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A guide to the best wine bars in Covent Garden, London's theatre district and one of its easiest places to drink well by the glass. From 10 Cases' ever-changing list and Lady of the Grapes' female-winemaker focus to Champagne Charlies and the cellar bars off Seven Dials, these venues pour pre-theatre glasses and post-curtain bottles with equal conviction.
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10 Cases
Restaurant · 16 Endell St, London WC2H 9BD
The premise at 10 Cases is disarmingly simple: ten whites and ten reds, every one available by the glass, carafe or bottle, and everything bought in ten-case lots so the list never stands still. In practice, this buzzing, unpretentious Covent Garden spot on Endell Street offers more than 40 wines by the glass most days, ranging from Barbaresco and Barolo to Burgundy, the Jura and German Riesling, with sparkling, rosé and sweet wines filling in the corners. Next door, the Cave-à-Vin holds a 600-bin list full of hidden gems and its own, more eclectic by-the-glass offering. For theatre-goers and wine obsessives alike, it remains one of central London's happiest places to drink something new.
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Frog by Adam Handling
Restaurant · 34 Southampton St, London WC2E 7HA
Adam Handling's Michelin-starred flagship on Southampton Street in Covent Garden puts diners face-to-face with the open kitchen for a theatrical, immersive tasting menu built on the best of British produce. Awarded its star in 2022 and ranked 42 in the National Restaurant Awards, Frog matches the cooking with a globally drawn, British-celebrating wine list — and the by-the-glass programme is one of the deepest in the West End, with more than 40 wines open at any time. Barolo and Barbaresco sit beside Super Tuscans, English sparkling, Burgundy and benchmark bottles from the Adelaide Hills and Argentina. Built for pairing, it lets every course find its wine without a bottle commitment — exactly what a modern tasting menu demands.
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Lady of the Grapes
Wine Bar · 16 Maiden Ln, London WC2E 7NJ
On Maiden Lane in Covent Garden, Lady of the Grapes pours with a purpose: championing women winemakers in an industry that has long been male-dominated. Every bottle comes from organic, biodynamic or natural vineyards, and around 40 wines are available by the glass — a spread that runs from pét-nat and sparkling through white, orange and rosé to red, sweet and fortified styles. The low-intervention focus means plenty of off-the-beaten-track discoveries, and the team is genuinely keen to talk through what makes each producer worth knowing. There is nothing else quite like it in central London: a wine bar where the drinking is very good and the story behind each glass is even better. For orange wine curiosity or a first taste of regenerative viticulture, start here.
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Restaurant 1890
Restaurant · Savoy Hotel Strand, London WC2R 0EU England
History pours generously at Restaurant 1890 by Gordon Ramsay, the Michelin-starred, 24-seat dining room overlooking the Savoy's iconic entrance on the Strand. The cooking pays homage to Auguste Escoffier, and the wine list matches that ambition with more than 40 wines by the glass — Burgundy and Champagne leading the way, followed by remarkable depth in Port and Madeira, including bottles dating back to 1779, among the oldest Madeira found anywhere in the world. Sweet wines from Portugal and beyond round out an intimate, vintage-driven programme sourced from all corners of the globe. In one of London's most storied hotels, this is fine drinking measured in centuries as well as glasses.
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Champagne Charlies
Wine Bar · 17 Villiers St, London WC2N 6NG
Beneath the arches of Charing Cross, down Villiers Street, Champagne Charlies has been a local institution for wining, dining and entertaining. Wood panelling, exposed brick, intimate alcoves and candlelit tables set the tone — this is old-school London wine bar territory, done properly. The name signals the house strength: Champagne leads, backed by English sparkling wine made in the traditional method, while the still list ranges from Burgundy and Bordeaux through Rioja, Provence rosé and Port. Between 20 and 40 wines are available by the glass, so a post-work stop can wander from Chardonnay to Pinot Noir without committing to a bottle. Classic British food, built on seasonal ingredients, keeps the kitchen in step with the cellar. Few spots this central feel so tucked away.
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Courtyard Wine Cellars
Wine Bar · Covent Garden,17, The Marketplace, London WC2E 8RB
Beneath the bustle of Covent Garden’s central marketplace, Courtyard Wine Cellars offers a pocket of calm under vaulted brick arches. The by-the-glass selection — a rotating cast of 20 to 40 pours — champions approachable drinking: spritzy Portuguese Vinho Verde, plush Argentine Malbec and crisp Hampshire sparkling all feature, though the broader cellar wanders much further, into the Jura, pét-nat and orange wine for the curious. Private rooms make it a natural pick for pre-theatre gatherings or after-work drinks, and artisanal cheese, charcuterie and seasonal dishes keep the wine company. It is a relaxed place to experiment without pressure, which in the middle of one of London’s most heavily touristed squares is a genuinely valuable thing to find.
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Hawksmoor - Seven Dials
Restaurant · 11 Langley St, London WC2H 9JG
Set on Langley Street in the middle of Covent Garden's shopping district, Seven Dials has a particular energy during the day — shoppers breaking for brunch or lunch giving the room a lively, unhurried rhythm that's quite different from the evening dinner crowd. The wine list follows the Hawksmoor group formula to excellent effect: 25–30 wines by the glass, from accessible everyday pours through to rare bottles including a 2017 Saint-Julien Château Moulin Riche, 2021 Corino Giovanni Barolo La Morra and a glimpse of First Growth Margaux in the form of Ségla 2016. The range covers Bordeaux, Burgundy, Barolo, Champagne, Ribera del Duero, Rioja, Douro and Piemonte, with site-specific finds that rotate without notice. The same great steaks and seafood that define the brand, in a room that suits Covent Garden's energy perfectly.
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Pintxito
Wine Bar · Lower Ground, 34 The Market, Building WC2E 8RE
Down on the lower ground floor of Covent Garden's market building, Pintxito brings the vibrant flavours of the Basque Country to central London. Inspired by the lively pintxo bars of Bilbao and San Sebastián, it pours a carefully chosen list of Basque wines — most notably a full range of Txakolis, taking in sparkling, white, rosé and even a red — alongside Rioja, traditional-method sparkling wine, Basque cider and Patxaran. Everything is built to pair with the pintxos, which run from traditional to modern. The by-the-glass selection lands in the 20-to-40 range, ideal for the graze-and-sip rhythm the format demands. In a neighbourhood dominated by pre-theatre menus, this is one of the West End's more transporting ways to drink.
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Story Cellar
Restaurant · 17 Neal's Yard, London WC2H 9DP
Story Cellar brings the Restaurant Story brand to Neal’s Yard in Seven Dials, trading tasting-menu formality for counter-style dining built around a Parisian-style rotisserie. Chicken turning on the spit anchors the menu; the wine list is where the discovery happens. Between 20 and 40 wines pour by the glass, taking in crisp Loire Chenin Blanc, textured Rioja Blanco, Italian bottles and refreshing Hampshire sparkling, with a low-intervention streak running through the choices. The counter seats put the cooking at eye level, and the informal pace makes it easy to move through two or three glasses across a meal. In a neighbourhood that styles itself London’s creative heart, this is a lively, deeply likeable spot for eating and drinking well without ceremony.
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Voila Wine Bar Shop
Wine Bar · 33 Catherine St, London WC2B 5JT
Part wine shop, part bar, Voila occupies a corner of Catherine Street in the heart of Theatreland, and the browse-then-drink format is half the pleasure: pick from the shelves, settle in, and let the evening take shape. The glass selection sits between 20 and 40 wines at any time, leaning towards aromatic whites — Alsace and Riesling in particular — alongside low-intervention and orange wines and a healthy showing of English sparkling. The cosy, elegant room suits a pre-theatre glass as well as a longer session with a cheese board, and the staff are as happy guiding a curious beginner as a seasoned drinker. In a district where drinking well before a show can be a challenge, Voila is Covent Garden’s reliable answer.
View Full DetailsWine by the glass turns a single evening into a tasting flight, and the wine bars in London above show how far a thoughtful by-the-glass programme can travel — from grower Champagne to bio-dynamic reds. Use the map to plan a crawl by neighbourhood, and open each venue for opening hours, the current pour list, and booking details.
The Coravin Guide reviews each venue independently, focusing on the ambition and depth of what they pour by the glass. No venue pays to be included.