February 19, 2026 (Stockholm, Sweden) — The sixth edition of Star Wine List of the Year UK will take place on 23rd March 2026 in Mayfair, London, in association with The Buyer. A highly esteemed panel of judges has just announced the competition’s 66 finalists – these wine bars and restaurants span the length of the country, from the Isle of Wight up to Edinburgh, and their teams will now be invited to the awards ceremony, at which the Gold Star winners will be revealed.
Often referred to as the Michelin guide for wine, Star Wine List ranks restaurants and bars around the world based on their wine offerings. The Star Wine List of the Year competition goes further, celebrating the work of the sommelier teams who put these wine programmes together through a global awards tour. The current tour began in September 2025 and will have stopped in 14 territories (and incorporated a digital event for all remaining locations) before culminating in a Global Final, in June 2026.
The UK leg of the tour has long proven one of the fiercest parts of this international competition, and 2026 saw a record number of entries from across the country. Judges Richard Hemming MW, Kathrine Larsen-Robert MS, Stephen Wong MW and Mikk Parre (ASI Best Sommelier of Europe, Africa and Middle East 2024) have assessed the submitted wine lists and agreed on their shortlist, which includes many high profile winners from previous years, such as Core by Clare Smyth, Doppo, Dovetale, Les 110 de Taillevent, Mountain, Trivet, and the Noble Rot group in London, plus Climat (Manchester), Moor Hall (Aughton) and Where The Light Gets In (Stockport).
Gold Stars will be presented to winners at an awards ceremony at 1 Hotel Mayfair on 23rd March. Winners in the 10 ‘international’ categories will automatically be entered into the Star Wine List of the Year Global Final 2026, which will take place this June in the winemaking countryside of southern Sweden, in association with Terra Skåne. This year’s UK competition also includes three ‘local’ categories, honouring the Best Rosé Wine List, Best Spanish Wine List and Best Riesling Wine List.
Attendance to the awards event is by invitation only – please contact us for press accreditation.
Finalists
INTERNATIONAL CATEGORIES
Best Long List, presented by Bibendum
For wine lists with more than 600 references
- 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, presented by Dreissigacker
Recognises the best wine list with 200-600 references
- 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
- 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, presented by Lingua Franca
Recognises the best ‘by-the-glass’ list
- 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, presented by Laurent-Perrier
Recognises the best list for sparkling wines
- 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
- 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
- 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, presented by Austrian Wine
Recognises the best list for the wines of Austria
- 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
- 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, presented by Château Galoupet
Rewards the strongest rosé section
- 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, presented by Familia Torres
Recognises the best list for the wines of Spain
- 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, presented by Dr. Lippold
Recognises the best representation of wines made from the Riesling grape
- 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
About Star Wine List
Star Wine List is the international wine lovers’ guide to great wine bars and restaurants. Available as an app and at starwinelist.com, it was launched in Stockholm, Sweden in 2017, and is now live in more than 45 countries. All venues are selected by top wine professionals for the quality of their wine programmes.
The Star Wine List of the Year competition celebrates the wonderful wine lists of the world and the dedicated sommelier teams who create them. Since its inception in 2018, this global tour has evolved to cover numerous territories. Its highly anticipated awards events recognise excellence in the wine and hospitality industries, and culminate in a Global Final each summer.
