Nestled away in Covent Garden, you’ll find the perfect I-know-a-little-place place. Plume is a gorgeous two-storey wine bar-cum-speakeasy based inside Charles Dickens’ former publishing house.
Not to be confused with his former home on Doughty Street (which is now the Charles Dickens Museum); 26 Wellington Street was actually the offices whereby Dickens worked on his weekly literary magazine, All the Year Round. The Victorian periodical debuted in 1859, featuring the first instalment of his famous novel, A Tale of Two Cities. Now, over 150 years later, literature and wine fans alike can gather inside the former publishing house for a tipple, some small plates, and – on Tuesday evenings – a secret note-passing game. Sounds pretty interesting, right?
It’s pretty difficult to meet new people and make new friends in the capital city. After all, we Londoners aren’t exactly the most approachable people on the planet, are we? The thought of a stranger coming up to me in the street and starting a conversation makes me want to run for the hills to be quite honest with you. But this Plume has created a fun way to change this.
Every Tuesday evening from 7pm, the Covent Garden wine bar puts on a ‘Secret Notes’ session; a note-passing game that encourages punters to use their imagination, get creative, and communicate with the other tables around them. The rules of the game are simple: you write little notes to start conversations, hand the notes to the waiters, who will then deliver them to your chosen tables. Previous nights have seen people exchange numbers, go on dates and stay in touch. Not bad, hey?
Plume’s downstairs speakeasy is the perfect setting for the event. The whole space oozes dimly-lit luxury – but not in an intimidatingly stuffy way; in a ‘I could quite happily spend an entire afternoon and evening here’ way. Boasting ambience and charm for days, heading downstairs in Plume to the cosy little cavern feels like being let in on a big secret.
The wine
Plume’s wine menu comes in the form of an atlas that showcases a curated selection of wine and fizz from around the globe. One of Plume’s expert sommeliers will be there to help you choose your perfect pour. We can confirm that the extensive list has something to tantalise even the fussiest of tastebuds.
They – quite literally – have everything; orange wine from Romania, South African Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignons from North and South America, and so much more – including some unusual vintages from smaller, experiential winemakers that you might not find elsewhere. We were particularly fond of the Loxwood Honey Wine and the Solara Orange Wine – both deliciously sweet and something a little bit different.
The food
You simply can’t have wine without cheese – and boy, did they deliver. Their show-stopping charcuterie boards boast a perfect mixture of local cheeses, cured meats, and a generous amount of bread and crackers to go alongside them – just how we like it.
They also serve up humongous bowls of their Plume chips; our personal favourite being the ones that were -you guessed it – smothered in parmesan cheese. And if you still have room for more cheese – you simply must try the fried Bocconcini – a bowl of fried, bitesize pieces of mozzarella, served with garlic mayo. So, in other words: heaven.
Other temptingly cheesy pickings on the menu include artichoke pesto burrata and toast; baked camembert with honey, rosemary and sourdough; and Plume’s signature grilled cheese. I guess we’ll just have to go back for round two at some point to try these. What a darn shame, hey?
So, grab a date or some mates, and head on down to Plume for an evening of sipping, scoffing, and secret note-passing at this utterly enchanting spot.