Antidote

The place is very cosy and friendly.
Haven’t tried the food, but the wine list is quite good.
The service is professional and they serve good ham (ES and IT) as well.
Really worth a good visit when you need some place for a chat or with friend to seat down.

Antidote, a delightful little wine bar. Its outside seating is sheltered under the awnings and inside is a cosy and vibrant atmosphere, you can but imagine all good friends must love to catch up over good wine, so naturally there was a comforting choir of chatter and laughing.
Approaching the doorway we were welcomed in and seated seconds later. The wine list was presented and our attentive European waiter offered us help in selecting our wine, should we be indecisive in what we were after that evening. We were well in tune with each other though, this was a champagne affair, darling. We went for a glass from Champagne Francis Boulard, Marne the NV“Murgiers”, Blanc de Noir, Extra Brut to be precise… It was delicious.
Nibbles are available to accompany your drinks, but it seemed unnecessary to need anything more than our delicious bubbles, the warm atmosphere, our friendly waiter and the pure excitement of our holiday chat!
On saying this, I have no doubt they could provide you with some fantastic smelly French cheese to accompany your wine, we definitely spotted some serious charcuterie boards and dishes of olvies and almonds. The minimal, refined rustic surroundings were but warm and welcoming, whilst the wine list was long and the waiters knowledgable without feelimg like you were in amongst a snobby bunch of connoisseurs. Even the ladies had a twee French vibe about it.
After another glass we had decided that the food passing by looked damn good too, something I’ll have to go back for. But this particular evening continued with us popping to The Rum Kitchen on the first floor in Kingly Court for something a little less posh and a hands on approach to dining…
C.x

A great wine bar /​restaurant for small vineyard wines, great charcuterie, cheeses, etc. The staff is very friendly. Go with the Charcuterie Mix or the recommendations from the staff.
A really great place to get away from the craziness of Regent and Oxford.
NOTE: This place was recommended to me by the owner of L’Enchanteur de Papilles in Lille, FR… another excellent place for wine, etc.

I stumbled across this place on my walk home from work one Wednesday evening, it was a great little spot for me and my friend. We had a lovely glass of white and then decided to treat ourselves to some fresh bread and real butter, followed by some freshly made mushroom ravioli — totally delicious. Perfect for a quick drink after work or evening catch up with friends. It has a chilled out atmosphere and attentive waiters.

French-​owned wine bar /​restaurant in heart of London’s West End.
Good atmosphere with sensible table spacings, interesting wine list, good food, friendly service.
What’s not to like?

Wine Bar?
The large writing on the door clearly insisted on the title. Well, to be fair the wines we tasted weren’t bad. However, I’d expect staff to be passionate and knowledgable about wines. I’d expect really wide palette of tastes and warmth. Nope, we didn’t experience that.
Don’t get me wrong, the waitress was really super nice, but her manager not as much. Although, we didn’t come to a direct contact, they kept staring — unpleasant. When the waitress was answering our questions, we instantly heard the manager asking other member of staff: ‘What is she doing? Why is she talking to them for so long?’ This atmosphere was visibly uncomfortable. It’s not the joy and doing fair business, but it’s stress covered by professional behaviour. Not cool.

If I was naming a wine bar (and I hope to one day), Antidote would not be high on my list of choices. What is it the antidote for, other than perhaps a parching thirst? Or are they perhaps foreshadowing a bit of doom, in that you may need an antidote after partaking in their wines?
Contemplation behind the name aside, Antidote is a pretty good spot to meet for a drink and catch up with friends (or in this particular case some extended family). We had intended to go to Bob Bob Ricard’s bar only to find out it has been closed down while they turn the space into «something exciting and cool» as we were informed by the tuxedoed hosts.
The restaurant has a scattering of tables and seats at the bar with easily twice as much space outside (although, quite reasonably, there was no one willing to brave the cold wintry weather outside — and here I thought we might actually get some spring sunshine). The décor is a bit rustic French in keeping with the wait staff whose accents may cause a bit of trouble when asking for a recommendation but in general add to the charm.
Our particular waiter/​sommelier had a particularly heavy brogue but was not put off by our clueless expressions. He went so far as to offer us tastes prior to pouring a glass (an excellent idea that I think all wine bars should copy) to ensure we would enjoy our drink. And enjoy we did as every suggestion was spot on. For a bit of substance, my cousin asked for a light refreshing red and was offered a young wine a tad drier than it’s age would suggest that tickled the tongue with tastes of strawberries and a red fruits. I opted for the older darker sibling made from 100% malbec grapes with a bolder full bodied flavour with deep notes of ripe plums and woody spices. No idea what either were called but I’d happily try them again. I’d suggest getting a bottle if you share similar tastes with friends as glasses range from £6−11 for 175ml (large glass).
We had a cheese platter with four cheeses providing a wide range from a smooth creamy brie-​type to mild and sharp cheddar and finishing with a medium blue. Again, no idea what said cheeses were despite a long explanation by our sommelier turned affineur (apparently that’s the correct term of a cheese expert — not a fromagier as I originally though). Tasty options at a very reasonable price.
Before we left, I noticed our guy tasting a cloudy slightly orange wine from a crystal decanter. Intrigued, I asked about it and learned it was a new Italian wine made with (or potentially from) oranges. Even better, he offered me a taste which I couldn’t refuse. I have to say it was delicious with light citrus notes and a bit of sweetness from the orange but dry enough to make for a very easy to drink option. I could see that being served chilled as a perfect beverage for a warm summer day. Assuming we ever get said days in London…

We didn’t eat here, just sat at the bar and enjoyed a lovely bottle of French wine. There are very few wine bars in London and it was refreshing to wander in, sit at a bar, listen to good music, eat some olives and have a conversation. I’m a fan of a French wine bar and this one did the trick.

Antidote is a nice upscale wine bar /​bistro just off bustling Carnaby Street. The menu is mostly bar snacks and very small tapa style dishes, however they do have a nice selection of grilled meats. I got the fillet steak which was casually served on a plank of wood with seasoned chips. Unlike the other reviewers, I had no qualms with the service. The waiter was prompt. Overall Antidote is a cozy bistro and a nice place to take a break and grab a glass or 2 of wine while shopping at Carnaby though for food I’d probably look elsewhere.

Mixed experience. Nice location. Thought I’d give it a go. Small plates really are small. Asparagus was chewy and bordering on inedible. On the plus side, the chocolate mousse and caffe latte were very nice indeed.
To be fair, the carnivores at the next table with their plate of dead cow seemed to be happy.

My group of four sat outside for about 15 minutes waiting for somebody to come over to us and take our order. After nobody did, I went inside to order a bottle of wine at the bar. A waiter practically jumped on me and told me to go back outside and he’d be out shortly. When he finally did get to our table he tossed down an ashtray, ID’d us and took our order in the most abrupt and unfriendly way.
When he brought our wine out he told us we had to pay for right then. We had planned on staying a while and ordering food and another bottle of wine, but his curtness made us feel unwelcome and left the minute we finished our drinks.
This is a cute bar with nice outdoor seating, so it’s too bad we had such a poor experience. Definitely won’t be back.

After a short stroll down Carnaby street one afternoon, I noticed Antidote as a new-​ish addition and decided to book a table for later that evening with friends. The Restaurant/​Wine Bar is nicely decorated, perhaps a little on the small side, but this makes for a cosy environment.
We ordered a selection of small starters and mains, for starters we tried the salted almonds, Foie Gras, Potted Shrimps, and Fish croquettes. Mains were Fish of the Day, Fillet Steak, and 1 Cote de Boeuf (a steep £49.50 for two to share). We also tried their purple broccoli and Salted Squid dish.
The food while not bad, was nothing amazing, the fillet received the best reviews, the Cote de Boeuf disappointing despite coming rare as requested; a fatty messy affair that left us longing for another fillet steak. Seems like the wine is the specialty here, and the food is an after thought…
Service was friendly, but there seemed to be only one waitress for the whole room leaving her a little over-​stretched, which meant one of the party had to get up a few times to actually bring her over to the table… probably wouldn’t go back, there’s so much more to chose from in Soho.