February is upon us and many City folks will be jumping with joy from the wagon they have, yet again, shackled themselves to for the past month. Yes, wine is back on the menu at corporate lunches and dinners. But for those that want to ease themselves back into indulgence slowly, The Mercer, a new restaurant at 34 Threadneedle Street, has solved the age-old “a bottle’s too much and a glass not enough” problem.

The restaurant has a 250-strong wine list, 32 of which it allows you to order, by the glass, by the 250ml carafe, by the 500ml carafe as well as by the bottle. The Mercer is able to offer this versatility because of a space-age piece of technology nestled among the spirit bottles behind the bar. A machine called an enomatic dispenses exact quantities and fills the emptying bottles with argon, which keeps the wine fresh for up to three weeks.