Bars & Pubs

A cosy, tucked-away place for those in-the-know, this basement bar is one of the few independent establishments left around Leicester Square. A Mumm Champagne window display, sandwiched between cinemas and pizza joints, gives little idea of the delights below. Head downstairs and you’ll see the appeal: lots of small rooms and alcoves perfect to hide away with a bottle. You can chomp on caesar salad and sizeable steak burgers to line the stomach in readiness for the long list of notable bottles (including many from the New World). Wine obsessive Don Hewitson has built up relationships with major growers over the 40 years of running the Cork & Bottle, and they’re listed prominently. Some you’ll like, such as Yves Chéron from the Rhône. Some you might not, such as the hefty shiraz of Grant Burge from Barossa in Australia. But you can’t ignore 2000 Château D’Arvigny from Bordeaux – a great year for the region – and the fact that Hewitson’s idiosyncratic choice is a relief in a world of standardised dross.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009