The Fount Bar

You're walking past the Oxford Street madness when you spot The Fount—it's the kind of place that rewards you for looking up from your phone. Inside, it feels like someone's actually thought about how to make a wine bar work: the kind of spot where you can grab a glass of something interesting without pretension, or settle in for the evening with mates and actually hear yourself talk. The location on one of London's busiest shopping drags is almost ironic, given how much of a refuge it becomes once you're through the door. Staff know their stuff too, which makes a difference when you're trying something new.