Bar Gemella

By

Clara Whitfield

18 March 2026

It is very easy to write a cynical review of a small Italian wine bar in Soho in 2026, because there are a lot of them. Many are fine. A few are genuinely good. Bar Gemella, tucked between a bookshop and a cobbler on Lexington Street, is the latter.

The room

Twelve seats. Three marble tables. A long zinc bar with a single bottle of something you have never heard of sitting in front of a neat stack of wine glasses. The lighting is low enough that you have to tilt the menu to read it, which is intentional.

What to order

Start with the bread, which is from the bakery two doors down, and the whipped lardo. The anchovy on toast is the best in Soho. For a proper plate, the pork collar with salsa verde is generous and correctly seasoned; the burrata with bottarga is a study in restraint. Finish with the affogato, always.

The drinks list

A hundred-odd bottles, mostly Italian, almost all natural, with a handful of Austrian and Slovenian ringers. The list is printed weekly and has price points from around £38 to north of £200.

What you will pay

A three-plate visit with two glasses of wine each, service added: around £55 per person. It is not the cheapest evening in Soho. It is, for what you get, excellent value.

The verdict

Unreservedly recommended for an early dinner or a second-date. Walk in before nine. Tell them you are happy at the bar.

About the author

Clara Whitfield

Editor and restaurant critic

Clara Whitfield is the editor and lead restaurant critic of Vivi. She has eaten through the London restaurant scene professionally for over a decade, contributing reviews and features to regional and national food publications.

She writes Vivi's weekly restaurant review and the Saturday essay. She prefers early dinners and a table facing the room.