Oak N4 review – independent wine bar & shop in Finsbury Park, London

Pre-moving to London – after years at home in Liverpool – I actually spent a lot of time down in the big smoke for work, and whenever I was down there, I tried to make the most of my time (and the sheer amount of things to do) by checking out local bars, restaurants and cafés. Of course, I found a few favourites in Central London, like the female-founded wine bar Lady of the Grapes, in Covent Garden. But, I would often stay around North London when I visited, and loved checking out the bar, restaurant and wine scene around those ends. On one of my visits, I stumbled upon a fantastic independent wine bar in Finsbury Park, Oak N4, and I think it’s one that should definitely be on your list if you’re in the area.

Just around the corner from Finsbury Park station, you’ll find Oak N4, a cosy little independent wine bar and bottle shop with a hefty selection of great wines to choose from. I visited on a Sunday evening – let’s say around 6ish – for a small glass of wine and, because I loved it so much, ended up staying for two more glasses. When I arrived, it was pretty quiet – just my party of two and a few others scattered around the venue. Around 20 minutes later, however, the evening’s live performer came in to set up for the night and soon enough, the venue started to fill up with what I can only assume were locals who were in the know about the live music. For a Sunday night, it was absolutely buzzing but the live music (which was Spanish guitar) brought a relaxed and calm energy to the buzz.

As for the wine list – it was pretty extensive! A great selection of white, red, rosé, orange and sparkling wines were up on the board but, as it’s a bottle shop too, there were even more wines to order by the bottle and enjoy in-house. I ended up sticking with rosé for the evening, trying the Podere Sabbioni Marche Rosato and the Château Bellini Provence, both of which were full of red fruit flavours, with the Provence being beautifully dry. And with prices starting at around £6.00 per glass, it’s pretty good value too.

For me, Oak N4 sums up exactly what I love about London. There are just so many great little spots like this to uncover across the city – you could never discover them all. But, if you’re looking for your next wine bar to unlock in the city, I reckon Oak N4 should be high up on your list.