The 10 Cases

The 10 Cases has run its bistrot à vin on Endell Street since 2011, when old friends Will Palmer and Ian Campbell opened it out of frustration with static, predictable and overpriced wine lists. The idea is in the name: a short list of ten white and ten red wines, plus sparkling, rosé and sweet options, each bought in ten-case lots so that nothing stays on the list for long.

Everything is available by the glass, carafe or bottle, fairly priced, and in more than twelve years of trading the same wine has never been listed twice. The food changes just as often: a seasonal menu of starters, mains and desserts, plus wine-friendly tapas-style dishes, cheeses and charcuterie, served all day from midday in a small, lively and unpretentious room on the Seven Dials side of Covent Garden.

Bistrot and cave à vin on Endell Street

In 2013 the team expanded next door with the Cave à Vin, a wine bar, shop and cellar run on a walk-in only basis. It serves the same food menu but a different list: another sixteen or more regularly changing fine wines by the glass and over three hundred bottles from the classic wine-producing countries, sold at retail to take away or opened on the premises for a corkage fee of £12.

What to expect on a visit

Between the Bistrot and the Cave, The 10 Cases covers a full sit-down meal and a casual walk-in glass, with knowledgeable staff happy to talk through what is open. It trades Monday to Saturday from midday until 22:00 and is closed on Sunday. Wheelchair access to the premises is by temporary ramp, though the toilets are not wheelchair accessible. For an all-French alternative nearby, see Le Beaujolais on Litchfield Street, or browse the other wine bars in Covent Garden.