A charming bar and restaurant hidden away below the streets of Covent Garden. Bedford and Strand is a thriving example of how to do a basement venue well.

The Venue
You could stride right past Bedford and Strand and not even notice you’ve passed it. Located on a quiet street away from the main throng of Covent Garden, a simple doorway opening onto a stairway is all that belies its location. Immediately, it has a more charming, refined air than many of its brash, branded neighbours.

Upon entering, you’ll find a sleek, airy space that utilises the space well. A large dark wooden bar takes up the entire expanse of the wall, with boldly labelled wines in sections behind. This leads onto an adjoining deli counter, with a large ham hanging behind and various cheeses and meats on offer behind a pane of glass. A long line of stools pulled up to the bar make it an ideal spot for a pre- or post-dinner drink or for a quick glass of wine after work. Sleek metal draught pumps also line the bar, adding a touch of modernity to the heavy dark wooden surfaces.

The dining area is segregated from the main bar by large partitions that could have hemmed in the space if it wasn’t for the cream colour scheme and window panes built into the wooden panelling. A collection of rough hewn wooden table and chairs with rather cheap looking white paper tablecloths sit just behind the partitions. Modern, attractive low-hanging lights are sprinkled throughout the venue, offering plenty of light, heightened by candles on each table. Mirrors are also utilised to make the space appear even larger and the effect works well. Maps of New York cover the walls and the overall appeal is cosy and light.

The Atmosphere
This is a thriving after work bar and restaurant that works what space it has to fit in a bustling crowd without making it feel hemmed in. Local office workers fill larger tables for an after-work dinner, sitting alongside couples enjoying a date. The bar is also busy but is segregated enough from the main dining area to not spill uncomfortably across.

Unfortunately, the service isn’t quite up to the standard you might expect. Basic dining etiquette is pretty much ignored so be ready to pour your own wine and keep your own glass topped up. Cutlery isn’t cleared away so you’re left eating your main with the same knife and fork as your starter. Also, it’s quite disconcerting to have half your plates cleared away whilst you’re still eating, being leaned over mid-mouthful. The knowledge of the menu is also lacking. Although the impressive wine menu clearly has had a lot of thought put into it from the owners, this isn’t shown by the waiting staff, and when questioned about the wine their knowledge and passion doesn’t shine through, which is a shame.

The Food
The food at Bedford and Strand is certainly impressive with a well thought out and balanced menu on offer. Just be aware that if you arrive later at the weekend, many of the dishes may be unavailable, which can be frustrating.

A starter of gazpacho (£4.50) is well priced for the perfectly chilled, well textured soup, although it is a little on the heavy side as you make your way through the bowl. Especially good is the fillet steak tartar with a quail’s egg and melba toast (£9.50), although it is on the expensive side. The quality of the steak is incredible, being fresh and light with the perfect seasoning. The quail’s egg appears in a delicate shell atop the meat and you can pour the soft yolk over the tartar, adding a theatrical element to the dish. The richness of the yolk perfectly complements and binds the meat, although the melba toast is a little lacking in terms of flavour and portion size. That said, when the steak tastes so good you’ll barely notice the accompaniments.

Main courses fare equally well. The mushroom risotto (£11.50) has a nice consistency and isn’t too gloopy and it offers a generous amount of plump, earthy mushrooms to lift the slight creaminess of the rice. However, the paltry amount of grated cheese on top could do with being more generous as its flavour is quickly lost. Highly recommended is the fillet of wild sea bream (£15). Impossibly fresh and perfectly cooked, it’s an extremely good example of the dish, with the bream flaking at the touch of a fork to reveal the meaty white flesh beneath. The white wine and fennel volute that arrives with it is light and delicate and lifts the flavours of the fish. Summer vegetables finish the dish off well, with a generous helping of well cooked, fresh vegetables.

Desserts round things off well with an excellent selection of cheese fresh from the deli. If you prefer things a little sweeter then try the vanilla panna cotta with strawberries (£5). The panna cotta is perfectly textured with a rich creaminess that melts in the mouth. Its light flavour is lifted well by the tartness of the strawberries.

The Drink
Bedford and Strand is a wine bar and their selection is second to none. Pages of wine, well described to make your choice easier, covers a range of budgets with bottles priced at £19.50-£60.50. There’s an especially good choice of house bottles, with a much larger selection than you normally find at wine bars in London.

Highly recommended is the Chapel Down Bacchus from Kent (£27.50), a fresh, crisp wine with citrus fruit characters and a refreshing finish. A versatile bottle, it goes well with most of the dishes on the menu.

There’s also a choice of Champagne, dessert wine, port and sherry. The Domaine Mas Amiel Vin Doux Naturel (£6.25) is a particularly recommended sweet port that goes well with dessert. With chocolate notes and a sweetness that isn’t overpowering, it’s an excellent end to your meal. If you prefer the grain to the grape then they also offer Grolsch on draught.

The Last Word
Bedford and Strand excels with its excellent choice of wine, top quality menu and nice ambience that’s clearly been well thought out. If the staff could show the same passion as the menu dictates then it would be pretty much perfect.

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