Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 3.5
Spoilt for Choice
With the wine list. Decided to drink several glasses of different wines as there were so many options! Great buzzy little bistro. Great atmosphere and no canned music, so I could hear what my dining companion was staying. Service was exemplary and very swift. However, I think they could have pointed out that there was a £1.50 charge pp for bread and butter rather than leaving us to discover this in small print at the bottom of the wine list (as it took me a long time to get there as I was deciphering what was on offer). No need to ask for water - bottles of both sparkling and still water were immediately placed on the table. Limited eating options, but they all sounded very good. Plumped for the pappardelle with venison ragu - delicious, the pasta was so light it just dissolved in your mouth. I would definitely go back, however, I did think the food pricing was a bit steep. However, the place was full (good job I reserved a table) so others are not so bothered with the cost. Came to £41.50 each, that was for a main, cheeseboard and three glasses of wine each.
Food & Drink 5
Service 4
Atmosphere 4
Value 4
Fantastic Pre-Theatre Dinner
What a great find... quirky, cafe style eatery with the menu on the wall, chalk board style. Welcoming staff who were very knowledgeable about the wines. We enjoyed the Jambon, and goats cheese to start. Small portions but more than enough with the delicious bread. Our main was Cote du Boeuf which was delicious. A huge piece of steak, gorgeous chips and rocket with parmesan. All very simple but just perfect and not bad value.The wine was fabulous and were given some great advice.
All in all, a perfect night out before the Theatre.
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 4
Value 4
The 10 Cases
A smallish restaurant which was quite noisy due to the uncarpeted floors and all the tables being quite close to each other. This, however, was only a tiny fault.
In all other respects we had a most agreeable evening. Our waitress was 1st class, being both friendly, courteous and efficient, without being excessively so. Our meals were delivered in a very timely manner and all 3 of us were very impressed with our choices.
The wines we chose were quite satisfactory and reasonably priced and, noise aside, the atmosphere was conducive to a very enjoyable evening.
We would all return again.
One other small thing was that the wine list was hard to read as it was presented in a stylistic hand written format that was not hugely legible.
But a most enjoyable overall experience. Thankyou.
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 4
Value 4
Definitely somewhere to try
My friend and I arrived about 10 minutes late and rather than be welcomed by a stressed out member of the waiting staff about moaning about us being late. The waitresses first words were, welcome and don't worry about it, which table would you prefer.? That immediately put me in a more relaxed mood.
The waitress couldn't have been more helpful with guiding me through the wine guide. my friend wanted white wine and there were numerous options. I really appreciated the offer to try the wines as well, which is something you rarely get in London these days.
The chalk boards are retro but slightly frustrating as you have to look at a selection of boards scattered around the walls.
The food was beautiful, Grouse was to die for as was the pork belly.The grouse at £29 would seem a little expensive but the size of the portion put that to the back of my mind. It was perfectly cooked.
In my eyes, definitely worth going to… £98 for 2 starters, 2 mains and 1 bottle wine inc service. Not too bad…
Food & Drink 3.5
Service 3.5
Atmosphere 4
Value 3.5
The 10 Cases is a brilliant spot in Covent Garden, especially for wine buffs. We started with a Petit Chablis which was delicious and which we decided to stick with, making a significant dent in their small supply by ordering another 3 bottles over the evening. Although it was very enjoyable in retrospect I think it was a Fail by us on 2 fronts: firstly, 4 glasses and 3 bottles is overly ambitious for 4 girls and only to be attempted by those with strong liver function and unassailable heads; secondly, we totally failed to capitalise on the whole point of this place which is to try out a variety of different wines. As a consequence of the quantity of wine we drank, the food was really a sideshow, there to soak up booze and soften the blow; I think we enjoyed it, although I'm a little hazy on the details. The attitude to the menu seems to be the same as to the wine: chalkboards, which you have to strain your necks and eyes to see, advertise the dishes of the day which change regularly so the version on their website isn't prompting my memory! We had a range of starters (definitely including some potted shrimp) which had mixed reviews at the time. I know I then had a hearty, tasty, saddle of lamb. And then I remember clearly an enormous glass bowl of chocolate mousse which we shared between 3 and only just managed to finish. A little bit like a Tesco's finest dessert but Yum nevertheless. The atmosphere is very relaxed, casual, bright and light, with just the right number of people to make it feel full and buzzing without being over-crowded, and service matches this, being friendly but a bit skittish. This places lures you in with its unassuming attitude; we ended up having a surprisingly long and lingering evening but which cost an extremely reasonable £55 given what we consumed. I will be back as it's a great venue, fairly priced, in a central location and because I have to actually drink more wines (but not too much) and to appreciate the food.