Grape Variety, CR5 3TE
- 01737 559556
- 12 Chipstead Station Parade, CR5 3TE (streetmap) (osm) (gmap) (bingmap) (streetview)
- thegrapevariety.com
Wine cafe and off licence in Chipstead, a short distance down from the station.
Shelves around two walls hold bottles of wine for sale, many of them with tasting notes attached. Seating is provided for around 25 people on upright chairs at small tables, and there's a couple more tables on the pavement out the front, weather allowing.
As of July 2019, any wine under £15 is available by the glass, or you can buy any bottle to drink in with a £5 corkage charge.
Food is limited to cheese, charcuterie, and the home-made cakes displayed under clear domes on the service counter. As well as wine, they serve tea, coffee, several gins, a small selection of other spirits, and a few bottled beers from BrewDog.
Kake visited on a Wednesday afternoon in July 2019. Arriving a little after 3pm, I was the only customer throughout my visit, though another was just arriving as I left. Music was playing, not too loud.
I had one of their cheeseboards (£9) photo, which comprised a substantial portion of a cheese of my choice (I went for the Cheshire Cheese Company "Old Hag" cheddar with ale and mustard) along with crackers, freshly-sliced apple, and chutney.
Service was friendly and helpful. I asked for a recommendation for a bottle to take away to go with Sichuan food, and they chose a very suitable one that was well within my budget.
Accessibility: A large step (with no handrail) to get in. Toilets are down a flight of stairs.
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