Vagabond Wines Battersea Power Station — Restaurant in London

Very bad experience! Popped in for lunch with some guests from Italy at 1.15pm, a lovely Brazilian girl told us we would have to leave the table by 2pm. We didn't know how the system works (another waiter told us about the QR code on the table) after a couple of attempts we ordered (and paid) at the bar and asked if we had enough time to eat, we were told the waiting time is normally 10-15min and we would have enough time... we were in a hurry anyway. At 1.45 pm a young lady, who appeared to be the manager, very abruptly told us that we should have known better and started telling us it took us too long to order and she wanted the table free at 2 pm anyway... and promptly left. The Lovely Brazilian girl came and told us she would sit us in front of the kitchen... basically at the pass overlooking the staff preparing food. The "manager" told the waitress to serve our food at the pass. We had to carry all our cutlery, glasses and drinks, nobody offered to help. The lovely girl came back and apologised for the situation and asked what she could do, I told her, ironically, that a full refund would have been nice and I would have appreciated them telling us we wouldn't have been able to finish our lunch which is what we were told by three restaurants we had been to before. I also told her I was sorry it had happened to her because she was so nice, but I didn't like the attitude of the "manager" at all! If that wasn't enough, the cook tried to make me feel bad as the lovely girl was feeling unwell as a result of the situation. He also implied that we had misunderstood each other because we had spoken Italian... the lovely girl chose to speak Italian, i've been living and working in London for nearly 20 years, so language is not an issue. I could not believe it! I'm not going to feel bad because you guys don't know how to manage a restaurant and your customers... Horrible experience! What had been a very nice morning with guests had resulted in us leaving with anger and a sad feeling... at a cost of £80. I now understand why some people feel the need to leave negative reviews... I've never left one before and it hurts, but for the benefit of others on this occasion it feels like the right thing...

I am a huge fan of Vagabond on Northcote Road, so decided to try the Battersea one last night.

Having now looked at the reviews, I see a pretty clear theme emerging which is exactly in line with my 2-star experience: unhelpful, rude staff with terrible attitudes towards their customers.

My friend and I were ready for our last glass of wine and wanted to combine our card credits (so we didn’t have to each top up again when we had enough between the two cards for a final round).

The two ladies on front of house had been pretty frosty and unwelcoming all evening but I think this request must have been the final straw for her as I was left in genuine shock at the rudeness of her reaction.

She cut my card in half without telling me after transferring my credit, which I didn’t realise needed to be done. When I questioned it to check if that now meant I had to pay another £5 deposit for a new card, she almost shouted at me “no, I told you three times now you don’t need a deposit any more!!” whilst looking at me like she had just stepped in something nasty. I only had three small glasses of wine and I can definitely say she had not mentioned it to me once, let alone three times.

The attitude from both of the front of house girls all night was atrocious, by 9-15 they were trying to rush the customers to finish up because of a tube strike. Not one member of staff came and chatted about the wines with us like the Northcote road team always do. I was served stale bread that I sent back for a refund. And we saw a mouse run across the floor past our table and, surprise surprise, when we told the front of house lady she gave us yet another dismissive glance and rude, couldn’t-care-less reply.

I hope the Vagabond management are reading this as your service staff at the battersea branch need retraining or replacing super quickly or people will stop...

Vagabond is a wine bar with locations across London. But this place is different from any other wine bar. How? Because ordering wine is a self-service process. But is it nothing more than a gimmick?

First thing I noticed was the mind-blowing selection of wine on offer. 100+ wine to choose from vibrant sauvignon blanc to bold malbec. There's a wine for everyone and to suit every budget. On arrival, I was met by a friendly waiter who explained the concept to me and also pointed out the Vagabond is also a wine shop that ferments their own wine which you can purchase.

Using the self-service wine dispensing machine is incredibly easy and intuitive. You can choose from 3 different measures from a sample (25ml) to large (225ml). There's something so cool about watching these machines dispensing your wine! Above the machine are paper cards that tell you all about the wine, the perfect food pairing and it's origin so you know exactly what you're sipping.

Then I noticed how perfect Vagabond would be for a date night. It's comfy with cushioned benches and soft pillows, cosy nooks-and-crannies, and a low lit-setting. Add wine and you have the perfect environment for a little tete-a-tete with a hot date.

Food comes in a tapas style / small plates and I duly went for the delicious sounding chorizo in red wine sauce, marinated octopus with pickled peppers and a board of cheddar cheese with sourdough bread. It's tasty, but it won't win any prizes. However, remember that the food is not what Vagabond is about, it's about wine and here, the menu is the perfect accompaniment to any wino night in.

So, is it a gimmick? No, it certainly is not. I love how I can just help myself to wine whenever I like, the setting was intimate, and of course, the selection of wine is staggering. If you love wine or know anyone who does, then a visit to Vagabond...