The London Grill
Six Thousand Bottles Under One Roof
Downtown · Portland · Northwestern
Reviewed April 14, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Walking into the London Grill inside the Benson Hotel, the wine list hits differently than you'd expect from a hotel restaurant — this isn't a laminated afterthought with eight reds and four whites. A cellar of over 6,000 bottles signals that someone here takes wine seriously, and the presence of a sommelier on staff confirms it. This is a room that wants to have a wine conversation.
Selection Deep Dive
The list anchors itself smartly in Oregon and the Willamette Valley — exactly where it should given the address — with heavy hitters like Beaux Frères and Domaine Drouhin Oregon representing the Pinot Noir side of things with real credibility. Ponzi Vineyards holds down the Chardonnay column, which is the right call for local terroir fans. The reach extends into Burgundy and Bordeaux for Old World depth, with Napa Valley rounding things out for the guests who won't order anything west of California. At 6,000+ bottles, the gaps are probably few; the real question is how well the staff navigates all that depth for guests who don't know where to start.
By the Glass
By-the-glass specifics weren't available during our visit, but a cellar this size paired with a resident sommelier usually means the glass program is curated rather than lazy — expect at least a few Willamette Valley Pinots pouring alongside something unexpected. We'd push the staff for a recommendation rather than defaulting to the list's first page. That's what they're there for.
Ponzi Vineyards Chardonnay — null
Ponzi is a Willamette Valley institution that still flies under the radar for Chardonnay relative to its Pinot reputation — buying it here means you're getting a benchmark Oregon white from a producer who's been doing this since 1970, and at a hotel cellar with real volume, it should be priced to move rather than to impress.
Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir
Most guests gravitate toward the familiar Burgundy section and ignore that Drouhin has been making Pinot Noir in Oregon since 1988 — this is the real crossover bottle, a Burgundian family making wine in the Dundee Hills with French discipline and Oregon fruit. It's the bridge wine for Burgundy loyalists who haven't crossed over yet, and it's sitting right here on this list.
Napa Valley selections
You're in Portland, inside one of the great Oregon wine lists in the city — ordering a Napa Cab here is like going to a great ramen shop and ordering fried rice. The Napa bottles on a cellar list this size tend to carry prestige markups that don't deliver the same value as the Oregon and Burgundy side of things. Lean into the address.
Beaux Frères Pinot Noir + Rack of Oregon Lamb
Beaux Frères is one of the Willamette Valley's most serious producers — structured, earthy, with the kind of red fruit and savory edge that stands up to lamb without fighting it. Oregon lamb with Oregon Pinot is a local-terroir argument that writes itself, and Beaux Frères is the version of that argument worth making.
Thursday — Thirsty Thursday — half-price bottles of wine all day, 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
🔥 The Bottom Line
The London Grill is doing something rare for a hotel restaurant: it actually cares. A 6,000-bottle cellar, a sommelier who knows the list, and a standing half-price Thursday make this one of the most compelling wine destinations in Portland — yes, even compared to dedicated wine bars.
Comments
Get the Weekly Wingman
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.