The Olde Wine Shades

Darkly Dickensian & rich in literary associations, this olde worlde City stalwart is now part of the El Vino chain. The ground-floor bar is atmospheric if a little careworn, & it’s here that you might order a bottle from the El Vino wine list before tucking into a ploughman’s lunch. The basement Candlewick restaurant offers the more substantial likes of wild mushroom bruschetta, fish & chips, steak & kidney pie or perhaps a warm goats’ cheese salad to follow. Book in advance & staff are happy to open your wine before you arrive to give it time to breathe.