Not many wine shops can trace their origins back to the 17th century, let alone be on the same site. The Berry Bros. & Rudd shop at 3 St. James’ was opened by the Widow Bourne in 1698; the same family has been selling fine wines to discerning palettes ever since, including the British Royal family. The existing shop has a comforting Dickensian feel, from its gilded sign hanging discreetly from the frontage to the wood paneled interior and antique furniture. When Harry Potter turns 18, he’ll feel right at home spending his gringots here. The cellars beneath the shop are Georgian, and home to some 20,000 bottles of good wines, expertly stored in the cool of the London clay soils. There is also a Finest Reserves Room, full of exciting vintages and rare wines, some dusty with age. For those who prefer the stronger stuff, the Spirits Room features fine whiskies, cognacs and, more unusually, rums, plus the famous Cutty Sark whiskey created by Berry Bros. Not that Berry Bros. is a snobbish firm – you can even be weighed on their giant coffee scales, dating from 1765. As a customer, your weight is recorded and added to the heavyweight list that has existed for over three hundred years, and includes celebrity customers such as Lord Byron, the Duke of Wellington, Napoleon, Laurence Olivier and Evelyn Waugh.