In a former life, 26 Wellington Street was home to Charles Dickens’ publishing house — it’s the kind of backstory that quite literally leads to great expectations, and we’re happy to report that they’ve been more than met by Plume.
Tucked away on Wellington Street, just a stone’s throw from Covent Garden’s cobbled piazza, Plume is a low-lit, high-charm wine bar that comes to us from the same team responsible for the jewel box that is Finch in Brixton, and the louche little sibling Quill in Borough. And like its siblings, it manages to be at once playful and quietly eccentric, but also grown-up.
It’s a two-storey affair: bright and airy upstairs with marble-topped tables and just the right amount of natural light to feel flattering. The moody, speakeasy-style basement slung below it is all intimate alcoves, feathered wallpaper, and flickering candlelight.
The wine list reads like a globe-trotting novella — a curated “Wine Atlas” featuring everything from South African Syrah to Loxwood honey wine from West Sussex, with plenty of lesser-known gems in between. If you’re overwhelmed by choice (or just indecisive), the staff are happy to steer you towards something interesting, or at least something that pairs well with the food.
Speaking of which, the menu here is far from an afterthought. There are charcuterie boards piled high with local cheeses and cured meats, burrata on sourdough, plates of chips smothered in chaat spices & crispy shallots, and a grilled cheese sandwich so comforting that it basically qualifies as being emotionally supportive.
And in keeping with the venue’s literary past, every Tuesday night the place is home to “Secret Notes” — a handwritten flirtation ritual in which you write a note, hand it to a waiter, and they’ll deliver it anonymously to another table. It’s part social experiment, part game, and entirely more fun than small talk.
Plus, you can say that you and Dickens have technically shared a publishing house.
NOTE: Plume is open now, seven days a week. You can find out more and book a table at the Plume website.
Plume | 26 Wellington Street, WC2E 7DD
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