Covino, Chester wine bar and restaurant review

I'm not sure if I've ever visited a restaurant that feels more geared up for couples than Covino in Chester. 

With counter seating dominating the compact dining room, a handful of tables for two, and a menu of small plates, it’s a restaurant that feels tailormade for twosomes. 

On the night we visited, one couple were browsing holiday destinations on their phone; another pair were getting acquainted over a rump of lamb; whilst one duo had brought along their very well-behaved dog for a quiet night. And Mrs G and I were clearly being very nosy. 

Covino’s compact menu of eclectically influenced small plates reads exceptionally well, with dishes ranging in price between £11 and £29.

With a cellar of over 130 different wines, everything we drank by the glass was very enjoyable - a saline Monte pio Raxeira Albarino (£9.50) and a briochey Domaine du Vieux Pressoir Saumur Brut (£10.50) were the highlights. A slightly whiffy Cuvée Kéké Beaujolais (£13.50) and a punchy Sobrero Nebiolo (£15) were tasty but not quite as good.

Food was an absolute rip roarer from the first mouthful. Impressively it was all knocked up by a single chef and kitchen porter. As a result, and understandably, the same dish was sent out simultaneously to different tables to make things more manageable for the kitchen. 

Light and crusty warm sourdough (£6) was generous in portion and served with a smear of butter with a light honey sweetness and funk of truffle. 

A confit duck special (£16) was the next dish to arrive. Crisp skinned and tender of flesh it was served in a bowl of borlotti beans bathed in a creamy sauce with a compelling hit of orange that cut through the richness of the meat. I think this might be the first time I’ve had duck a l'orange and I can see what all the fuss is about.

Halfway through guzzling our duck, a snack of cheese gougères (£10) showed up. Piping hot, the light choux buns were topped with a flurry of nutty comté cheese. They were one heck of a bar snack, and I’d have preferred them to have been served that way, rather than having to masquerade as a side dish for the duck.

Next up, golden edged meaty scallop pieces (£14) were sat in their shell and drenched with a huge-flavoured peppercorn sauce with a good throat tingling heat. I've seen quite a few places serving fish with peppercorn sauces lately and I can totally see why – in fact, everything should be served with it.

A whopping disc of crisp-edged earthy boudin noir (£11.50), which Covino import from France, was served with a trio of belting accompaniments - a glossy meaty sauce, sweet petit pois and the crunch of caramelised walnuts.

Last but no means least, a bowl of cavatelli pasta (£16.50), which had the dense yet tender texture of a pasta-gnocchi hybrid, were bathed in a super savoury and meaty pork ragu with layers and layers of flavour. 

If we'd left it there it would have been a nigh on perfect meal. But, as I can never say no to dessert, I plumped for a brioche tiramisu (£8.50).

All I can say is there's a reason why brioche isn't normally used for tiramisu. The bread had soaked up all the dessert’s moisture making it dense, watery and claggy. Layers of mascarpone cream and cocoa powder were lovely, but they couldn’t compensate for that brioche. 

Ignoring dessert, we had an excellent meal of interesting and well-priced food at Covino. The front of house team were really friendly and engaging too. Despite being tailored for couples, Covino is so much fun that I’m sure you’d have a whale of a time if you came along as a solo diner or larger group. 

The Details:

Address - Covino, 118 Northgate Street, Chester CH1 2HT
Web - https://www.covino.co.uk/

The Jackdaw, Conwy, North Wales restaurant review

As a keen twitcher, any restaurant that has a bird for its name is already predisposed to be my kind of place.

Such is the Jackdaw in Conwy, or Jac-do in Welsh, which takes its name from the smallest of crows that nest in the town’s walls and the nickname for someone born in the local area.

It's owned by Nick Rudge, who originally hails from Llandudno, and was a former junior sous chef at Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck. The Jackdaw has been high on my list of places to visit ever since it opened back in 2021.

Hidden away above a derelict bingo hall and signposted by just a low-key brass plaque on its door frame, the Jackdaw’s narrow staircase opens into a modern and classy dining room. Several design features are familiar from other contemporary fine-dining restaurants, including fur-lined seats, jars of pickles and dried flower hanging wall decorations.

But the Jackdaw still feels distinctly Welsh, with local influences scattered across the menu and distances from Conwy denoted on the drinks list. Unlike some chefs that take pride in flying in the most expensive ingredients from across the world, Nick tries to use as much Welsh produce as possible.

I started off with a Wild Horse Nokota pale ale (£6.50) from just down the road in Llandudno – it’s always a juicy easy drinker at 3.8% ABV. Mrs G sipped a distinctive yet comforting meadowsweet scented gimlet (£13.50). We also had belting glasses of Ancre Hill pinot noir (£9) from Monmouthshire before finishing up with a slightly further flung Chateau Guiraud 1er cru Sauternes (£15) and Patricius Tokaji (£17 - we both agreed the Tokaji was much better).

But, onto the food and I've rarely come across such confident cooking that shows Wales (and the chef's personality) on a plate instead of the usual fine dining by numbers. During evenings there’s a single ten course tasting menu on offer (£125) whilst on Friday and Saturday lunches, six courses are available for £60.

First up, there was a pretty trio of snacks.

Lady Llannover's salt duck was based on a historic recipe from a classic Welsh cookery book that dates back to the 19th century. Kind of like a duck jamon, its fat melted in the mouth and the flesh glistened.

A delicate AF tart case was filled with clean tasting cured gilthead bream and slices of raw asparagus.

Lastly, a crempog Gwanwyn (Spring pancake) had Welsh taco vibes. The soft and airy pancake was filled with the sweetest of langoustines draped with smoky cured pork belly, as well as vibrant leek and intense langoustine emulsions.

Next up was one hell of a good Welsh rarebit. Crisp, fat rich fried bread, a potent Hafod cheese sauce and tangy Conwy brown sauce all made for a killer mouthful.

After all those decadent snacks it was time for a green juice cleanse. A vivid green nettle and apple marigold broth was garnished with slivers of Wye valley asparagus, creamy goat curd and the funk of Welsh truffle.

The Welsh classics were coming thick and fast at this point and I was fully invested. Especially when the Jackdaw's cawl is the best I've ever eaten by some distance. Amongst the depths of an intensely meaty and rosemary scented broth bobbed sweet and tender salt baked swede, carrot and leek and a cuboid of ridiculously tender lamb.

On the side, more fried bread, this time caraway scented, was topped with a fat rich lamb head mince and slices of zippy pickled onion.

Mrs G had an Anton Ego moment with the next course and was transported back to her days at the Welsh seaside as a kid. A gorgeously flavoured-packed sea lettuce dashi was the essence of seaweed in a bowl. In it nestled the meatiest of caramelised scallops and a variety of briny sea vegetables.

Melt in the mouth, buttery confit trout was paired with a creamy smoke-twanged sauce that was split  with dill oil. A variety of richness balancing accompaniments all played their part - sharp salted rhubarb, pickled mustard seeds, and salty trout roe pearls.

Lastly, a guinea fowl dish was the ultimate chicken dinner. The crisp-skinned juicy slice of bird was served with a glossy truffle fragranced gravy, silky wild garlic puree and earthy morels.

The sweet stuff was just as good as the savoury. Finely diced sweet Anglesey rhubarb jelly was accompanied by smooth and sharp rhubarb ice cream. Nostalgic yet modern, it was a belter of a pre-dessert.

Legend has it that the original recipe for Guinness was inspired by a Welsh tavern in nearby Llanfairfechan and our main dessert took inspiration from this folk story. 

A deeply toasty barley and chocolate ganache, yeast caramel, crunchy barley and malted ice cream all gave the effect of a distinctly Guinness-esque dessert. It was superb.

Finally thick, sticky, liquorice twanged treacle toffee with a scattering of sea salt was a dreamy last mouthful.

The Jackdaw’s combination of epic Welsh cooking without a single misstep, warm and friendly service, and a charming, relaxed setting made it one of the best meals we've ever eaten in Wales. I would say it’s surprising that it doesn’t have a Michelin star but then nothing surprises me about the tyre people anymore.

Book a trip to North Wales on holiday, walk the coast path, spot some seals and mountain goats, drink local beer, visit a few castles and most importantly eat dinner at the Jackdaw. You won't be disappointed.

The Details:

Address - The Jackdaw, High Street, Conwy, LL32 8DB

Web - https://www.thejackdawconwy.co.uk/

Telephone - 01492 596922