. With that all said: Bar Crispin's staff treated us more generously, socially and respectfully than any of the above (and to make that clear, none of the above were less than fantastic). We were treated like old friends of the restaurant, looked after extraordinarily well, and benefitted from the significant experience of the staff in working our way through the menu and wine list. The latter was hugely new ground for us – Crispin stocks natural wine, which we have very little experience with; those who have visited similar restaurants will know the feeling of being slightly at sea with the multitude of unfamiliar names, albeit in familiar regions. We needn't have worried – if in doubt, work your way through the 'by the glass' offerings. We did so down the reds for a modest tour of what natural wine had to offer, rather than risk committing to a single bottle. All were fascinating, two in particular (and especially the Pinot Noir) were gorgeous. Also available by the glass were of course bubbles, orange/pink and white wine. The menu, and therefore the chef, need their own separate praise at this point. I can't fault an item on there. In particular though the cod roe, topped with a tarragon oil and soft fennel, was something of.a brain-dislocation of flavours. I could quite happily have ordered just that dish several times over. Instead, we happily munched our way through a duck confit salad with walnuts that felt fresh and homely all at once, a beef tartare that tasted lightly curried almost, thanks to deft seasoning (accompanied by light, crisped potato scraps scattered on top), a burrata to die for, and spectacular fried chicken topped with a dill sauce that managed to tug at memories of the Southern States and Stockholm all at once. The dessert we couldn't resist – milk ice cream with olive oil and a fruit jus - was far more subtle in nature than it might sound, and a delicate finish, along with some surprising dessert wine (natural, of course). The restaurant itself is compact, located very close to Kingly Court, airy, light and clean. Considering they've only been open since the summer, I suspect it won't be long before they move on to a bigger premises. Before that happens, though, I've been so keen to share this find with friends that I'm moved to hire their basement room (which we're yet to see in person) for 12 friends on my birthday in June. It's that good. I'll be baffled if Bar Crispin does anything other than gain much deserved momentum – certainly, if you've never explored natural wines before this is one hell of an introduction, and if you're well acquainted already you'll find a huge amount of knowledge (and a very large cellar) waiting to greet you. Whatever you do, get there soon, lest you find the calendar increasingly booked up.

Food was good but service was very much not. Left feeling pretty underwhelmed and disappointed.

Great place for a glass of wine and good atmosphere. Food is very poor quality given the price.

For a wine bar it didn’t feel focused on the wine. The staff not only were super friendly didn’t help lots with wine/know much about them. The glasses with small and the food was decent. However overpriced and during the reservation we constantly felt rushed being told how much longer we had left. Obviously decent but nothing to write home about. I don’t think the price matches service and quality

Had great wine and food, lovely atmosphere and friendly staff - Fabio is just a superstar and knows EVERYTHING about wine, suggested the best ones for us :))

I had a wonderful time at Bar Crispin. Was recommended by a friend and they said it was a wonderful wine bar which in fact it was! The atmosphere and the staff are amazing, the manager Fabio was the best! He recommended my partner and I a good wine and was there for anything we needed. Honestly the manager made the whole experience even better and he made me want to come back again. Have not met a hospitality worker with so much charisma and insight. Promote him hahah! Wonderful bar!! 10/10 would recommend

I had a lovely time at Bar Crispin last Friday. The atmosphere was cozy and inviting. The highlight of my visit was the exceptional service provided by the manager, who went above and beyond to ensure everything was perfect. Their friendly and professional approach made the experience even more enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this spot to anyone looking for a great evening in Soho, and I’ll certainly be visiting again soon!

Nice vibe but not worth paying £73 for 3 glasses of wine, some bread, some cheese and the worlds smallest sandwich lol. £146 for 2 people is insane.

I visited Bar Crispin on Saturday night, and it was honestly one of the best nights out I’ve had in ages! A friend recommended this place, and it completely lived up to the hype. The flavours were absolutely spot on, and the small dishes were perfect for trying different things. The atmosphere was brilliant—cosy, yet with just the right amount of buzz to keep things lively. The manager was incredibly accommodating and made us feel like we were at home, even though it was our first time. It’s rare to find such genuine hospitality these days, and I was really impressed. He had a real attention to detail that made the whole experience unforgettable. If you’re after great food, a great vibe, and outstanding service, Bar Crispin is the place to go. I’ll definitely be back!

Tiny restaurant with tiny food at massive prices! But I must say that the food - what there is of it - is very nice, but so it should be at these prices! The cheapest wine on the menu is £37 - it's nice. And make sure to check your bill - we were charged £2 for tap water which they claim is a 'donation'! We had five small dishes to share and a bottle and a glass of wine - the bill was £124 including a 15% service charge. We won't be going back.

Amazing spot in Soho! The food was very delicious! I really recommend the slow cooked beef and the burrata :) Thank you also to Abu for his great service and hospitality. Will definitely be returning :)

The staff and setting were a perfect Friday night vibe. Food was incredible and worth the wait to dine here after finally making a booking. Our waiter Abu was really knowledgeable about our wine and was a breath of fresh air in London to have a waiter equally passionate about food as they are about great service. A huge asset to Bar Crispin.

Our waiter Abu was so fierce and werk3d so hard for us to have the most slay of a night.we were so happy because he got right! xoxo

Nice enough! But extortionate food prices. I think this is my last small plate, I’m boycotting small plates.

I really don’t know why there are so many 5 star reviews. The portions are TINY. They’re charging £6 for a ONE BITER dish. There were 6 mains options, one wasn’t available anymore at 8pm. Between 3 people we had to order the remaining 5 mains and double of some and that was before we saw how tiny the portions were it was laughable. I’m all for small plates but this was taking the mick. Food was yummy but nothing to blow my mind, portions were ridiculous especially for the price. But each small plate was basically a small portion for a single person, not possible to share. Service was nice but food took a long time to be served, and they called me up earlier in the day to say the table I booked weeks ago was no longer free could I sit outside half an hour later. All in all, incredibly disappointing. Had to have a second dinner at Shoryu after because friends were still hungry. Would not recommend.

Awesome wine list and friendly staff.

Loved how patient they were with me picking a wine and one of the waitresses knew exactly was amazing and nailed it! The food we thought the tartare was a must try and the burrata as well. Less fan of the sea bream, the mix of cream / tomato / fish doesn’t really work. Dessert was deep fried a bit disappointing, selection could be improved. Hence the 4 for food. Overall I’d go back!

Welcoming staff, good drinks. But don’t expect big portions.

Small plates at crazy high prices.

Great wine, good food, but massively let down by passive service and ridiculous waits for food and drink. The recent bad reviews all seem justified.

Very small plates and the food is far from delicious

one of those pretentious eateries that seems to have gained traction. sucky menu with literally nothing for vegetarians to eat except bread and cheese. there’s literally not even a single vegetable, not even a side of salad. the margaritas were actually very nice, but the bill was close to 40£ for two drinks because of a 15%(?????) service charge.

A small bar in the heart of Soho. Ideal for both special occasions or casual post-work wine tasting sessions. They also have very tasty food that goes well with wine or beer along with their original desserts. The only thing about the place is though the door, which can open and close too often and this is a problem if you are sitting close to exit in a winter day.

Lovely place!! Great wine and top notch service! Special thanks to to abu he went above and beyond. We will be back!

Ask for Abu and follow his suggestions on what wine to choose- he is fantastic!

Jeremias was EVERYTHING. Brought the best energy, gave us amazing recommendations. If I were the manager, I would give him bonus, raise, everything. Thank you Jeremias 💗💗💗

Jeremias, you are the best! 5 ⭐️

We had to take the service charge off. Not what was expected for £40+ a head. With a 14.30 booking we were immediately told we’d have to finish by 16:00, and we were repeatedly rushed and reminded of this. For such an intimate space it was a shame to be served by very uninterested staff who did little to explain the food or wines. We ordered our first round of drinks and olives - both of which were forgotten and we had to ask for again. The staff seemed apathetic and not committed to enhancing our experience. Left dirty dishes on our table for a while. A real shame as the food was tasty and the wine was good but the service overshadowed our experience. Instead of relaxed we felt rushed and unwelcome. What we hoped to be a long lunch left us underwhelmed

They made us paid 1£ per person for water! Plus the bottle of wine wasn’t really good for the price.

What a great night of food we had! An unbelievable mix of flavours and textures in every dish that we tried! Not to mention the accompanying wine, just oooofff! Absolutely bliss! Customer service was exceptional, and the staff were both friendly and welcoming. We were taken well care of by Abu, so kudos to him for doing a great job! Portions are perhaps on the smaller side, so you would need to order multiple dishes, but that's part of the fun, right!? Recommended to anyone, you'll have a great time for sure.

Booked a table for drinks n dinner tonight. However, we got allocated to a table outside, tables are so packed and abit rainy outside. We liked the food and wine but would rather to try another crispin in the east (the one near borough market)

Tasty food and good vibes! Many thanks to Jeremias, who took such good care of us we didn’t want to leave. P.S. management please consider putting wifi in the basement because the card reader didn’t work down there

Ridiculously overpriced, tiny portions, unfriendly service, really underwhelming and dull dishes, overall was a disappointing experience.

Came here for birthday meal and was so disappointed. Service shocking, menu was not explained, food average and massively over priced - waitress had the worst attitude and they try to charge you for additional charity donation without explaining. Do not go here - prepare to be disappointed

Very underwhelming. Small plates is a stretch, it was essentially 2 bites per plate. There was also a charity charge added to our bill but the waiter couldn’t even tell us what the charity was about.

Slow service as the whole restaurant gets served the same dish at same time BUT the food was defo worth the wait!!! Seating was quite crammed too…

Really good beef tartare, crispy polenta and sea bream crudo Great wine selection and recommendations Attentive service

Good food and service. However the portions were extremely small for the price, so small it was difficult to share even though it's tapas style.

Food was good but very expensive for small plates - 15% service charge automatically added to the bill I believe was high for the venue and type of service. They also turned the tables very quickly.

Extremely underwhelming! The majority of the menu was unavailable, and the small plates we did order were just ok. The wine was good, nothing to rave about. I wouldn’t suggest going for lunch, unless you fancy a liquid lunch. Our server was absolutely amazing, he actually made our experience somewhat enjoyable.

Really good place for tapa-style food sharing

Loved it. We had to have the menu explained to us on arrival. Great food doesn't describe it. So tasty and filling . Lovely staff and washed down with some lovely prosecco.

Wine was nice but the service is very poor, and staff not knowledgeable on wine

First time at Crispin but not the last! Such a quality and tasty food! The leeks were amazing as well as the tartar and polenta! The service was incredible, so courteous and friendly but also fun! Thanks to Jeremías, Abu, Juan and Rashon for an amazing experience at the bar xx

Tiny, expensive, yet delicious bites of food. Go for a fancy snack and a cocktail or wine, but not a meal.

Service and atmosphere were great and food was very high quality. Only downside is that the small plates were closer to being canapés - you’d have to order a lot of food to feel full

What a gorgeous, tasty little place this is. Perfect food, charming staff and delicious wine. Loved everything about it.

Food is tasty but portions are too small and pricey. Maybe ok as a place for drinks but not for dinner.

Google doesn’t let me do half stars but this would be a 4.5 if I could do that! The food was delicious, the atmosphere was great, and the service was excellent (the only issue was one main took a very long time to come, but they ended up taking it off the bill). Portions are on the small side, as is so often the case, but everything was tasty.