Bodega, the Cardiff neighbourhood restaurant known for fire-cooked Mediterranean small plates, is now offering the largest selection of wines by the glass in the Welsh capital.
Updated quarterly and designed to encourage discovery, Bodega’s wine menu mixes cult favourites and hard-to-find bottles with ‘bang for buck’ picks rarely offered by the glass across South Wales.
Their extensive, frequently refreshed list – currently sitting at 44 wines available by the glass – is also complimented by additional guest pours brought in for special events and tasting menus. These choices often draw from the extensive wine cellar atThe Priory in Caerleon (Bodega’s sister venue).
At the heart of the list is a suite of industry-leading wine preservation systems that help ensure each glass is served in peak condition ‘just as the winemaker intended’ – without compromising on the breadth and ambition of Bodega’s by-the-glass offering:
- 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)
Chef-led dining at Bodega
In September 2025 Bodega announced the appointment of Efe Orkut Yakut as its new Head Chef. Originally from Istanbul, Turkey, Efe brought with him an impressive international background, honed across some of the most acclaimed kitchens in Europe and beyond. His career has taken him from the Culinary Arts Academy to a string of prestigious restaurants, each shaping his professional growth and creative approach to cooking.
Efe was previously Sous Chef at The Priory Caerleon, Bodega’s sister restaurant, where he worked closely with the former Head Chef. Before that, he held senior positions at several acclaimed establishments, including One Michelin-starred Araka in Istanbul, where he broadened his understanding of both creative cooking and the complexities of fine-dining management; Bagatelle Bodrum, where he was part of the restaurant’s successful launch; and Four Seasons at the Bosphorus, where he specialised in butchery.
Efe’s monthly changing menus, divided into snacks and small plates, offer something for every appetite. Recent highlights from his February menu include monkfish with a hot honey & sherry glaze, paired unexpectedly with Rathfinny Estate Blanc de Blancs English sparkling wine – a left-field match that works beautifully; and the addition of a Torrija (a Spanish bread pudding) on the dessert menu for the first time.
With the option of sitting at the Chef’s Counter or booking into one of the monthly Chef Tasting Dinners (£50pp), Bodega has firmly established itself as a destination restaurant outside the city centre – for wine and food lovers alike. To view the latest Bodega menu, or book a table, please visit www.bodegawine.bar.
