Have you ever perused a restaurant’s wine list and been blown away by the cost of a basic glass? Well, you’re not alone! Eateries and bars across the UK have long-been getting away with over-inflating the cost of wine, so we decided to identify biggest culprits.
Reading on, discover the UK locations where residents are paying over the odds for wine, and find out where your city ranks…
1. Belfast
Sitting at the top of our list, Belfast is the UK city where locals are paying over the odds for wine by the greatest margin. In fact, restaurant wine here costs an estimated 234% more than the equivalent bottle in a store or supermarket – with the range sitting somewhere between 179-290%, depending on your chosen vintage.
2. London
Next up, also paying over the odds, restaurant wine in London costs an average of 186% more than shop-buying the exact same bottle. This is an average, though, with Londoners typically spending anywhere between 97-282% more. For instance, one restaurant in the capital charges nearly £40 for a bottle that costs less than a tenner in local stores.
3. Newcastle
In third, those in the North East are also paying heavily-inflated prices for restaurant wine, with locals forking out 185% more for a glass with their meal than if they poured the same measurement at home. That’s a similar mark up as London, though some folk in Newcastle are paying an eye-watering 285% more for a red, white, or rosé vs the recommended retail price.
4. Birmingham
Placing fourth among the UK cities where Brits are paying over the odds for wine, we have Birmingham. Here, locals spend an estimated 178% more for restaurant wine than if they bought the same bottle in a store – but the price could be inflated by up to 244%.
5. Liverpool
Rounding out our list of the top five UK cities where residents are paying well over the odds for wine – compared to buying the equivalent bottle in a store or supermarket – we have Liverpool. Here, restaurants charge an average of 169% more than if you were to pour the same glass of wine at home, with the mark up ranging from 124-247%.
Which other cities feature?
Though they don’t quite place in the top five cities, the following locations also have staggeringly-inflated restaurant wine costs for locals hoping to order a drink while dining out.
Glasgow
Residents of Glasgow spend an estimated 167% more on restaurant wine than if they bought the same bottle at a local store. Though, at some establishments, this inflated price can rise to a not-insignificant 228% – with even the best-value bottles charged with a 122% mark up.
Manchester
Manchester also places highly on our list, ranking seventh among all UK cities, with those in the North West forking out an estimated 163% more for a bottle of wine at a restaurant than their local store. Though, of course, the inflated cost could sit anywhere from 124-248%, depending on where you dine.
Southampton
Southampton sits in eighth, when comparing the inflated-cost of wine at a restaurant vs store-bought. In fact, residents here pay the same mark up as those in Manchester, with the typical bottle costing 163% more if you eat out than if you stay at home.
Leeds
We head to West Yorkshire for our ninth-placed city, with Leeds locals forced to pay an eye-watering 162% mark up on restaurant wine – some eateries even inflate their prices by as much as 263%!
Cardiff
Finally, rounding out our top ten cities, we have the Welsh capital: Cardiff. Here, restaurants typically charge 160% more for the average bottle than the recommended retail price, with the real mark up sitting somewhere between 107-260% depending on where you are.
So, there we have it; the UK cities where locals are paying well over the odds for wine – so you know where to avoid if you’re looking for a budget night out!
Of course, if you’re looking for affordable fun, why not discover the best online bingo sites instead – including no wagering bingo – and get stuck in with a (store bought) glass of wine from the comfort of your home! Alternatively, if you found this interesting, explore even more insight over on the WhichBingo blog.
Methodology
To figure out which of the UK’s most populated cities are paying over the odds for wine, we explored 5 of the highest rated restaurants in each city, as per TripAdvisor reviews.
For each restaurant, we analysed the price of five randomly chosen bottles of wine available on the menu and compared the cost to their respective retail value (using sites such as Vivino and Wine-Searcher).
The percentage difference was calculated for each bottle at each restaurant, to reveal the average inflated-price of a bottle in that city.
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Esther Rubin
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Updated October 15, 2024
Anita Heffernan
Author & Former Editor
The Bingo Queen is a fun name earned from colleagues through Anita Heffernan's exceptional knowledge and commitment to the online bingo world. With over 20 years of experience as both a player and an expert in the industry, Anita has built a reputation as a trusted authority on all things bingo.
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