Where shall we meet?: Le Beaujolais WC2

Question: where do I find a nice wine bar near Leicester Square?

Answer: Here's where.

Le Beaujolais has a well-spoken-of restaurant in the basement, but as it is members only you'll have to make friends with someone who belongs.

Meanwhile, on the ground floor, its window partly obscured by the stair cover for the eaterie, is a pleasantly low-key bar where the staff are French but - amazingly enough - friendly. This is a place where people drift in and out, stay for a bottle and drift on: it feels like a real insiders' joint. They do a wine of the month around the pounds 8 mark and a gigantic plate of mixed charcuterie is pounds 4.75.

Le Beaujolais, Litchfield St WC2 (071-836 2277) (Photograph omitted)