Covino

If you think Covino is just a touch snug in its dimensions, be aware that when it first opened, just around the corner, it was even teensier. Tuck your elbows in, and be prepared to be seduced by a high-achieving gastronomic wine bar that has become an integral component of Chester's dynamic city centre. The midweek evening offer extends to a lunchtime start on Fridays and Saturdays (as the end of the working week beckons), and it reliably encompasses lively small-plate dining of true distinction. A combo of beetroot and tofu dressed in gochujang and sesame competes with a salad of bitter leaves, Bleu d'Auvergne and orange in the vitamin stakes. Pasta is impressive, perhaps cavatelli with Marina di Chioggia squash and sage, while proteins get motoring with salt fish beignets and tarragon mayo or the properly satiating guinea fowl with borlotti beans and root veg. The reader who commented that the winning service is 'always charming, always funny,' reminds us that being entertained is an often overlooked, but essential, aspect of happy dining. That, and a bowl of muscovado pudding with Pedro Ximénez-lashed figs, probably. The wine selection continues to impress for its imaginative range.