A secret wine bar has opened in Putney, tucked behind Ground Coffee Society and accessible only through a discreet back entrance on Lower Richmond Road.
The Wine Escape operates Wednesday through Saturday evenings from 5pm in the reimagined rear space of the popular cafe, transforming an underused area into an intimate wine destination. The collaboration with Glug wine bar creates what organisers describe as “your passport to the world of wine without the fuss, where every bottle tells a story.”
The concept focuses on a rotating selection of rare indigenous wine varieties from interesting regions alongside classic favourites, offering Putney drinkers something beyond the usual high street wine list. The enclosed space, previously prone to dampness and cold, has been renovated with new walls, roof and doors and atmospheric lighting to create the cosy evening venue.
For Ground Coffee Society at 79 Lower Richmond Road, the partnership makes commercial sense – extracting value from expensive rental space that sat largely empty after closing time. For Glug, which operates on Upper Richmond Road, the additional venue provides breathing room when their original location fills up.
The “secret” element isn’t just marketing – bookings are required via WhatsApp (07887 953 165), and the entrance via the side passage creates an element of discovery that’s increasingly rare in an era where every new opening gets algorithmically blasted across social media.
The Wednesday-to-Saturday schedule creates scarcity while keeping overheads manageable, and the booking requirement ensures the space doesn’t become another cramped standing-room bar on busy evenings. Updates on wine selections and availability appear on Instagram at @the.wineescape.
The collaboration represents a pragmatic response to Putney’s rental pressures: two businesses sharing a single space across different hours, each playing to their strengths. Coffee by day, wine by evening, with the infrastructure costs split between them.
Whether the “secret” stays secret for long in a neighbourhood where news travels fast remains to be seen. But for now, there’s a new option for Putney wine drinkers looking for something beyond the usual suspects; provided you know where to find the back door.
