Historical version 1 of Vinoteca, W1F 9SH (view current version)
- 020 3544 7411
- 53-55 Beak St, W1F 9SH
- vinoteca.co.uk
- Monday to Sunday 12pm-11pm
Vinoteca is a sister restaurant of the wine bar & restaurant of the same name in Smithfield. There is also another branch in Marylebone.
[Laura] and Matt first visited on Friday 1st February 2013, doing a walk-up on spec. They arrived at 6.30pm and were seated straight away, although the waited said that if they'd arrived any later than 7pm there would have been a wait.
The downstairs part of the premises is a wine bar, bistro-style restaurant & wine shop. The tables are very tightly packed together, and as the restaurant became busier there wasn't much standing room at the bar or around the tables. The atmosphere was quite loud and busy, but very friendly.
Laura ordered Bristol channel pollock, while Matt had the bavette steak & chips. Both meals were, in Laura & Matt's opinion, excellent. For dessert, Laura had a pannacotta with rhubarb compote. They also shared a bottle of wine.
Laura & Matt enjoyed the experience so much that they decided to return on February 22nd, this time booking in advance. There are two sittings for dinner, although it wasn't clear if this is just on busy nights or all the time. The sittings start at 6/6.30pm, or 8.45/9.15pm. Laura & Matt were booked for 9pm and arrived at 8pm to have a glass of wine beforehand; however their table was ready early and there were seated right away in the upstairs part of the restaurant. The upstairs is a little less rowdy but no less noisy!
This time Laura ordered shin beef with champ & kale, while Matt had the bavette steak & chips again. They also ordered some home-made bread & olive oil. Both main dishes were, again, very well executed and delicious.
The menu changes daily, and is published on Vinoteca's website.
Accessibility: there is a step up from the pavement to get inside. The ladies' toilets are upstairs, while the gents are on the ground floor. both floors are quite tightly-packed with tables.
Laura & Matt's verdict: this has become one of our favourite places to eat out. It would be interesting to visit at a time other than Friday night, to see if it ever gets any less busy! The staff are fantastic, very friendly & attentive but not overly so. We feel like coming back to eat here again & again.