The Aycorn Shoppe — Restaurant in London

Being Danish I know great quality when I see it 😜and The Aycorn Shoppe certainly has it - attention to detail in decor, hospitality, merchandise, food and excellent South African wine selection. We spent Wednesday night at this stunning place for their Wimbledon cocktail night. From the moment we walked in we felt very welcome and we were immediately greeted by the very friendly staff. This place is a plant shop, a wine shop, a bar, a place to have dinner, a place to relax and a place to explore - around every corner are beautiful and unusual plants and quite quirky parafenelia. Don’t miss the back of the shop where you find the ‘naughty corner’. We tried many times to get a seat there, but it simply is very very popular. Nestled in between the most gorgeous tropical plants and stunning succulents we were seated in the middle of the shop with a view to Murray on the green some 12 miles north of Coulsdon. We quickly decided on the share platter special, which included two cocktails each. It is a South African platter and having lived in South Africa for 14 years, this is as authentic as it gets - bobotie, biltong, delicious cheeses, fig and nut bar, droewors and milk tart and peppermint crisp tart. Absolutely stunning and very filling. The cocktails were amazing, but do consider taking the train if you order the Manhattan, punchy stuff. My favourite was the espresso martini🍸 . I managed to slip a glass of Lismore Chardonnay reserve in between the cocktails - like drinking gold and a clear favourite together with the full @Muratie collection - the Aycorn Shoppe has become my new go to for wine shopping! We were treated to live singing by a young woman who works at the shop, but who for the night had brought her guitar man and they gave two amazing sets og great renditions that we could all sing along too. Amazing talent - one to watch! The only complaints of the night was that Murray lost 🎾 and the butter wasn’t Danish 🤩Everything was fun, fab and really amazing! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️To the people behind the Aycorn shoppe - hats off, great initiative, very well executed - we...

What can I say other than this place is amazing! A real hidden gem, and one I want to keep secret so it doesn’t get overwhelmed; but also want to scream about to everyone because it’s so brilliant!

Given it’s size, there aren’t huge numbers of tables and this isn’t somewhere you want to rush. I would highly recommend booking a table in advance - especially during the current restrictions.

The decor is unique as a concept, all of the plants are for sale and there is also a selection of terrariums (which are beautifully made) along with pots and other small indoor gardening things which are for sale. They’re not cheap, but they are expertly made - a FAR cry from anything you’d see at the local garden centre. These are artisan level, seriously! Nestled in amongst all of this are the tables to sit at which gives a wonderful atmosphere. It could be throwing it down outside and you’d leave expecting it to be sunny and warm after you’ve spent any time in here.

The staff and the owners are truly lovely people and the service is perfect. The food is simple, very reasonably priced and delicious - the perfect combination! They also had a lemon and orange cake when I went which was clearly homemade and tasted exceptionally good - and it was £3 a slice to boot! I left feeling happily full both in my stomach and my soul.

There is an extensive wine list (all South African wines), and a couple of good non-alcoholic drinks options in addition to teas and coffees.

There is NO doubt in my mind that I will be returning on a regular...

The Aycorn Shoppe is a Gorgeous and very unique venue in South Coulsdon - loved the concept of a garden shop within a wine bar. The interior design is absolutely gorgeous and a credit to the brilliant imagination and creativity of the co-owner, Jamie who also happens to be an awesome garden designer (inside plants too!). I tried at least 4 different south african wines and loved them all (my head, not so much!) + a lovely vegetarian sharing board with some gorgeous cheeses, fruit, veg and nuts with both cheese straws and bread to accompany it. The south african peach chutney is really delicious. Tamlyn and Emma were the wonderful hostesses and were very friendly and welcoming and Tamlyn really knew her stuff when it came to the wines (she is very good at helping you make a decision on what to drink next!). Carlos was in charge of the food and I thoroughly recommend one of his sharing boards - there are both meat and veg versions. It's a really cosy place on a chilly winter's day too. And if you don't fancy the wine or you don't drink, they also serve great coffee too and they had 2 gorgeous looking cakes when I was there to go with it. Basically, pop over in the morning for a coffee and a breakfast pastry, then the afternoon for tea and cake and then back in the evening for wine and a...