Plume wine bar review: A bar of two halves in London’s Covent Garden
This cosy gem offers a brilliant list of wines, small bites, and is an important part of London's literary history
Plume wine bar in London’s Covent Garden is a little gem amongst the theatres and shops.
Set on the corner of 26 Wellington Street, there is outdoor seating on the pavement with awnings providing cover. Inside is a bright white space with a collection of masks and art on the walls.
Large windows flood the space with light, but we head down the stairs to the darker, cosy speakeasy.
Bare Edison bulbs hang from the ceiling, lighting the plum-coloured walls and black fireplace which is surrounded by framed art including a large painting of Salvador Dali as the centrepiece.
Across from the fireplace is a bar with stools, but we grab a a table in a cove with a back wall covered in a vibrant feather patterned wallpaper.
Upon opening the leather-bound menu, we discover that the building we are sitting in was Charles Dickens’ 19th-century offices.
The pages of the menu offer plenty of fuel to start a fresh set of stories. The Plume Wine Atlas, a world map highlighting their international wines, is especially enticing. You can really sample around the world with dozens of wines.
There is also a page of tempting small plates. We tried hot honey halloumi and a roasted carrot and feta salad – and we can never resist a bowl of Padron peppers. However, the highlight was the Golden Boy Grilled Cheese.
We could easily spend a whole day down in the basement and just let the world turn outside while sipping wines in the speakeasy.
The man behind the space is Andrew Grey, who has created a little vino empire for himself in the form of Fables & Company. Beyond Plume, he has the ‘pocket-sized’ Finch wine and snack bar in Brixton Market, and Quill, his newest wine bar which only open this past November.