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  Places to stop for a Quaff
Jolly Quaffer's watering holes....
Take a look at...
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Cork and Bottle Wine Bar |
| Address: |
44-46 Cranbourn Street, London WC2 |
| Telephone: |
020 7734 7807 |
| Getting there: |
Leicester Square Tube |
| Open: |
Mon-Sat: 11am - Midnight; Sun: Noon - 10.30pm |
| Wine by glass: |
24+ from £3.00 - £6.00, which change frequently according to what's in-house |
| Wine by bottle: |
182 from £11.50 - £235.00, with an emphasis on Australia and New Zealand, but plenty of international treats as well |
| Food: |
Traditional favourites, hot and cold, with daily specials. Huge portions! |
| Music: |
None inside |
| Need to book?: |
No |
| Rating: |
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What's it like?...
Owner Don Hewitson has strong opinions about wine and its enjoyment, views which are peppered throughout the C & B's full wine list as the provenance and quality of each bottle is introduced. This makes for entertaining reading, and if you can work your way through the encyclopaedic selection, you will find some gems. If it's just a glass you're after, better to look at the blackboards near the bar, where cheerful, knowledgeable staff dispense drinks and food.
As well as Australasian specialities, there is no shortage of Rhône wines and their international equivalents. Don is an aficionado of all things Syrah/Shiraz, which inevitably involves Grenache, Mourvèdre and the other permitted grape varieties in some of the blends. Yet the Cork & Bottle is a broad church, so lovers of wines from other regions won't be disappointed.
However interesting the wines, part of the C & B adventure is locating the premises on the way into Leicester Square from the Tube station. Cunningly camouflaged between an adult shop and a ticket booth, the front door leads immediately to a spiral staircase descending to cosy alcoves and cheek-by-jowl bistro furniture. At busy times you may be asked to share a table, but that only adds to the enjoyment. If conversation flags, you can always seek inspiration from the eclectic range of wine memorabilia filling every available stretch of wall. One of London's unique vinous experiences!
www.donhewitsonlondonwinebars.co.uk |
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