Covino in Cheshire West and Chester

Unfussy but absolutely delicious small plates, topped off by one of the most interesting wine selections I've seen in a while. Really friendly and attentive service despite it being full to bursting on a Friday evening, the atmosphere is very casual despite incredibly high quality ingredients. Not sure what the reviewer complaining about wine prices was on about -- the menu clearly lists prices and they tell you how much bottles cost if you order that way. Will definitely return next time I'm im Chester.

Couldn't safely or legally travel due to a red weather warning, so informed the restaurant as soon as possible that we couldn't attend as its the right thing to do. Imagine my surprise.. Charging a 'late cancellation charge' under such instances leaves an incredibly bitter taste in ones mouth. We wont be visiting, after-all.

The place looks really nice. We didn’t eat here, but we each had a drink. The wine tasted really good, with the server recommending a nice Chardonnay that didn’t break the bank. It was a lovely drink. They also provided us with a nice house red. However, we didn’t realize that just a glass of the white was £16, and the table red was £13 a glass! This meant our bill for six people was £80. They added a 12.5% service charge, which I disagree with for just drinks. All in all, just for these tactics alone, I will not be going here again.

Excellent in every way , thank you for a wonderful evening ❤️

Amazing food, even better service

Had a fantastic evening at Covino, lovely food, great wine and excellent service.

Visited on a Saturday night with some chums. We had all the plates and the food was superb - not a duff note amongst them and some things were revelatory eg the beef tartare with a crunchy crumb. Wine was excellent, as one would expect, and it's great to have the 500ml carafes that allow 2/3 wines to be enjoyed over a meal; I do wish more places in Chester offered this. The vibe is laid back and fairly informal - don't come here if you want linen tablecloths and silver service. Service more generally was a bit inconsistent, the welcome wasn't as generous as it could have been and to have suggested a £52 bottle of Albariño as an aperitif seemed a bit sharp, though matters improved with a change of personnel who balanced informality with warmth just right. Any self respecting foodie finding themselves in Chester should go to Covino to sample some of the best, if not the best food in the city.

Had a great Saturday afternoon here. Many thanks. Richard

Gem of an intimate small plates venue beautiful food extensive wine list full of bottles from small vineyards that you won’t find anywhere else. Really friendly staff who are very knowledgeable about the wines they sell and go out of their way to make sure customers are made to feel special whether popping in for a glass of wine or having a full dining experience. Occasional supper clubs and wine fairs are worth going to to explore wines you wouldn’t usually get to try elsewhere.

Been a regular at Covino for the past 2 years or so but unfortunately the service has become so cold (verging on hostile) from the female member of staff that I won’t return. Great shame, used to tell everyone to visit but now tell everyone to stay away. Of course she still adds on service hoping no one can be bothered to make a fuss. Noted that others have had a very similar experience to ours.

A small but pleasant place. We chose to drop in for drinks, although food is also available. Staff were very attentive - we were surprised by how expensive the wine was (£22 for a 500ml carafe of the house white or red). It is obviously pitched at more of a premium market with good quality wines. After one, we adjoined over the road to the Cosy Club.

This was our first time eating at Covino, having previously visited for drinks. We sat at the counter and ordered six plates between us. These were of various sizes ranging from a couple of mouthfuls to a normal main course portion. The food was very well cooked by the chef in the adjacent (very small) kitchen area. Combine this with the extensive wine list which has something for everyone to make this a must visit again venue.

My husband and I really like the concept of Covino with sharing plates that come out as they are made. The staff are attentive and knowledgeable, and certainly know their wines if you have any questions. The menu and dishes change regularly which suits us as we eat out most weekends and Covino is often the restaurant of choice. There is ordinarily a choice of veggie, meat and fish, and we tend to choose five dishes between us, last night we had an aubergine dish that you should try if you go in the next few days (imagine double-cooked chips) we had a trout with an aïoli sauce and grilled kofta skewers. All super tasty. You must try the Comté gougères as they are utterly delicious. They're crusty on the outside, soft on the inside, and cheesy. Delivered to your table hot out of the oven. (This is one of the dishes that remains on the menu.) Even if you just have these with a glass of wine or a cold beer, sitting in the window and watching the world go by. Just lovely. We haven’t taken our three children here, as although they would enjoy the food, it is a small venue that I feel is more suited to couples and smaller groups. You could easily fit six or eight around the bar area, which is fun if there’s a group of you, or book the room downstairs which we haven’t done yet, but will at some point for a special occasion. We nearly always sit in the window as we love to watch what’s happening around us, whilst eating good food, drinking good wine and enjoying each other’s company away from the children. Making time for each other. We do love this place. The perfect date night venue.

Fantastic selection of small plates. Delicious flavours. Wonderful service and staff recommendations were spot on. Great place to go to when in Chester, small intimate restaurant, well recommended!

My recent visit to the Chester site of this restaurant was unfortunately quite disappointing. Despite being regular guests at the Manchester Climate location, we were met with a lack of interest from the staff. The place was empty when we arrived on a Thursday, and although we were seated at the bar promptly, the service fell short. The staff seemed disinterested, merely taking our order and then leaving us to ourselves. This lack of attentiveness was shocking, especially considering our excitement to visit this new location. While the food was acceptable, it certainly could have been better. One aspect that particularly irked us was the 12.5% service charge added to the bill. It's unclear what this charge was for, especially given the subpar service experience we encountered. The staff appeared more focused on socializing amongst themselves and with the chef, rather than catering to the guests' needs. Overall, this visit was very disappointing. We believe that with proper attention and dedication to customer service, this establishment could do much better. I would recommend management to visit their Manchester site to understand the level of service that should be provided to guests.

Very good food, which makes up for the expense. The staff were ok - could be better, but not bad. It is quite a small space so don’t bring a family of four - we had four and could barely fit around the little tables that were pushed together.

Such a nice dining experience here. Food and service was exceptional and the atmosphere is so cosy and romantic. Highly recommend

By far our favourite place in Chester. Wonderful food, superb wines and the greatest staff. We couldn’t recommend Covino more.

A little gem of a wine bar with small plates. Fantastic fresh food, prepared to order. Choose your drink from the small menu of select wines by the glass / carafe or choose from their huge array bottles all on show around the walls with many more available. It’s worth taking time to talk with the knowledgeable and super friendly staff to choose your preferred wine. We loved our visits and will be back again soon.

The food and wine are delicious, with fresh ingredients and well balanced flavours. The staff have an innate skill for interacting in a way that augments without overwhelming your meal and understand the pace of plate delivery which creates a brilliant atmosphere and experience. Go for a special occasion (as we did) or to celebrate a Friday night. One of my favourite restaurant experiences in the UK.

Incredible food and atmosphere.

Overall I highly rated this place. Food flavours were amazing. Only a few quibbles. The musical selection was classic hip hop, which I love, but the volume was too loud at some stages to comfortably talk to someone seated right next to me (this was eventually corrected). Our server also forgot to order one of our dishes which then came later after we mentioned the omission. It probably would have been better served earlier with the bread as it was an oil/sauce heavy dish (I did see that a table near us received this dish at the same time as the focaccia in their case, and I was a tad jealous. The sauce was really tasty and I would have liked the excuse to eat more of it). Can't fault the server's friendliness and knowledge of the menu. It's a small restaurant so bookings are probably essential. We were sat on stools which was fine but not sure whether there were other seating options so worth checking if you have any mobility concerns. I would definitely go again.

Back again after 2 years and still some of the best food I've ever had, they even managed to make Kale taste good! :-D Also excellent, friendly staff.

Lovely little restaurant with great food and service :) I recommend getting anything with the Aioli!!

Wonderful place, easily our favourite restaurant in Chester. Such friendly, knowledgeable staff and always a fantastic atmosphere. And the food is incredible. Outstanding

Really great service, thank you!

Food is good, however I had a reservation I could not make due to me leaving the UK permanently, my friend re-booked and didn't make it due to no confirmation of the reservation received, and I still got charged £60.00. No compassion, customer service or anything like that.

Delicious small plates and fantastic service. Would come back again

Food Delicious but over priced !

Amazing place - found via Michelin Guide. Food quality was beyond expectations - particularly the foccaccia was super tasty. Variety was perfect and everything was very fresh. Location and the atmosphere of the restaurant are perfect too! Highly recommended to visit - worth to make a reservation.

Just order anything on the menu, you can't go wrong.

By far my favourite restaurant in Chester. Emily and Becky do a sterling job of choosing great wines to go with George’s wonderful food under the tutelage of Luc and Chris, who make an occasional appearance when they’re not in Manchester driving the new place to great critical acclaim.

Wow, what an absolutely lovely dining experience. Great atmosphere, good music, perfect service (the right balance of attentive but not too much) and out of this world food. Oh and spot on wine recommendations! The style and food reminded me of my favourite restaurants back in Sydney. Perfect date night location. We’ll be back!

Wonderful, thought-provoking food with fresh, local, unusual ingredients. Excellent wines. Run by two really talented, knowledgeable guys. Relaxed and friendly atmosphere. I cannot remember when I last ate such interesting food. Thank you.

Brilliant place! Great food, wine and atmosphere. Highly recommend and would definetely go back.

Fanatic laid back wine bar and small plates. Wines were paired well. Stand out was aubergine with ricotta and XO. Gougeres would have done with a few minutes resting before being brought to the table. Focaccia was bang on, nice seeing somewhere using banging olive oil. Highly recommend this place. Great picture of Prince Andy.

Claire and I enjoyed a wonderful small plates medley accompanied by some exquisite wine yesterday evening at Covino. Chris the owner and his team did their usual great job. So, great food, beautiful wine, a relaxed atmosphere and friendly service. What more could you want ?? One of our absolute favourite Chester restaurants. Thank you guys !!

This was the most amazing food!! We eat out frequently in great restaurants in London and this competes with the very top! Such interesting flavour combinations. Incredibly friendly staff. Farm sourced food! We wanted the focaccia again for dessert! Outstanding!

Lovely atmosphere and well trained, informative staff. Food was very nice, but a small selection. Definitely more about the wine than the food 👍

Wow, wow, wow.....absolutely exceptional meal last night at Covino. We we're recommended this restaurant by the staff in Chalk and what a result. The atmosphere, the wine and every plate of food we tried was outstanding. Cannot recommend this brilliant restaurant highly enougg

loved the place! passionate people running and offering a different dining experience, great wine great food.

Excellent wine, fantastic service, lovely staff

Really great place, lovely food and excellent wine. Definitely recommend! Staff are super friendly as well

Having eaten inside in the past...decided to try the take out burger. The insta pics made my mouth water so we ordered. They did NOT disappoint!! Very tasty. Friendly and helpful staff. Easy contacless spacious collection etc Cannot wait to be able to eat indoors here again..soon

One of the best meals I've had in a long time. Lovely intimate atmosphere, friendly staff and outstanding food, which is ridiculous value, especially on the lunch menu. The surf and turf starter and key lime cheesecake were truly exceptional, so much so I had to resist licking the plate clean. I rarely leave reviews but I feel I need to when a place is thoroughly worth shouting about and this place definitely is! Can't wait to return soon, thanks for a wonderful meal!

Just had one of the takeaway pies with red cabbage and crumble for pudding, it was epic! I expected the pie and crumble to be amazing what I was really surprised about was how awesome the red cabbage was! First class.

A wonderful, local, independent restaurant and wine cellar. A true gem in Chester’s restaurant list with high quality freshly cooked small plates accompanied by tremendous wine. A lovely intimate setting with friendly hosts serving an ever evolving menu and specials board. I absolutely love going here.

Incredible!We have been wanting to try this place for some time and finally got round to it whilst shopping in Chester last weekend. Although small they have the social distancing down to a tee. The service was great, really friendly, the food was honestly out -of -this - world. Amazing tasty small plates that left you wanting more!The wine was delicious, we ended up having two bottles! Overall, a real oasis on a Saturday afternoon. We will be back!

Great atmosphere even during these covid times Super friendly owners Weird and wonderful food and wine Can't wait to cone back thank you guys

Visited a few times and always love it, delicious food and wonderful wine list. Such a great addition to the food scene in Chester.

We came here on the night before lockdown and it was the best thing we did that day! Amazing wine and stories (we had a bottle of red made by an 83yo guy who refuses to retire:)) and great quality small plates. The vibe was also very good, they even turned on the heating when they noticed me still wearing my scarf 😊 thanks guys, it was a great night!

Really friendly and accommodating staff, with excellent wines.

Loved this place. So much so after the concert we went to, we returned. Had lots of sharing plates, some cheap, some quite expensive, all amazing. Kitchen only opened at 1800, even though we had booked for 1730. No issue for our personal time limits. Defiantly returning!

Service was ok, nothing special unless you want to spend over price on the way. Wine list didn’t mention a bottle price and lady behind the bar didn’t mention this. Paid more for what we ask. Wine made up for this though

The food was excellent and the service was great a high standard and I will be going back

Fabulous staff, food and wine amazing. Highly recommended.

Comida muy original y muy rica. El servicio también muy bueno y rápido. La decoración perfecta para el sitio. Segunda vez que estamos y nos encanta.

We’ve been to Covino a few times and it’s been amazing every time! The wine selection is incredible and both Chris and François are very helpful in helping you find the right wine.The food is fabulous! I’d highly recommend trying a few things from the menu as all of their dishes are generally delicious. This, alongside the fact that they change the menu regularly keeps us going back again and again.It’s good value for money, the service is exceptional and the atmosphere is lovelyCouldn’t recommend it highly enough!

We visited Covina for the first time and we loved the ambience and the food was absolutely amazing. We asked for a recommendation on the wine and we thoroughly enjoyed it. However having asked for a recommendation I would always expect if it was a higher priced wine that the person serving would make reference to this but clearly not. We were advised of the price half way through and I would not normally choose to pay £44!

Excited, that's how I feel when my husband suggests Convino! The food and wine are excellent, as is the service. Is it the cheapest place? No, but that is probably more down to me wanting to try every plate and wash it down with a bottle as opposed to a glass haha. Sometimes, what you pay for is what you get, bloomin lovely delicious food, washed down with something rather delicious. Liked the old Convino, love the new one.

Visited several times, and love it here. The wine selection is incredible, lots of natural/skin contact wine which is amazing. Food fabulous, and great service. The interior is dreamy too :)

Very impressed by everything here - friendly service, good wine and a lovely lunch. Thanks for a tasty lunch

Visité por segunda vez anoche y toda la experiencia fue excepcional, nuevamente. La primera visita fue solo para mí y mi esposo. Nos sentamos en el bar abierto y disfrutamos del ambiente relajado viendo a los chefs preparar nuestra comida. Anoche reservamos el comedor de abajo para nosotros y otras dos parejas y de nuevo fue perfecto. Servicio, comida, bebida todo 10/10. ¡Prueba todo y recuerda que obtienes lo que pagas! Volveremos a toda prisa.

This place is wonderful, you come off of northgate street into this beautiful little wine bar and you feel asif you are on holiday. François definetly made us feel very welcome

Our evening here was just perfect. We got a table fairly easy. They have amazing wine menu but the food itself was just perfect. Just try out their ragu!

We had lunch off the lunchtime menu, two small dishes and a glass of wine for £15 each. The food and desserts (which we paid extra) of lemon posset topped with pineapple and walnuts and the rhubarb mille feuille were absolutely delicious. Will definitely be back.

There is a reasonable selection if wine by the glass, and a plates menu. Afraid we were not excited by the food, the wine as always is very good. The decor is utilitarian with metal bar top and small tables. Nice in the summer but a bit too stark for a winter's night.

Delicious casual dining, we met a couple of friends for a drink, always a warm welcome and good service.

Fantastic food, excellent wine, brilliant service and a lovely ambience. Perfection.

£15 for 2 plates and a glass of wine. Freshly cooked. Imaginative food. Mushrooms and cockles on sourdough. Lamb hearts on flat bread. Delicious.

We had a really great evening. Delicious food on small plates. Creative style and flavours. Lovely welcome from the owner who gave us good advice about what to choose. Glad we booked it. The rice pudding could have had an extra 10 mins in the oven but still tasted good.

Fantastic wine, stunning food and great service. All in all, this is a fantastic place to visit!

We booked a last minute client event here at Covino due to original venue cancelling and the saying really rang through that everything happens for a reason as Chris the owner and his staff where amazing and really pulled it out the bag for us and our clients. The food was so beautifully presented and tasted FANTASTIC!!!! All of our clients said they wanted to return and try full meals there they where that impressed. The staff created an amazing atmosphere and the wine tasting went down a treat and got everyone laughing and chatting. A really fantastic night was had by all and i want to express our huge thanks to Covino - we will be back!!!!

We went here on a lads gets together, it was totally stunning with mind blowing food, we tried nearly all the dishes, they just got better and better, amazing staff amazing place amazing food, can't wait to go again.

Friendly staffs and the food was really nice.👍

Another wonderful evening at Covinos. The food is excellent, small plates which are flawless and produced by a very talented chef Keith. Chris gave excellent wine recommendations and the staff all gave superb service. This is my favourite place to visit in Chester with a great atmosphere.

We sat at the polished steel bar to eat which gave us an excellent view of the chef cooking the dishes and had a great time. The menu (that changes weekly) was very imaginative, seasonal and all very tempting. The restaurant is small and cosy, with a great atmosphere and the meals are all cooked to order by an amazing chef. It was a treat to watch him work. The meat platter we had to start was incredible; with meat sliced in front of us and with the best sourdough bread we have ever tasted. All of the dishes were beautifully presented and we also chose the grouse special which was memorable. The owner is a great host and very knowledgeable, he made us feel very welcome. We can't wait to go back when we visit Chester again. Bravo!

Blown away by this little hidden gem. Small plate style food done perfectly, open kitchen so you can see everything being cooked fresh to order with obvious care and passion. We ordered four plates between two of us and was more than enough with the big and complex flavours on display. A big thank you also to the manager/sommelier (?) who helped us choose an absolutely perfect bottle of wine from the 100+ bottle menu despite our less than precise description of what we liked!

Incroyable petit repère de bons vivants situé au cœur de Chester! L'ambiance est dingue, le personnel est super chaleureux et les vins et les plats proposés sont délicieux ! Nous sommes venus avec une bande de 7 copains et nous avons êtes placés dans une salle hyper chaleureuse sous le restaurant ! Le top ! Je recommande vivement cet établissement pour tout les Bons vivants qui feront une halte a Chester

First time loved every minute super food different and delicious small plates great wine cant wait to go back ps such unusual cheeses

We arrived to a beautiful warm atmosphere and greeted by a young professional French gentleman at the bar,

Covino is exactly the kind of place my wife and I love: great food and wine; relaxed atmosphere; friendly and knowledgeable staff. Wine bars like this can be a bit snooty and off-putting but the staff in Covino couldn't have been nicer. Talked us through the wine list and made up a little cheese and charcuterie plate for us. A perfect hour drinking wine and people watching in Chester! Thanks

One of the best places to eat and drink great wine in the North West, go and try it for yourselves. Dishes are created with care, attention and a plate culture that is exceptionally well thought out whilst the wine selection is overall incredible. It's not about the quantity, the quality here is what matters and you get that all in a setting that wants you to discover new flavours without any labels of associated pretentiousness. Big kudos to all the team.

Excellent food, fantastic wines and really great staff. The ever-changing wine and food menus are a real treat upon every visit!

An absolutely excellent spot for a lighter (but brilliant) lunch, or dinner - all washed down with some of the best wines in Chester. 😀

Tasty after-dinner cheeseboard and wine with friendly and knowledgable staff

Just popped in for lunch with my husband. We have been meaning to come in for a while and I am glad we did. Great feel to the restaurant, good music in background and service was really nice and friendly. The food was excellent, we had three plates between us and they were all really delicious and tasty. We would recommend a visit and we will definitely be back

As a couple we have dined her a few times and also with friends. We only found out about Covino because of a cheeky Tweet! It is excellent and the chef and every member of staff are excellent. My hen party was booked there 3 weeks ago (at my request) and it was a brilliant afternoon. It was quite chaotic at times and apologies again for a couple of my friends! You coped with lots of women and provided excellent food and service. My husband and I will be back very soon.

Excellent wine, delicious food 🤗

Covino has it all, fantastic wine, gorgeous food and friendly knowledgeable staff. Don’t go there if you want cheap and cheerful, there are plenty of other establishments for that. However if you want well chosen, sensibly priced wines paired with tasty inventive dishes this is definitely the place!

Great staff, great food, great wine

Absolute peach of a place , near perfect service and food. A simple but thoughtfullly formed and very well delivered menu, delicious wines, great staff. If you live in Chester and like food go soon....if you don’t live in Chester go on a day trip!

Went here to meet two friends for lunch, we shared 5 small plates and some amazing focaccia.

We eat out in Chester a lot and there is nowhere I like as much as Covino! The small plates are so delicious, always different things to try every week and everything Keith does is done to such a high standard. An amazing selection of wines too and Christopher or Francois is always on hand to help you make your selection based on tastes and budget. My favourite place to eat out or have a glass of wine and cheese in Chester!

Our second visit to Covino on Saturday night, spectacular food and great service from the whole team. The gnocchi was an out of this world experience, bravo Chef:) We'll be back soon!

Spectacular food, friendly service a unique wine list in a fresh, bright setting; a stand out in the Chester dining scene. Bold, bright and fresh flavours; Black pudding and pork fritters delicious, whipped cod roe was a top dish with banging flavours, gnocchi was heavenly! A top meal and should be on your list if you visit or live in Chester.

The food and service in Covino is fabulous! Eaten here on several occasions but most recently at their Supper Club which was a brilliant selection of food and wine. The staff are always so knowledgeable and happy to provide ideas on different wines. Keep up the good work Chris and team

We live close by but every time we visit, it feels like a special occasion. Chris and the guys are so friendly. Chris is very knowledgeable about his wine and is always keen to advise. Keith is an amazing chef.

Only stayed for wine, but the experience was well worth it!

Need wine, need wine advice, want to drink wine....look know further.