From Ukraine to Wimbledon: The story of Oy Bar

Welcome to London's most interesting oyster bar

Jan 30, 2025

Good morning, Wimblers — I hope that we’re all having a lovely week. Thanks to everyone who shared our edition last week, which featured a list of great new openings in Wimbledon. It was one of our most successful newsletters to date so please do share it with friends if you think they’ll find it interesting.

We’ve got a packed edition for you today. Scroll down for your local breaking news and some seriously fun recommendations. We’ve also got a main feature about Evgeniy Zukin, a Ukrainian man who found himself a refugee in London after war broke out in 2022. After relocating to the UK with his family, Evgeniy set up Oy Bar, which embraces simplicity and focuses on the joy of sharing food. Oy Bar opened in SW19 back in December, so this week I decided it was high time to speak to the man behind it. Scroll down to see what we discussed.

There are also two call-outs this week. The first is a request from Jane Upson on behalf of Merton Talking News, a newspaper that serves more than 150 visually impaired and blind residents of Merton — scroll down to see if you can help. The second call-out comes in this edition’s photo of the week — take a look to see if you can solve the mystery.

But that’s enough with the preliminaries. Have a scroll, book those recommendations and keep sharing our newsletter with your friends, family and whoever else might want to read.

News snippets 🗞

🚨 The driver of a car that killed two eight-year-old girls in Wimbledon on 6 July 2023 has been rearrested following the Met Police’s review of the Crown Prosecution Service’s decision not to charge the driver last year. The driver, Claire Freemantle, reportedly suffered a seizure which caused her to lose control of the car. The Times has also reported that the families of the victims have welcomed the news, having previously criticised the thoroughness of the investigation. The families of the deceased, Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau, released a statement on Tuesday:

“We welcomed the reopening of the investigation in October 2024 by the Metropolitan Police into the death of our beautiful girls and the harm caused to those injured and who witnessed the tragedy on that sunny July day.
“It is important that this investigation runs its course unhindered and that each step taken is done so in the pursuit of truth and the full facts.”

🚄 More disruptions are expected for South Western Railway services due to engineering works in Wimbledon. Many lines will not run on February 2 and 9 due the maintenance works, and passengers are advised to check for bus replacements before travelling. Read the full list of lines affected here.

💷 Thousands of Merton families will not have to pay council tax or will be charged a reduced fee thanks to Merton’s Council Tax Support (CTS) schemes. The council originally set the qualifying threshold back in 2013, but the government reduced funding for the scheme at the time. Merton was one of the few councils to absorb the costs of keeping the eligibility threshold the same. Most of those who are able to use the scheme will already be claiming Universal Credit, Housing Benefit or Pension Credits, though you should check out the full details of eligibility here. Even if you aren’t eligible for CTS, Merton offers a range of support schemes such as the £3m Cost of Living Fund to continue support for those struggling to make ends meet.

🚛 In a bid to reduce traffic, a new petition has been launched to stop heavy goods vehicles from accessing South Park Road. The petition also aims to remove the raised traffic platform at the end of South Park Road and Sunlight Close, which residents say causes significant noise pollution from passing traffic. Check out the petition here and sign if you support the cause.

👜 A 22-year-old man has been charged following the theft of high-value handbags on Wimbledon High Street. The theft has been flagged by Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley after local shop owner Paige asked to speak with the commissioner directly for an update on the case. The suspect, Joshua Grant McKenzie, allegedly stole £15,000 worth of valuables from the shop on Wimbledon High Street and a store owned by the same business in Cobham. Read LBC’s report here.

Property of the week 🏡

I’m getting hints of espionage with this house. I think it has something to do with the modern exterior and sharp, contrasting colours on the inside. You could almost imagine looking out over the balcony and getting a call from Dame Judi Dench. With its five bedrooms, four bathrooms, dining room and drawing room, this house might be more fit for a family than an international man of mystery. Then again, Bond is one of the few who could afford the £4m price tag. Check out more photos here.

The Wimble’s to do list 🎨

‘Whispers of Winter, Wimbledon Common’ by Katharine Rowe

🖌 A Brush with the Past at the Wimbledon Museum: Curated in collaboration with Common Works Gallery, this new exhibition features work by ten artists who have found inspiration from a work of art in Wimbledon Museum relating to the common. Each artist has responded to an older painting, and the exhibition gives you the chance to see their interpretation alongside the inspiration. Oh, and what’s more … It’s free! Check out the opening times on the museum’s website.

Where: Wimbledon Museum

When: Friday, 31 January - Sunday, 30 March

🧗‍♀️ Kids Fun Session at The Boardroom Climbing: Indoor bouldering — or what we less fashionable folk call rock climbing — is one of the best workouts there is. But it’s also about mental fortitude. When I was a kid, I loved rock climbing. I went whenever I could, and I was pretty good, too (I can’t say the same now). This week, The Boardroom is running sessions for children ages seven to 15 and offering them a chance to learn the ropes. Sessions are £20/hr and you can book here.

Where: The Boardroom Climbing, Wimbledon Quarter

When: Sunday, 2 February, 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

🇮🇹 Gran Turismo — A Journey Around Italy in Wine: It’s time to get your tasting glasses on. (Is that a thing?) Head over to Amathus this weekend for a trip through Italy — only rather than a car, your mode of transport will be wine. You’ll have the chance to learn about and (most importantly) taste six different unique Italian wines — nibbles will also be provided. Tickets are £44 per person.

Where: Amathus, Wimbledon Village

When: Thursday, 6 February, 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

⛳️ Wednesday Roll Ups at The Golf Groove: This weekly competition is open to members and non-members. If your golf game is as bad as mine, fear not! Golf Groove has assured us that the events will be organised so that you’ll play with others in your ability range. Tickets start at £20, and you can sign up with friends or on your own. Get driving!

Where: The Golf Groove, Wimbledon Quarter

When: Wednesday, 5 February, 6:30 PM (first slot) or 7:30 PM (second slot)

👻 Ghost the Musical: You already know where this is going: pottery, “Unchained Melody”, tears. What are you waiting for? This is your chance to relive an all-time classic in person! Just bring tissues. Check out dates and times here.

Where: New Wimbledon Theatre

When: Tuesday, 4 February - Saturday, 8 February

☕️ Ladies Before Lunch: Your monthly get-together is back! Head to Wimbledon Guild Lounge next Tuesday for a before-lunch relaxation session with friends or new faces. As always, this activity is completely free, though refreshments will be available for a small charge from the café.

Where: Wimbledon Guild Lounge, Worple Road

When: Tuesday, 4 February, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Call-out for Wimblers to help the visually impaired and blind 📣

Last week, I received an email from Jane Upson. Jane is a volunteer at Merton Talking News, a paper which serves around 150 visually impaired and blind residents in Wimbledon, Mitcham and Morden. Jane has been in touch to ask if our readers (specifically shop owners) can help with a few things. Here is what Jane wrote:

Dear Shop Owners in Wimbledon,
I am a volunteer at Merton Talking news. It is a small charity in Colliers Wood which provides a weekly news USB for the blind and partially sighted. Most of our members are from the older age group and are not “Tech savvy”. I am in the process of setting up a regular newsletter updating them about what is happening in the local area. I am keen to identify shops which have the staff and resources to help our clients with their shopping purchases and/or general services (by appointment if required).
The following list of possible services/goods is not exhaustive:
Clothes
Haircuts for both men and women (not mobile hairdressers)
Food
Nail Polishing
Gifts/cards: jewellery, perfume, etc
Bakers: celebration cakes, fresh bread, etc
Many of our readers have guide dogs. I know that guide dogs are legally allowed inside shops. However, it would be great to know which shops might also be dog friendly and provide water bowls and/or treats.

I would be grateful if you could get in touch in the comments below or email me and/or Jane directly.

From Ukraine to London: How Evgeniy Zukin founded Wimbledon’s Oy Bar 🦪

In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. At the time, Evgeniy Zukin and his family were away from their home in Ukraine. They never went back. After travelling through Europe for three months, they found themselves in London. Evgeniy, who has had a long and illustrious career in tennis, set his sights on a new project: Oy Bar. Last week, I sat down with Evgeniy to talk about how this new neighbourhood bistro came to be.

Let’s talk about where it all started. How did you get from leaving Ukraine to founding Oy Bar?

I moved to London in May 2022. My family are immigrants because of war. We were invited by a friend of ours to stay in their house for eight months under one of the Ukrainian-British schemes, so that’s what we did. Since then, we’ve stayed in Southwest London, moving from Tooting to Colliers Wood. That’s how I knew these areas like Balham and Wimbledon, and that’s also why I founded the first Oy Bar in Balham last June.

My normal job throughout my life has been working in tennis. I still work for the Ukrainian Tennis Federation as their vice president, and I do a lot in tennis, but I had to do something here as well. My wife, Vladyslava, my business partner, Catriona, and I came up with the idea for Oy Bar when we noticed that there was something missing from the restaurant scene. We’d been living in Southwest London for some time and yet we hadn’t found a place that accommodated what we were looking for, so we decided to create it ourselves. Oy Bar is a mix of local foods and European dishes. In London, the food scene is so separated; you’ve got Spanish here, Italian there, a Venezuelan place somewhere else. We wanted to bring different ideas together — a mixed concept with a nice selection of wine from all over the world.

Evgeniy (left) and Vladyslava (right) during a Ukrainian tennis club championship prior to the Russian invasion / photo courtesy of Evgeniy Zukin

But why focus on oysters? What is it about oysters that made you want to centre your business on them?

The oyster trade was growing in Ukraine before the war. It was something that we loved. When we moved here, we were told that the UK was also a large oyster producer. We also realised that there are only two places to get oysters in London: market stalls and fancy restaurants. There was nothing in between. So we thought we would like to have a place where you could sit, without getting soaked in the rain, with a glass of wine and some oysters and other foods. We do sell a lot more than just oysters. Our concept is like a bistro bar where you can have a few glasses of wine and one or two small dishes, or, if you like, you can have a full meal, because we’re also a restaurant.

I find that oysters cost the same in most restaurants, but it’s everything else on the menu that’s unaffordable.

Yes, you’re right. It’s not the price of the oysters, but the price of everything else. Oysters need to be fresh, and you need to be really careful with their quality and safety. That’s why they can’t really vary in price. We rotate our oysters weekly: Maldon, Jersey and Irish. We have suppliers, and we work with Wright Brothers, who are very good. The difference between us and somewhere like Wright Brothers is that our bill will be 30% cheaper — and we’re local. You don’t need to go anywhere to enjoy great wine and fresh oysters. You shouldn’t have to waste 30 or 40 minutes one-way to enjoy a nice atmosphere with some good food and wine. I also think our wine list is very affordable [Note that the wine list is split into three columns: Casual Sipper (all bottles £25), Enthusiast (all bottles £45), and Connoisseurs (all bottles £65)].

Shucking an oyster in action / photo courtesy of Oy Bar

What made you choose Wimbledon?

It’s not easy to find a good spot in a place that has consistent footfall. When we saw this opportunity, we knew we had to take it. It was an O’Neil’s pub and then it was remade into some flats. Then we took it over. The Broadway is a vibrant street and the village is pretty close. I also knew Wimbledon very well. I first came to the tennis tournament in 2014. Since then, I’ve been coming every year, so I was already familiar with the area.

If you had a message for Wimbledon locals, what would it be?

We are trying to create a place that you want to come back to every week with friends or family. It’s a place to socialise, to share, to enjoy. There will always be fresh, nice food here, and there will always be good wine too. Community is very important to us. We’re going to start having tap beer from Wimbledon Brewery soon; we want to keep our concept unique, so we’ll be serving the beer in wine glasses — European style. We’re trying to bring something new to the scene and I just hope that the locals will like it and give us a chance to survive. It can be really tough as a new restaurant in London.

Oy Bar is on Instagram and also has a website which you can use to check out the menu, book a table or enquire about anything else.

Photo of the week (and mystery) 📸

Last week, local resident Marcus Knight sent me this photo that he snapped while walking his dog on Wimbledon Common. In his email, he wrote: “I’ve always wondered what it was - and it occurred to me that you might be able to find out.”

So here I am, asking you, our readers, another question: Does anyone know what this is or what it was once used for?

Please feel free to answer in the comments below, or drop me an email: zak@thewimble.com.

Question of the week 🔍

Last week I asked which Wimbledon-born actor starred as Herr Vogel in the 1931 film adaptation of Frankenstein. The answer: Lionel Belmore.

Q: Who was the oldest tennis player to win the gentlemen’s singles title at Wimbledon? Bonus points if you can get his age and the year he won.

You’re up to date 👋

Thanks for reading this week, I hope you enjoyed the newsletter! Thank you to everyone who has shared The Wimble, please keep up the good work. If you’ve been sent this by a friend, please subscribe. If you have anything you’d like to add, comment below. Don’t forget to respond to our call-out for the visually impaired and blind, and if you know what that structure is on Wimbledon Common then please get in touch below. Have a great rest of the week and see you next time round.