Cork & Bottle Wine Bar Leicester Square

I never thought there would be such an amazing hidden spot in Leicester Square. Close to the cinema, there’s a gorgeous wine bar and food place and from the moment you walk in, it’s an absolutely immersive experience. The atmosphere is incredible, and provides such a peaceful experience especially compared to the usual chaos and noise in central London. The decoration is simply stunning, everything has been thought to the minute detail, with cork chandeliers and vintage furniture and posters. The wine obviously was superb, but as two of the guests didn’t drink, we prioritised the food and we were not disappointed. For starters, ordered the tempura prawns with wasabi mayo, and the hummus with dukkah, pita and olives and both were perfect, the prawns were perfectly cooked, not too oily and the wasabi mayo had a nice kick to it without being too much of a powerful flavour, complementing rather than overtaking the prawn. The hummus was home made and fresh, and the pita bread was warm and toasted, which made it so much more enjoyable. For mains, we selected the crab and king prawn linguine with garlic, chili and cherry tomato, and the baked camembert. There was copious amounts of pasta, with very generous servings of all toppings, and the cheese was soft, creamy and delicious. The highlight however was the service. The staff are incredibly welcoming, helpful, understanding and attending. They engage without being overbearing and help make the experience much better!

Wine and cheese is what they have done for 30 years plus. If I am in the area or got guests in london I always take them here. Great for a quick lunch a shepherds pie and glass of wine. All cooked fresh. A Londoners secret. They are also holding special wine .food events now which look fun. Is down some windy metal stairs so you need to be able to manage that think no access for less abled of elderly or with great care just due to its subterranean position. Huge cheese and wine selection. Very reasonable prices. Everything is delicious and hearty - good size portions. This place is 100% quirky. Fits around 30 people. Easy to walk in.

This place is regularly busy and I can completely understand. A wonderful selection of drinks to order and great menu to choose from.

Don’t usually write reviews but just wanted to for Cork and Bottle as we had a great experience on Monday night. The waiter was fantastic and so kind and lovely and attentive without being overbearing. The wine was lovely and we loved the Camembert. They charged my phone behind the bar and just generally made us have a lovely experience. Thanks!

Cozy wine bar in the very central London location of Leicester Square. I was really impressed by the wine I chose (there were plenty available by the glass, and a very wide range by the bottle - I feel there are no unlucky choices to be had here!) We had some cheese & crackers & French bread (there was a choice of about 20 cheeses), and from the sharing plates we had duck pate and chilli squid, both excellent. A lovely place for a catchup with friends.

Great cheese boards, especially when pairing these with honey! What is also great is that the cheese options are on display. Besides this, the tarte tatin starter was exquisite and I'd happily recommend it. The snails however would be lovelier if they had a more intense garlic flavour.

5 stars all round! What an amazing experience on the edge of Leicester Square. We felt that we had stepped into an underground cellar with lovely food, amazing wine and personalised service. Sitting in the booth under the arch topped off a great stop after a day full of sightseeing!

Myself, my partner and his daughter arrived around 3 pm today and as soon as we entered we were greeted spectacularly by, "Have you booked?" We said no but added we understand it's busy being a Saturday. My partner and I have been coming here for years but today being greeted quite rudely actually took us aback! My partner and his daughter left very upset but I ordered a drink and stood at the bar and was told it's fine standing there, oh that's decent I thought! When I got my bill they kindly charged me a service charge for the privilege of us all being treated so rudely and myself being told ok to stand basically in the corner of the bar, thank you very much I thought. I told the bar man please remove the service charge and after about 5 minutes drinking my glass of Champagne left to join my partner. I was so upset to find out his daughter after this experience got on the tube and she went home! Thank you Cork and Bottle for absolutely ruining our day out in London. Shame on you!!

I never thought there would be such an amazing hidden spot in Leicester Square. Close to the cinema, there’s a gorgeous wine bar and food place and from the moment you walk in, it’s an absolutely immersive experience. The atmosphere is incredible, and provides such a peaceful experience especially compared to the usual chaos and noise in central London. The decoration is simply stunning, everything has been thought to the minute detail, with cork chandeliers and vintage furniture and posters. The wine obviously was superb, but as two of the guests didn’t drink, we prioritised the food and we were not disappointed. For starters, ordered the tempura prawns with wasabi mayo, and the hummus with dukkah, pita and olives and both were perfect, the prawns were perfectly cooked, not too oily and the wasabi mayo had a nice kick to it without being too much of a powerful flavour, complementing rather than overtaking the prawn. The hummus was home made and fresh, and the pita bread was warm and toasted, which made it so much more enjoyable. For mains, we selected the crab and king prawn linguine with garlic, chili and cherry tomato, and the baked camembert. There was copious amounts of pasta, with very generous servings of all toppings, and the cheese was soft, creamy and delicious. The highlight however was the service. The staff are incredibly welcoming, helpful, understanding and attending. They engage without being overbearing and help make the experience much better!

Wine and cheese is what they have done for 30 years plus. If I am in the area or got guests in london I always take them here. Great for a quick lunch a shepherds pie and glass of wine. All cooked fresh. A Londoners secret. They are also holding special wine .food events now which look fun. Is down some windy metal stairs so you need to be able to manage that think no access for less abled of elderly or with great care just due to its subterranean position. Huge cheese and wine selection. Very reasonable prices. Everything is delicious and hearty - good size portions. This place is 100% quirky. Fits around 30 people. Easy to walk in.

This place is regularly busy and I can completely understand. A wonderful selection of drinks to order and great menu to choose from.

Don’t usually write reviews but just wanted to for Cork and Bottle as we had a great experience on Monday night. The waiter was fantastic and so kind and lovely and attentive without being overbearing. The wine was lovely and we loved the Camembert. They charged my phone behind the bar and just generally made us have a lovely experience. Thanks!

Cozy wine bar in the very central London location of Leicester Square. I was really impressed by the wine I chose (there were plenty available by the glass, and a very wide range by the bottle - I feel there are no unlucky choices to be had here!) We had some cheese & crackers & French bread (there was a choice of about 20 cheeses), and from the sharing plates we had duck pate and chilli squid, both excellent. A lovely place for a catchup with friends.

Great cheese boards, especially when pairing these with honey! What is also great is that the cheese options are on display. Besides this, the tarte tatin starter was exquisite and I'd happily recommend it. The snails however would be lovelier if they had a more intense garlic flavour.

5 stars all round! What an amazing experience on the edge of Leicester Square. We felt that we had stepped into an underground cellar with lovely food, amazing wine and personalised service. Sitting in the booth under the arch topped off a great stop after a day full of sightseeing!

Myself, my partner and his daughter arrived around 3 pm today and as soon as we entered we were greeted spectacularly by, "Have you booked?" We said no but added we understand it's busy being a Saturday. My partner and I have been coming here for years but today being greeted quite rudely actually took us aback! My partner and his daughter left very upset but I ordered a drink and stood at the bar and was told it's fine standing there, oh that's decent I thought! When I got my bill they kindly charged me a service charge for the privilege of us all being treated so rudely and myself being told ok to stand basically in the corner of the bar, thank you very much I thought. I told the bar man please remove the service charge and after about 5 minutes drinking my glass of Champagne left to join my partner. I was so upset to find out his daughter after this experience got on the tube and she went home! Thank you Cork and Bottle for absolutely ruining our day out in London. Shame on you!!

Another place we visited while in London. After entering the building you descend down a spiral staircase into the tasting room. Very quint old world feel which we loved. They carry a nice selection of wines and we were happy with our selection and had a great time with a friend for a bit after dinner.

This is a very special place and a nice little wine bar. Located in Leicester Square, walk downstairs to this landmark featuring over 300 wines, a nice selection of cheese and an eclectic menu. Perfect place to chill with a glass of wine and some good cheese. Service was great, Ben took good care of us.

Great atmosphere for a wine bar - downstairs, cozy, intimate. But service was rather slow and the food was just ok. So like for wine, maybe like 4.5 stars, but for food and service, just 3 stars. We waited a long time to order when we arrived, I'd say 20+ minutes. They did seem rather busy despite it being a Tuesday night but they also seemed understaffed. We only saw one waiter for the first half of the meal and then finally saw a second waitress toward the end of the meal. Table next to us had their food order forgotten and had to hail down a waiter to replace their order. When the food came the veal holstein (veal cutlet/schnitzel) was fine, but nothing all that special. Cooked well but not a ton of flavor to it unfortunately. My wife got the ham and cheese pie which was better and pretty much exactly what you'd expect. It's a pretty straightforward menu. But the wine is excellent - a massive selection from all over the globe, tons of vineyards you've never heard of, and a decent by-the-glass selection for those of us not ordering bottles.

Wine awesome. Food amazing. Ambiance so so but don't miss this! Our waiter KC was so engaging and helpful. This was a recommendation from our friends and we are so grateful.

We absolutely loved this wine bar!! Over 300 wonderful bottles on this wine list. Friendly and helpful staff to navigate our dining and wining experience. This is super comfy cozy and a great place to spend an evening with friends. Our food was so delicious and we found the perfect wine pairings. Founded in 1971, it is easy to see why this spot is legendary.

Okay so I'm hesitant to share this place with others but hands down best wine bar I've been to in London. It's very hole-in-the-wall and doesn't really look like a wine bar from the outside, but it's a neat little underground bar and restaurant with lots of side "cubbies" for more intimate conversation. I've come here multiple times with friends and we really enjoy the carefully-chosen house wines that change every week/month. The cheese plates and mains are delicious too. I would HIGHLY recommend the ham and cheese pie, especially after a really long day. It's rich comfort food at its finest. I'd also advise checking out the Christmas menus and any other events. You can even have private occasions here. My only word of caution - maybe don't work from home here (for those fellow WFHers who are always on the lookout for a London restaurant to dine and work). The cell service is dodgy since it's underground.

We popped over here very last minute before our dinner and were really impressed with how sweet the place was. I think I like this place so much because it's in the middle of Leicester Square and you'd never guess it was there because it's quite subtle with a nice little door that leads you downstairs. It's just cool! There was only 1 table left on a Tuesday evening around 6:00pm and it was under the spiral staircase. Not ideal, but I'd rather a table be there than no table at all! The wine we had was nice and we also had some pita and hummus, which was quite delicious indeed. It's not really a romantic place, and it's quite cramped, but I really liked this place because it was such a pleasant surprise in the middle of a chaotic place. There were lots of wine options and some great sounding food options as well.

Great service and food in a very busy area of London. We had dinner here our last day in London. We ordered the spinach soup, steak $19 and crab/shrimp pasta $13. The portions were huge. The steak was great but the pasta was a bit too soggy. The restaurant has a small downstairs and the entrance is easily missed in a busy area.

Despite me considering this part of London almost a second home, I have to confess that I've never noticed this place until a group of us London Yelpers seconded it for a UYE We had organised a 'Welcome to London' UYE to meet some visiting American Yelpers but for differing reasons, neither of them made it. However, the London gang didn't need an excuse to meet up for a drink and a catch up. The event turned into Allie Y's leaving do by default in the end Our first choice of the Covent Garden Cocktail Club was closed and Andrew M made a quick decision to switch the venue to the nearby Cork & Bottle as Nava N and Grant T were already there Cork & Bottle is an underground wine bar located in the heart of Leicester Square but the 2 entrances are rather discreet and perhaps a little drowned out by the bright lights of the establishments on either side Descend the spiral staircase and you'll find quite a large area divided into interesting little nooks and crannies. I found the Yelp crew in fine fettle and fine voice, partly due their being halfway through Vash's list - Vash, I'm not sure who you are but your wine recommendations certainly made some Yelpers very happy that night My pineapple juice was very reasonably priced at £1.80 for the heart of the West End It's not the coolest or trendiest place to hang out in this part of London but I liked the relaxed vibe and we certainly had a good evening there

Cute wine bar for a rest near Leicester Square! Small bites and wine are plentiful. The attached wine shop is a plus too. It's cute and cozy inside and the entry makes you feel like you're going in to a speakeasy! I had a Sancerre Rose for 9.5 and enjoyed this little gem!

Im not the biggest fan of Leicester Square. It's just always far too crowded and things there are too touristy and over priced. It is easy to walk straight past its entrance. You'll find it in between shops selling sickly looking pizzas on one side and a sex shop on the other. As you enter, you go down a narrow staircase, but once you're through you can take in the laid back atmosphere and fantastic wines this place has to offer. We had a bottle of the Viognier, which wasn't too heavy, and filled myself with a starter of bacon and avocado salad, followed by a heavy, creamy risotto. All of which was actually very good and extremely filling. Worth braving the ruthless crowds of Leicester Square!

Nice place to grab something to eat after a show - and it's too late to dine at a restaurant. Though it was not the most comfortable place to eat, it was too cramped for that, I was pleasantly surprised when the food came. I had a burger with chips - and it was clearly homemade. Loved it! And I normally don't eat burgers and chips. They also had a good variety of drinks, and the service was nice and pleasant.

What a gem of a place! Wedged between a pizza outlet and somewhere where you get cut price theatre tickets - this wine bar is a total surprise!! Amazing wines and cheese! This wine bar is one of the oldest places of this kind in London. It evokes so many thoughts of what went on there centuries ago! This is an absolute must, especially for the older crowd who appreciate wine and gorogeous international cheeses.

This place is a gem....seriously, I probably shouldn't even write a review because I want to keep it as much on the down low as possible. In the middle of Leicester Square, as I was bemoaning the crappiness of touristy areas I see this window and all it has is wine bottles (yep, that will always grab my attention). We open the door and all we see is a winding staircase going down....hmmmmm. Being "adventurous" we head down the staircase and enter a tiny room, packed with people. No one greets us so we have a look around and see another room, so we venture in there....more people, lots of them....more hidden rooms too.... And then we see a tiny bar area and two people getting up to leave. My boyfriend is on it, he zooms in, grabs and seats and hands me the wine list. Awesome selection of wines. Just awesome. Tons of wine by the glass or the bottle. Cheese and charcuterie plates....more wine....more cheese....they have food too and it all looked really good, but I won't lie, I was there for the wine. We got to try some really interesting wine and the service here, though harried (I honestly don't know how they fit that many people into such a tiny space) was really helpful. If there is one place I will definitely be going back to when I visit London, it's the cork and bottle....but shhhh, don't tell anyone.

Ooh finally, I'm in on the secret too! Such a cosy, welcoming little wine bar (actually, more of a wine cellar), central enough to be easy to get to but hidden enough to avoid the thousands of tourists that must walk past every day (so shh don't tell too many people please!). We were looking for a drinks stop after squishing through the crowds at the Chinese new year celebrations in Trafalgar Square. It seemed the ideal opportunity to try it having had it recommended to me as a good date spot before. The tricky part was finding it (look for Zoo) then it was a relief to head down the windy staircase to warmth and shelter from the piercing cold. The waitress was so welcoming and had no qualms about giving us a table just for drinks. 5 minutes later and we were sharing a bottle of scrumptious merlot and enjoying the quaint Parisian decor and laughter from behind the bar where the staff just seemed to be genuinely enjoying themselves. Not sure which of those elements it was (or my date?!) but it definitely put a big smile on my face :)

For all my planning, this was one of the few places on my list that we actually tried. It's nice to have the lists, but it's important to be flexible, non? We dropped in here for drinks before meeting up with my beloved cousin who lives in the area. I had a glass each of the Cremant rosé and the Cremant white (€6.70 each) while my companion had two of the Barbera d'Alba (€9). Scandinavian Matt Damon (real name Frederik) was tending bar. Nice chatting with him. The crowd appeared to be a mix of regulars and tourists. Not wheelchair accessible and I wouldn't recommend it for anyone with a walker (possibly not even for cane users). Lovely historical atmosphere extending even to the washrooms. They sell full bottles, which is handy if you are on your way to meet up with your cousin and need to bring some bubbly...

Stopped by for lunch and it was AMAZING! Want a hidden gem, located in Leicester Square with a store front you could easily miss as you walked passed. It's a cool little walk down spiral stairs to the basement restaurant. There are several dinning areas, but I always recommend sitting at the bar as the service is much better and you actually get to know the people who work there. Order a bottle of wine, a cheese plate and enjoy! Went back a second time and had THE BEST time! Met Oriana, who ROCKS! Killed two bottles from Jim Barry Wines, great Aussie wine. Had an amazing cheese plate, let Oriana pick the cheese. Could not be better. This place is fab for sure! Oh and Oriana's bday is on Halloween! The perfect girl! Wine, cheese and Halloween!

There are very few places I care to go to in Leicester Square and, until recently, none that I would stake my reputation on by recommending to friends. However, Cork & Bottle is that exception to the rule in that it's good...damn good. I've been a few times, most notably for the Yelp Book Club and then again when a Yelp drinks event was moved due to CGCC being closed on Sundays. Both times have been lots of fun both due to the company and the friendly nature of the staff. The slightly decrepit look of the main entrance just off Charing Cross Road helps keep the tourists away. Like me, you've probably walked by it a few times if you've even been to Leicester Square and missed it completely as your eyes flick from a neon sign selling kebabs to another advertising half price theatre tickets. The space is completely underground, with only a stairwell being visible from the street level. However the bright lighting helps alleviate any feeling of gloominess and instead it's more as if you're hiding away in a wine cellar (minus the cold drafts!). A substantial wine collection is on offer and I'd advise in picking from anything on Vash's list on the back page. Some Yelpers went through the entire list and couldn't stop singing the praises of Vash. Although, to be fair, they were pretty drunk and in a singing mood by the end. Food wise, there is an entire counter devoted to cheeses as well as a hot food menu. I'm not exactly sure what some of the hot food is but the chips are pretty tasty. They tend to run out towards the end of the night so make sure to get there early if you want dinner. Cheese they have in spades which makes for perfect wine drinking snacks! Overall, a excellent place with reasonable prices in the heart of the West End and now my top pick for a meeting location (other than perhaps Champagne + Fromage) and a pre-theatre snack!

I don't understand the high rating for this place. First off, it smells like a cat litter box in the entire place. The wine they have is not good. They don't use proper wine glasses for their respective wines. The only reason it received a 2 Star instead of 1 is the owner/manager (not sure what she was) was nice. Much better wine bars in the area.

The last time I was in London on business I was there for about two weeks. I went to Cork & Bottle 4 times. I don't remember how I had heard about it, maybe an online review, maybe Lonely Planet...but it's a great little wine bar. It's got a very good mix of wines at reasonable prices, both by the glass and by the bottle. I'm a pretty big fan of Rhone wines...let's just say I was in heaven. The food is pretty good, too. One which really struck me as quintessential British (at least, what an American tourist would think) was the Ham and Cheese Pie. It was--you guessed it--alternating layers of ham and cheese. Tasty, albeit incredibly dense. It's hard to find going by an address, but here's a tip that will help: Go to Cranbourn street and look for SEX. When you've found it, look down. Cork and Bottle is in a stairwell going down next to a sex shop. Once I made that connection, it wasn't hard for me to find!

The Cork & Bottle is a subterranean dining space. They have one very interesting cave-like booth available for larger groups which my party occupied for an evening. I did not eat but did share a bottle of the house red, which was fine but not worth £18.95, with three others. The service was surly and, once we were ready to pay, elusive. I don't believe I'll be returning.

I love this little place - and not in the least because my mum used to work here in the 1970s! A quiet refuge from the craziness of Leicester Square, this cellar restaurant/bar has an enormous wine selection (and staff who actually know a bit about wine) and the food isn't too bad either, and reasonably priced. I'd take it any day over the touristy pizza places & fast food chains that otherwise occupy the West End.

Had some time to burn before we had to meet a coworker that was coming down from Chester. Strolling through Leicester Square we spotted this place & my wine-loving husband was intrigued. We made our way down the stairs and found ourselves a table. It was a little early for lunch so there weren't many people in the place, but we got to chat with some of the staff and admire the beautiful pie sitting under the warmer that they would be slicing open for lunch. GREAT wine selection. Something for everyone to be found. You can get a glass or you can go big for the bottle. I preferred this little wine bar over Gordon's because it was a little brighter and the staff seemed happy to help us. While it may be in the heart of one of the tourist hot spots, I would duck in any time for a drink with a friend.

Despite being in the middle of tourist town and across from a crazy club, The Cork and Bottle had a wonderfully quiet and cool vibe. Clean, calm and well decorated with bottles of wine and books with covers that were well worn, my darling and I sat at the bar and felt right at home. We opened up an aromatic bottle of pino gris and enjoyed talking with the people who worked at the wine bar as well as amongst ourselves. Because we loved this little wine bar so much, we decided to stop by this place two nights out of our 7 day stay in London. When we come back, I'll be sure to stop by again and try their food as well.

Leicester Square and the spiral staircase of death... the downsides to this hidden gem. One of my colleagues said, "I know a wine bar in Leicester Square." While I didn't say it out loud, I was certainly thinking it was going to be overpriced, full of tourists, and just not very good. When we got to Cork and Bottle, I was surprised. I must have walked by it a million times and never knew it was there! If you're not looking for it (or even if you are) you could very easily miss it. When we went inside it was completely opposite of everything going on above us. We just went for drinks, although the food looked delicious! The wine menu was a bit intimidating for me because there were just so many! There are also specials on boards where the bar is. It is pricey, but not in an "it's a touristy area so let's hike up the prices" pricey, but a "I would expect to pay that for a fine wine" sort of pricey. The staff were friendly and helpful, but didn't badger us.

Love this place! It's a cute little wine bar with a huge selection of wine. We love to go here when we just want to relax with a bottle. They have a nice cheese selection as well. One problem can be the service. It's a bit erratic, and the last time we went a lot of people seemed to be having problems with their orders. We never really had much of a problem though, so we'll go back many times.

Despite being in the about as close as you can get to the epicenter of London's touristy West End, this long-standing basement level Wine Bar seems to avoid being over-run by the hordes. The wine list is large and interesting, and I commend checking the "bin end" buckets on the bar for novelties at lower than average prices. Food is traditional wine bar fare, with the exception of their signature dish - Raised Ham and Cheese pie - but always well prepared. Be aware that you have to order at the counter, not from the table.

So while my brother was watching his most important CL game in the most awful bar ever, me and my friends decided to go for wine instead. Why has no one told me about this? What a place ... and nearly in the middle of Leicester Square. The door is not easy to find. Just oriented yourself by finding the bar called Zoo and then look opposite. There is a staircase going down and then you enter the wine heaven that is Cork and Bottle. We got one of the booths, which looked like a cave decorated with Champagne bottles. Our waiter was distinctively French and we could not resist asking for advice about a good white wine... under a certain price. He was a bit confused by this, but came up with some decent whites. We asked him again and again as the evening went on ... maybe just to hear his adorable french accent. Also we were getting quite drunk, even though we had some nice food with all this alcohol. They have a decent food menu and the cheese board was great, as you can decide which cheeses you want to have. I got a disappointed head shake by the waiter as my choice didn't go with the white he gave us. Definitely French behavior. It made me miss my French friend so much. She used to do the same. Sigh.

What a hidden gem! This is one of the best wine bars in London. The staff is incredibly sweet and helpful. Their prices for the wine is perfection! And they pair their cheese and food menu perfectly with the wine. Love love love this place! It's perfect for canape's and vino before a show!

Quick review: + hidden gem + huge selection of wine + accommodating staff + takes reservation - mediocre food Full review: Like other reviewers have said, Cork & Bottle is truly a great find amongst tourist traps you could easily fall into around Leicester Square. The establishment reportedly has over 300 wines, which, if true, probably aren't all listed on the menu, but there is certainly a huge selection of reds, white, some rose and bubblies. They also serve about a dozen different wines by the glass. Reservation is highly recommended, as the venue is small and crowded. We booked for Saturday night for four people and that's a literally all the space you get - a table that fits four. We had a last minute joiner and thankfully the waitress was extremely accommodating and shifted a few reservations around to make sure we were able to stay. The food is mediocre, but after a few bottles of vino around a table of friends, the sight of ham and cheese pie (literally just ham, lots and lots of cheese, and pastry) that usually looks like a heart attack on a plate suddenly looks extremely appetising. Their burgers come in big portion, although I recommend skipping the deep fried langoustine that lacked flavours.

This is a secret gem in London. In Leicester Square just a half block off Charing Cross Road. Wonderful and extensive wine list. Just sit at the bar and enjoy the place or grab a table for a delicious meal. Salmon was excellent. Ham and cheese pie was exactly that, but good (like a layered quiche). This is a place we will return to each time we visit London.

Fellow Qyper Alex bought me here as a treat at the weekend. We were planning on going to the bar in the National Portrait Gallery but that closes at the same time as the gallery which is a bit annoying (yes, I know that seems obvious, but you'd think they'd just have another entrance or something?) So we wound up here. I've been meaning to pop in for a while. I didn't believe that there could be a nice bar in Leicester Square. After all, I've found myself in Ruby blue before now. But this place is a little gem. It's not quite as good as Gordon's, but it does the job just fine. It's more of a sit down bar and I think if we'd nabbed a table we'd have felt bad for not eating. The food look yummy though. And after drinking a few glasses of bubbles we probably should have eaten something. Ooops. The bubbly is only £7 a glass though. I like it here, I like that it's tucked away and that we didn't feel strange perched at the bar - the staff are busy doing their own thing rather than standing over you while you're trying to have a conversation. It's just easy. Simple and relaxed. And it's hard to believe that this little place is in Leicester Square. I'll be back.

The Cork and Bottle never lets me down. Whether you're looking for some laid-back post-work drinks, or a cosy long lunch on a weekend, the Cork and Bottle always seems to do the job very nicely indeed. You'd never expect to find such an unassuming little wine bar in this rather brash corner of London's West End, but when you walk down the staircase into the cave-like bar it feels like you're a million miles away from places like Zoo Bar, which is directly opposite. The food is rustic and tasty, and they do fantastic cheese boards. There are millions of wines to choose from, to the point of confusion, but don't let that put you off as they're always happy to recommend something. Gordon's Wine Bar is probably what I'd compare it to, though you're much more likely to get a seat and be able to have a decent conversation in the Cork & Bottle.

Nestled between sex shops and burger kings in the triangle of land at the entrance to Leicester Square you find stairs down to a wine den. Twice the size of Beaujolais, though without the cave-like quality of Gordons this is a great place to eat and drink. If your heart can take it they are famed for the Cheese and Ham pie. It has to be seen to be believed. Always a bit pilarsterd every time I have been here, so not sure on the wine, but I seem to remember that it slipped down pretty well.

We went here to enjoy a bottle of wine before a show. Ordered a 34 pound bottle and also bought some food. The wine came to the table opened (server didn't uncork it at the table). We figured this was due to a lack of training as the pours for the wine were also not great (granted not every pour can be perfect). However, having the bottle come open also led us to wonder if it was tampered with in some way. Furthermore, our server never topped up our glasses throughout the time we spent there. We're fine doing this ourselves, but the wine service no-no's kept stacking. Being people who've spent many years in serving (from bars to fine dining) we thought we'd say something politely to our server when we left. What we found out to our surprise was the server's response indicating that because we did not spend above 40 pounds on a bottle of wine they decided to not open the bottle at the table or do any wine service. So we were 6 pounds short of receiving table service... We found this shocking that an establishment would discriminate service based on the items you've selected. We thought the bad service was just due to incomplete service training (still not a great perception for an establishment for your customers to have when you're a dedicated wine bar) - which was fine - until we realized the real reason for receiving bad service. Now, we cannot recommend this place to other visiting friends and family. We were also with a family member who lives in London who was also shocked by this.

Having been back a number of times to C & B I feel qualified to write an update. I'm delighted to say that I have tried the 'Famous Ham & Cheese Pie' which is very tasty, but a once in a lifteime experience. I think each slice must satisfy your entire daily calorie allowance. Imagine about 20 slices of good quality ham interspersed with thick cheese sauce and wrapped in some serious short-crust pastry. The service does seem to be a trfile slow here and there, but generally friendly and helpful if a bit disorganised. The toilets have recently been refurbished which is always a good thing. This place is still a great 'secret' place to meet your compadres for a light dinner and some decent wine.

I've been many times to the Cork & Bottle. Although it's smack in Leicester Square, you feel as though you've stumbled upon a hidden gem when you decsend the staircase into the cellar-like dining area. Indeed, I have friends who must have passed it a hundred times in their lives and never noticed it there until I've suggested it! I also always have the feeling that it's full of locals, and it avoids the tourist crowds that fill the ground-level restaurants. This is a great place to meet with friends for drinks. The food is perfectly adequate: can't say I ever remember having a particularly outstanding meal, but it's solid. For me, the best thing about the Cork & Bottle is the ambience and the impressive wine selection. I'd recommend this place to absolutely anyone!

Cool little wine bar just off Leicester Square with a broad selection of interesting and not excessively marked up wines. The food also looked good and they were serving late but I didn't get to test it. Well worth a visit, especially because you never normally find good places near Leicester Square. There are two entrances, one from Cranbourn and one from Bear Street and the bar is underground http://www.corkandbottle.net/

As an FYI, it was made clear to me by en employee that simply coming to eat a meal and not order wine was not acceptable. This was at the Paddington location.

Cork and Bottle is a large underground establishment that lies beneath Leicester Square. The doorway is small and subtle so its easy to miss, but its across from the casino. They have a good wine selection and a good place for a private meeting. Of course, its not as hip as Gordons, but a good alternative.

I ate here while traveling on business. It was Fantabulous!!! I can't wait to go to London again. This spot is definitely on the must go to. It's charming, tucked away, has allure of only locals know, and I love the staircase ..... And the food? We'll it's just spectacular

This is one of my fav places in London, you actually forget your in leicester square and it's not a tourist trap more a local trap. the wine list is to die for at unbelievably reasonable prices (they even have some lesser known quality vineyards ), great non snobby stuff that will help you select a wine based on your flavours and the food isnt to bad either (good quality and fresh)....cheese board is a must. The only draw back is they don't do reservations after 6pm and the place can get busy, my recommendation is, either get there early on a weekend or just leave work early - it's worth it and you can blag yourself one of the cool alcoves

This area is a total tourist zoo. Luckily, this place gives you the chance to escape to a downstairs sanctuary for a glass of wine and some snacks. They have a solid wine list and a great selection of cheeses and other nibbles.

I discovered this little wine bar tucked away just off Leicester Square last night and what a great find it was, I can't believe I'v walked past so many times and never noticed it before. They have an extensive wine list with something to suit every taste and budget and the food's great too. The cheese and ham pie looked awesome and I'm definitley going back to try it but last night we opted for the vegetarian sharing platter which consisted off stuffed vine leaves, hummus and bread, sun dried tomatoes and red onion and goats cheese crostini amongst other things. I like this place a lot, it reminds me of how Grape Street wine bar used to be before it closed down, I'm planning my next visit already!

Spent 11 days in London so we have seen and done a lot but this was very memorable. It's a small place so you must get a reservation! Our table wasn't quite ready when we arrived at 6pm so we went to the very small bar. The gentleman there was very nice and gave us some recommendations on a white wine and some free tastes as well. We got a bottle and we were seated moments later. Hannah was our server and she was wonderful. Super sweet and attentive. When we said we weren't hungry yet, she said not to worry we have the table for as long as we want. We had too lovely bottles of wine and a delicious dinner (ham and cheese pie and a pasta dish). While it wasn't cheap it was worth every penny!

I have been coming here for about 35 years. Very enjoyable experience every time and excellent central place to meet. Prices for the wines are creeping up unfortunately but still acceptable.

Don Hewitson's underground wine bar is a hidden gem, and only those in the know find one of the two entrances just off Leicester Square. The reward is a haven of peace, with he finest wines and top quality bar food at very affordable prices. It's a great place to meet up, and is rarely busy, having the feel of a private club. I recommend it highly, as long as you don't bring too many people with you. Tip - buy a signed print from the guys behind the bar - they could be very collectable in years to come.

I dropped in here for a dinner on Thursday evening at 8pm and this place was packed, so I'm not going to agree that this spot is a haven of peace. However, we had a truly excellent bottle of wine, picked randomly off the extensive & chatty (in a good way) wine list. It was a 20 minute wait for a table for 2 and even the bar was packed (the bar is in the middle of the restaurant). Luckily everyone, diners included, was friendly. Insider tip: after they seat you, have a look at the menu. Once you know what you'd like to eat, you go back up to the salad bar and place your orders (and pay). We sat at the table wondering when our waiter would come over for ages, before asking the nice people at the next table for help. They are known for their cheese & ham pie, but be warned, it's massive and artery clogging. But tasty, especially if you share it with a friend (and they have a salad). I especially love the cave-like feeling of the place, with all its nooks and crannies.

Four stars for the freakin' interesting wine list. Fantastic - and full of incredibly good value, interesting drops. Only possible complaint is that to sample a range you end up incredibly drunk (if you're there with only a few, as most interesting wines are by the bottle). Odd, and interesting menu, but really, I'll go here again for wine and food that doesn't bother trying to be cool. Now, that's what makes for a cool wine bar.