Fun fun fun - just a delightful wine bar. Greats elections and a very intimate setting. Food menu was a pleasant surprise and well executed.
I visited as part of a private party and we had booked the private dining room in the cellar. This is a lovely, intimate space with a full view of all the wines in storage. We were even able to play our own music and there is a buzzer to call for your waiter when required. There was a three course set menu available which contained some really interesting dishes. The food was incredibly tasty but was let down by sloppy errors. My starter of a crab and shrimp open raviolo was lukewarm, verging on cold, and contained hard bits of shell. My main course of stuffed rabbit was under-cooked. Such a shame because there is clearly a talented chef at work here.
As expected, the wine list was epic and the service was excellent. I'm definitely coming back to work my way through a few more bottles!
Why Waste Annual Leave?
+4.5
I took a bit of a gamble booking this restaurant for a large group booking. There were 15 of us dining and I'm not usually one to take a chance on a retaurant I've never been if I'm arranging a party. But having read about how flexible and friendly this restaurant was, I took a punt.
From the word go, when it came to arrangements, they were so helpful. They made it so easy not requesting any deposits, allowing me to change my numbers as and when I needed, not expecting any room hire charge for the private room and allowing us to stay put until midnight when the restaurant finally closed.
What I also enjooyed was the fact that they don't just have a small limited set menu and diners in the private room dine from the a la carte menu as well, with 3 courses for 38.50.
The downstairs basement room also seemed to be where they stored the wines that they are famed for. We were asked to place our order for each course at the start and then were free to mingle and enjoy ourselves. The staff were so friendly and helpful, accommodating all types of requests for tweaking details in different dishes.
I chose a smoked salmon starter, which was so fresh and light and with a rather generous portion and knew instantly that for main course, that I would be optin for the pasta with wild boar ragout and crisp Iberico ham. I have tasted so many average pasta meals in restaurants in London that I have all but given up on them but this was easisly one of the best pasta dishe I have eaten anywhere - Italy included!
The seasoning was just right, the proprotion of ragout to pasta planned to perfection and the crisp Iberico ham gave the dish a lovely contrast of textures. My only problem was that again, they were so generous with the portion, that I couldn't finish it. I was the only one with this problem though as almost everyone else managed to polish off this beautiful dish.
Seeing that Oreos and Baileys are 2 of my favourite ingredients in a dessert, the Baileys Oreo cheesecake was my instant choice. I'd have liked slightly more biscuit and slightly less cheese (that's always my cheesecake preference) and it was a tad too alcoholic for me but otherwise, this was a lovely dessert. I had serious food envy at those who ordered the chocolate mousse. It isn't normally something I like but here they served it on a bed of red frui and totally covered in fresh pistachios so it had a tang from the fruit and a nuty texture on top making it a real winner in the dessert stakes.
This was such a great little surprise of a bistro and I couldn't recommend it highly enough for anyone wanting to plan a party or meal in a private room without any of the hassle or fuss that often accompanies it!
Loved this place! Ate here on a Monday evening. As usual I had a table for one but no issue. Food choice was limited but still difficult as everything sounded tasty. Waiter (manager/owner?) was clearly enthusiastic about the menu and happy to recommend. Went for Fois gras en cocotte to start and Duck for main - both tasted incredible. Big and beautiful wine list - although priced to penalise if you buy by the glass rather than the bottle. Would definitely recommend, go back to and will go on the list to take clients to.
Lovely meal. My husband and I had a lovely meal here a few weeks ago. Yes the selection is short but I actually liked that we didn't have to spend the first 5 minutes of our visit pouring over a menu. The food was exquisitely cooked and the staff are extremely friendly and welcoming. We will definitely be back.
Great place. I read about 10 Cases as a new opening, and as a lover of a short menu, decided it was worth a try. Was not disappointed. Ian and Will have produced a cracking place, which led to a highly enjoyable meal.
The wine list is interesting and very fairly priced - their knowledge and recommendations were also appreciated, and led to two fantastic choices.
The food menu is short, but brilliantly executed. I had a great duck parfait followed by a pork belly, with an interesting side of braised fennel - all of which was outstanding.
The service is friendly, prompt and fun - very personal.
The small room leads to a great atmosphere, without it being too noisy for conversation.
Can't fault the place, and am currently recommending to everyone I know!
We had an excellent meal here. The restaurant is simply decorated, with a clean french bistro style. There is a lively and fun atmosphere. The food was delicious- in particular the grilled octopus, stuffed chicken and the apple tart, but all the menu was excellent. There is an interesting and varied wine list, all reasonably priced. The staff are extremely friendly, with an excellent knowledge of the menu and efficient service. Tables are cosy as the floor space is limited but this serves to create a vibrant atmosphere. It is also fun to enjoy drinks and small plates of food at the bar, where there is a relaxed vibe. This was an excellent dinner.
A Welcome Addition. A welcome addition to the Covent Garden Restaurant scene. The menu is short which is always a good sign. It means that the kitchen does not over stretch itself and what it does is does well. They certainly cooked our dishes extremely well.
There is just the right balance between formality and informaility. There are no side plates and the complimentary quails eggs given to us on arrival were not shelled which meant that fingers were used for eating. Similarly our first course of prawns and alioli cames shell on but were plump and in great condition. My grilled trout which followed could not be faulted nor could my colleague's cold roast beef and horseradish. There is no doubt that the kitched knows what it is doing.
What this place really wins on however is the great value wine list and the highly (and I mean highly) knowledgable and freindly staff. Nothing was too much trouble for any of them and they seemed to be enjoying themselves nearly as much as we were.
The icing on the cake is the bar area where, should you not want a full meal, some good chesses and a glass or two or wine will be available. Something not easy to come by in the Covent Garden area.
I liked evrything about the 10 Cases. They are going to be seeing a lot of me!
The 10 Cases Wine Bar is one of the better known wine bars in London. We’d not visited them yet and were keen to try them out and see how they compared to some other great wine bars in London such as Terroirs, Brawn, 40 Maltby Street, etc. Located on Endell street in Covent Garden, 10 Cases offers theatre goers and shoppers a perfect opportunity to indulge in wines and good food. The 10 cases gets its name from the fast that they only buy 10 cases of the same wine at once. As a result the wine list changes constantly. Similarly, the food at the 10 cases changes regularly with whatever ingredients are in season. All the dishes are to be found on the chalk boards spread out across different spots in the restaurant. When we visited 10 Cases Wine bar we tried the following dishes: Egg, bacon and pork cheeks (8/10) Chickpea pancake with jamon (7.5/10) Foie gras & egg (8/10) Snails (9/10) Saucisson (8/10) Asparagus and grapefruit salad (8/10) Soft shell crab and avocado (8.5/10) Spicy fr
Hungry Tiger Thirsty Dragon
+4.5
Mains-wise, confit duck (£15) was as excellent as they come. Crispy skin, soft perfectly-salted meat, all perched on a bed of greens with a side of carrots included.
I’d go back again without hesitation. It’s also somewhere I’d happily eat alone if I was shopping in Covent Garden. So for me, a big thumbs up.
And thats just what it is, comfortable. The food is good, but not amazing. The wine is better. The room, boring. The staff, incredibly friendly. The bill, reasonable. So its not that exciting, but I certainly am glad its here.
On the evening we were there, it was very busy. People who walked in were turned away so do book if you wanted to eat here. It’s a welcome addition to Covent Garden, a simple approach, done well.
Sometimes I forget how lucky I am to live, breathe and eat in London. The 10 Cases is so good it's practically a public service. Being a West End boy I've grown proficient at seeking out hidden gems in Soho and Covent Garden and The 10 Cases is a worthy addition to that list.
Do go to the 10 cases when you have a chance, it really isn’t a place to be missed.
I knew I was going to like The 10 Cases, newish (but not actually that new; it has apparently been open nearly a year) wine bar and bistro in Covent Garden, the moment they served me my first drink. I knew this because, unlike some of the smartest joints in town that sell wine by the glass, when I ordered 125ml of Chardonnay the nice man behind the counter simply put a glass of wine in front of me and poured what looked like the right amount straight out of the bottle. I don't know when the rest of town is going to cotton on to the fact that measuring out wine into metal cylinders looks amateurish and miserly (and with who knows what effect on the taste of the wine), but thank Bacchus for anywhere that treats their bar staff and their customers like adults. The wine, a 2010 L'Ocre Rouge in case that means anything to you, was fantastic - salty and complex and very unlike your usual buttery Chardonnays. I'm making a special effort to mention it despite my obvious lack of expertise in th
Another great place around Covent Garden area.
The 10 cases offers a wide range of dishes and it welcomes the customers through its smart casual atmosphere. We started our meal with a mixed board composed by smoky chorizo, salami and different hams from Spain and Italy. Then, I ordered some Linguine with pesto inspired from the Italian cuisine, which were very delicious. As a dessert, I decided to share with my friend some chocolate mousse, which completed our lunch perfectly.
In terms of prices, the restaurant is quite good and they are related to the quality of the food served. You should expect to spend a 50 £ for two people. I would definitely recommend it because it is a good place where to relax from the busy environment of Covent Garden area.
In a nutshell: Lovely food and even better wine. Not cheap but worth spending a bit more money on.
The 10 Cases has a deservedly good reputation for taking its wine seriously, and (as the name suggests) only orders in ten cases of each wine if offers at a time. A novel and - if my experience is anything to go – effective way of ensuring exciting variety and tasty wines.
It looks like what it is from the outside - a stylish bistro. Inside there are dark-painted wood panels, all the way round the lower walls. The upper-walls and ceiling are white-washed, with simple wall-mounted lamps. Timelessly and humbly chic. The menu is written on several blackboards. It’s an intimate place, with only 10 tables inside, but it certainly isn’t cramped.
The food:
Grilled eel to start – delicious, not too fishy. Subtle and sweet.
Pork cutlet with a spiced greek yoghurt rub, pomegranate salad, and chips – it looked great when it arrived, and it was. Juicy, medium-rate, slight kick from the rub that went really well with the buttery meat. The chips were also beautifully crunchy and crisp.
Feather blade angus steak, with creamed artichoke – tender and silky steak, and the creamed artichoke was excellent. Freshness came through the creaminess, and it went perfectly with the angus.
We had delicious glasses of Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon, which costed £5 but tasted much pricier. This is why I’m a fan – the wines rotate and are excellent at any price.
Wine featured at lunch. Four kinds no less. A light sparkling, dry Riesling, pretty pink (not sweet) rose, and another made from sherry grapes (I think). I should have made a note of each, but chances are there might be new cases on the list anyway.
The menu is made up of small and larger plates (small £5-£10 ish, large £15-£20ish). We started with the charcuterie board, with rows of excellent smoky chorizo, salami and Parma/Serrano type ham (meant to check which), dinky radishes and pickled artichoke hearts. The padron peppers were perfectly charred, with a spicy sprinkling on top, and the squid came as delicious long curls with a beetroot relish.
From the larger plates, the first was beautifully spring green, with pearly halibut on top buttery asparagus, slivers of pickled cucumber and a green sauce. The salad of pork cheek, bacon and poached egg was just that, with the three things on top of the lettuce. A little strange as a combination, but the pork cheek was very tender indeed. A little bowl of courgette fritters on the side came crumbed in polenta, apparently not as light as usual, but still tasty nonetheless.
The fourth type of wine clearly needed a plate of cheese. The selection was well-chosen (including a gooey St Marcelin, ash-coated wedge, and tangy cheddar), all with a sticky/sour cherry chutney. A few tiny blips in the food, but I loved 10 Cases, especially the wine (because of the wine drank, and the great selection – the staff are really knowledgeable and happy to recommend). Grab a table outside in the sun and work your way through the list this spring/summer.
Gingle Lists Everything
+4
10 Cases (as you probably know already because it has been open ages now) takes its name from the fact that it only ever buys 10 cases of each wine. So if you come across one you like, you have to return pretty smartish to get a second taste. Quite a clever way to encourage return business - because also, they will have new wines for you to try all the time!
It describes itself as a small bistrot and small indeed it is. There are a few spaces by the bar to sit and then space for about 30 diners at most. There was a lot of scooching around and that sort of ballet you do when two of you are trying to get out of each other's way, if anyone ever got up to go to the bathroom. But it's very cute and this lack of space if completely forgivable.
The wine was absolutely the star of the show. It's by no means cheap but I would say, based on the bottle we had that it is worth it if you happen to feel flush that day. We got a riesling blend combining pinot gris, muscat and, gewurztraminer called Domaine Pfister Cuvee 8. It was delicious. It might sound strange to say so, but it had a texture to it. My friend remarked that it was sweet on the tongue at first but that then melted away leaving a light, drier touch. It was silky smooth to drink, almost a little buttery. It was hard to make it last the whole meal but at £40 we felt we had to!
The food was perfectly good as well and I'd happily eat there again, but it did feel like it took a backseat to the wine. I really enjoyed my courgette fritters which came with a light, fresh tomato salsa with olive oil. Alison had the soft shell crab to start with avocado salad. I cannot comment on the crab as I didn't have any but the avocado was welcome as always.
My pork belly was nice but I think it could have been cooked for longer and the crackling crackled up a bit more. Sometimes it was a little chewy and the fat hadn't rendered down as much as I'd like. The mashed potato and slow cooked red cabbage were absolutely delicious though.
Alison had the steak. We enquired about how it would be cooked and she opted for medium rare, with the waitress saying the chef would be happy to chuck it back on the grill if it was too blue. (Our waitress by the way, was ever so friendly and affectionate - oh yes, she wasn't above a little human contact!) The steak came with some well executed chips and I DID have a bite of the steak which had a nice slightly charred flavour. Alison got through two-thirds of it and then realised that actually, it was a bit too underdone for her. However, we both felt that the window of opportunity for requesting further cooking had passed, being that she had eaten the rest of her dish and all they would have been putting on the grill was a few mouthfuls! The chips that came with the steak were excellent.
Alas, we didn't end up having dessert, instead going across to the Cross Keys for another glass of wine, which we knew would taste like acid in our mouths compared to what we had just samples. It did. But the Cross Keys was a very cool little pub and I would go back there probably before treating my taste buds to such delectable wine, rather than after.
UPDATE: Went back and still fantastic. Wonderful service, thanks to the waitress who got us our requested window table.... the whole experience was just perfect. Amazing food, relaxed vibe, perfect service and special atmosphere. It really is a lovely evening.
I used to go here years ago and I’m pleased to say it’s just as good, may be even better than before. Such a buzzy atmosphere and the food is just fantastic. Brilliant service too. Going back soon!
Romantic, dimly lit date night spot for small to medium-sized plates paired with a large wine list.
We had dinner at 8pm on a Thursday, and loved the ambiance. Most people were having their meal after work. There were mainly couples or small groups - no children. The dimly lit room made it a bit more intimate for a quiet evening dinner.
Foodwise, we loved the burrata, the pasta, and the fish. To end, we nibbled on a cheese plate. You can pick your own cheese, or you can let them know what kinds of cheese you love and they'll surprise you!
Wine wise, they had a good selection. We had several glasses.
My favorite part of this bar is the decor. While it was pretty dark, I loved the quotes on the walls.
Didn’t drink any wine but managed to get a table outside where we met some lovely people and had some great conversation the French beer was cold and delicious service was very friendly
A nice place for an excellent selection of wine by the glass. We didn’t have any food except French fries but did have 4 wines- 3 reds and 1 white.
All the reds were great, one of them exceptional. My reviews of the wines are in Vivino under my name.
Emily was excellent in her service.
In terms of value for money- for us folks coming from Dubai- 4 glasses of wine, fries and some bread and butter for AED 164- is like a dream.
Visited December 2022
I've been back to this place five times over the years. While the wine selection is fun and unique, the food is unbelievable. My jaw drops in each visit as they rotate through different delights. I generally feel the wines are good, but not amazing. But I'm always going by the glass and not going into the bottle list. The service is always attentive and personable. I look forward to my next visit.
Nice selection of wines, delicious small plates and great ambiance.
The perfect place if you look for a French bistro experience (of course with some good wines!). The beef bourguignon is a must-try, with its soft-cooked texture and perfect pairing with mashed potatoes. There’s a variety selection of wines from different country and regions on the menu. Also you can find premium or vintage wines written on the wall.
Be sure to book ahead as it’s central london and also this place gets busy from the afternoon onwards. table was available for an hour and a half. however the staffs went above and beyond to accommodate us by relocating other reservations so that we could enjoy our meal at a more leisurely pace.
10 cases is a cute spot just a short walk from covent garden. Plenty of seating inside and maybe 10 tables out front on the pavement.
Good selection of wines by the glass and tasty snacks.
I regret not having the steak which looked great!
Good vibes and delightful staff.
This place is fantastic - been a few times now. Amazing wine, food and service! Great ambiance as well! Highly recommend
The food is very good. The menu is concise, mains include meat, fish and vegetarian, so something for everybody. Excellent service and great choice of wines. Lovely atmosphere. Would recommend.
Only came here for drinks and a little cheese platter but really enjoyed this place! The ambience and decor is really nice, the staff incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. The wine and cheese was great, I would definitely like to come back and order some food off the menu as it sounded incredible!
Cute spot close to Covent Garden.
Has a nice variety of wines to choose from along with French food.
We had most of the small plates and enjoyed the rabbit and cod cheek.
The snail felt like it lacked flavour. Expected more.
However overall it was a pleasant experience. Recommended it over the other commercial / tourist traps in the area.
We went to 10 cases on Saturday night and sat in the private dining room. The experience was perfect - the food was delicious and so was the wine. It was also very reasonably priced at £50pp for three courses.
Our waitress Emily was also amazing! Thanks to everyone for a memorable evening.
Lovely spot for a glass of wine. Great selection and reasonably priced. Service was top notch, and sitting outside on a good evening was lovely. Will be back!
It’s cool. Nice concept. Drank a lovely bottle of assyrikto. I wish they had more wines by the glass available. But apparently they had some written on a board?
Great wine bar with very tasty food options (tapas style) and good wine variety! Def book your table because walk ins can be tricky
Totally wonderful place, so pleased to have discovered this fantastic bistrot last night thanks to my daughter. The food, wine and service were all excellent, absolutely delicious dishes, some very traditional, some with a well-judged twist, great bread and butter, ice cold Meteor lager and our delightful obliging waitress who had only started last week. It's also a very attractive restaurant, with all the windows open in a cute quiet corner of Covent Garden. As you can tell, I loved it and will definitely go back soon.
Space is not much but great food and wine, fried cod bites fried perfectly (no digestion issues whatsoever which for me is unusual) . Also had padrón peppers and highly recommend. Would have liked for it to stay open later!
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