Restaurant unveils largest ‘by the glass’ wine list in city

A Welsh city’s Mediterranean restaurant has expanded its wine list to include 44 options available by the glass, one of the largest selections in the country.

Bodega, the Cardiff neighbourhood restaurant known for fire-cooked small plates, updates its wine list quarterly to encourage discovery.

The wine menu, the largest ‘by the glass’ in Cardiff, mixes favourites and rare finds with what they call “bang for buck” picks hard to find by the glass in south Wales.

Additional guest pours are also brought in for special events and tasting menus. These choices often draw from the extensive wine cellar at The Priory in Caerleon (Bodega’s sister venue).

Bodega also use “industry-leading wine preservation systems” to ensure that glasses are served “just as the winemaker intended”. These preservation systems include:

• Enomatic Wine Dispensing Systems (inert nitrogen protection + temperature control)
• Coravin (pour without pulling the cork; wine continues to age naturally)
• Verre de Vin (gentle vacuum system to slow oxidation)

Bodega co-founder Benito Martinez explained: “Our wine list is built around curiosity rather than safety. We wanted it to invite exploration, which is why we’ve invested so heavily in a broad by-the-glass range – it gives guests the freedom to experiment and discover wines they might never usually choose.

The focus is on wines with real character and a strong sense of place, often from smaller growers, that have the energy and freshness to stand up to our fire-led cooking. The aim isn’t to show off a cellar, but to create a gastronomic experience where food and wine evolve together at the table. We extend this with our BODEGA Flights, with wines paired to the dishes ordered by our skilled team on the fly. It allows the wine to move with the meal, responding to fire, seasoning and texture in real time.”

Current by-the-glass highlights include:

Sparkling & Rosé

• Raventós i Blanc ‘De Nit’ Rosado (Penedès, Spain)
• Devaux ‘Cuvée D’ (Champagne, France)
• Can Sumoi ‘La Rosa’ (Penedès, Spain)

White

• Cave de Hunawihr Grand Cru Rosacker Riesling (Alsace, France)
• Whitewolf KC2 Chardonnay (Crouch Valley, England)
• Vie di Romans Chardonnay (Friuli Isonzo, Italy)
• Gaja ‘Rossj-Bass’ Chardonnay (Langhe, Italy)

Red

• Yann Chave Crozes-Hermitage (Rhône Valley, France)
• Dominio do Bibei ‘Lacima’ (Ribeira Sacra, Spain)
• Bodega Lanzaga ‘La Estrada’ (Rioja, Spain)
• Gaja Barbaresco (Piedmont, Italy)

In September 2025, Bodega announced the appointment of Efe Orkut Yakut as its new Head Chef. Originally from Istanbul, Turkey, Efe has worked in acclaimed global kitchens.

Efe was previously Sous Chef at The Priory Caerleon, where he worked closely with the former Head Chef. Before that, he held senior positions at One Michelin-starred Araka in Istanbul, Bagatelle Bodrum, and Four Seasons at the Bosphorus.

Efe’s monthly changing menus are divided into snacks and small plates. A highlight from his February menu is monkfish with a hot honey & sherry glaze, paired with Rathfinny Estate Blanc de Blancs English sparkling wine.