Harden's survey result
Summary
“Hidden right next to the horrors of Leicester Square!”, this 50-year-old wine cellar rates highly for its “really special ambience” and “knowledgeable and helpful” service. Will Clayton still runs the place on the lines laid down by founder Don Hewitson, although “the food offering has improved over time – not gourmet, but always a good pairing for the wine”. This year will see the millionth serving of the famous cheese & ham pie that is always on the menu.
Summary
This extremely cosy and characterful, 50-year-old wine cellar off Leicester Square provides “an unbeatable variety of wine at all price points” – “and you can usually get a seat despite the central location”. “The food’s not bad, either” – including the famous cheese & ham pie that has been on the menu since 1978, selling almost a million portions. Will Clayton has carried on where legendary founder Don Hewitson left off, and has expanded into branches in Hampstead (now closed) and Bayswater.
Summary
“The wine bar all others aspire to be” (of an old school nature) – this characterful cellar just off Leicester Square is entering its 50th year, and has seen little change in that time. “The food, while a bit of an eighties throwback, is perfectly good for soaking up a few glasses” – and “you can’t beat the ham & cheese pie”, biggest seller on the menu since 1978. Owner Will Clayton, who took over from the legendary Don Hewitson, has also opened branches in Bayswater and Hampstead. As of November 2020, all the branches have been closed since the start of the first Covid lockdown and the social media for the restaurants is quiet – fingers crossed this epic stalwart of the West End re-opens some time soon.
Summary
“The wine bar all others aspire to be” (of an old school nature) – this characterful cellar just off Leicester Square is closing in on its 50th year, and has seen little change in that time. “The food, while a bit of an eighties throwback, is perfectly good for soaking up a few glasses” – and “you can’t beat the ham & cheese pie”, biggest seller on the menu since 1978. Owner Will Clayton, who took over from the legendary Don Hewitson, has opened branches in Bayswater and Hampstead – but it will take them years to match up to the original.
For 32 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
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Restaurant details
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £28.50 |
| Filter Coffee | £2.50 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 12.50% |
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑10:30 pm |
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