Wine Bar restaurants in Europe
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A
Peploe’s
Lots of air-kissing and comparing of shopping-bag contents takes place at this sophisticated and sumptuous wine-bar, which is basically Dublin’s answer to London’s Ivy Rooms. It’s all about elegance and attention to detail – check out the sumptuous tableware – and not really about the perfectly adequate continental cuisine, which is merely a complement to the superb wine list.
reviewed
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B
Cul de Sac
A fabulous little enoteca, just off Piazza Navona, with a tiny terrace and narrow, pine- and bottle-lined interior. The knowledgeable, swift waiters pass about delicious cold meats and cheeses, and moreish mains: try the delicate involtini (veal rolls). There’s a phone-directory-sized wine list. Book ahead in the evening.
reviewed
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C
Les Pipos
A feast for the eyes and the senses, this bar à vins is constantly propped up by a couple of regulars over 60. Bistro tables wear red and white, and are so close you risk disturbing the entire house should you need the loo midway through your meal. Its charcuteries de terroir (regional cold meats and sausages) is mouth-watering, as is its cheese board, which includes all the gourmet names (bleu d’Auvergne, St-Félicien, St-Marcellin etc). Indeed, take one glance at the titles on the bookshelf (feel free to browse) and you’ll realise Les Pipos’ overtly casual, laidback scene is a guise for feasting on the finer things in a French foodie’s life. No credit cards.
reviewed
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D
Trattoria Biondo
Biondo has a split personality. The trattoria side is pure Fellini film set, always crammed with congenial, noisy locals who come for Palermitan classics such as involtini di pesce spada (swordfish roulades) or pasta con le sarde. Crates of fresh produce greet you at the door, which leads to several low-ceilinged dining rooms decorated with plates, tiles and paintings. Just around the corner, Pizzeria Biondo offers the same great quality at half the price. An animated crowd fills the sidewalk tables every night for some of Palermo’s finest pizza.
reviewed
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Ferenc Pince
Ferenc is both a wine- and food-lover's dream; not only does its chef cook up a Hungarian storm in the kitchen with a mixture of local and national meat and fish dishes, but some of the best wine available is served by the very people who produce the stuff. During the day, its open terrace offers expansive views of the lake, while at night the hypnotic twinkling lights of the southern shore are in full view from its cosy thatched-roof house. Ferenc Pince is around 2km south of the abbey church.
reviewed
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E
Trimani
Part of the Trimani family’s wine empire (their shop just round the corner stocks about 4000 international labels), this is a great, unpretentious place, with knowledgeable, multilingual staff. It’s Rome’s biggest wine bar and has a vast selection of Italian regional wines as well as an ever-changing food menu, with dishes ranging from potato and sausage pie to oysters. Book ahead to take one of the regular wine-tasting courses.
reviewed
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F
La Mescita
Part enoteca and part bargain luncheonette, this unapologetically old-fashioned eatery serves up Tuscan specialties such as trippa (tripe) and minestrone di verdura (bean and vegetable soup). Noon-time tipplers and all-day drunks mix at the old marble-top bar, where you’ll find good little panini (sandwiches) and crostini (‘little toasts’ with savoury topping) to go with the daily pourings of Chianti.
reviewed
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G
Vineria Roscioli Salumeria
Walk in and swoon over the mingled aromas. This traditional deli is a temple to food, with olive oils, cheeses (around 450 varieties), Italian and Spanish hams etc to buy. It’s packed at meal times, when you can dine deliciously in the molto chic interior (think exposed brick arches and contemporary paintings). Dishes include fresh pastas and beef tartare, and the wine list has some 1100 labels (900 Italian, 200 French).
reviewed
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H
Enoteca Corsi
Merrily worse for wear, family-run Corsi is a genuine old-style Roman eatery. The look is rustic – bare wooden tables, paper tablecloths, wine bottles – and the atmosphere one of controlled mayhem. The menu, chalked up on a blackboard, contains homely dishes using good, fresh ingredients, such as melanzane parmigiana. It follows the culinary calendar, so if it’s gnocchi, it’s Thursday.
reviewed
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I
Zawodsky
Zawodsky is only a 1.5km walk from the touristy haunts of Grinzing, yet light years away in atmosphere. This stripped-back set-up features picnic tables surrounded by apple trees and vineyards, and a small selection of hot and cold meats complemented by various salads. From Grinzing, walk up Strassergasse, take tiny Rosenweg on your left past the Maria Schmerzen Kirche and Reinischgasse appears on your right.
reviewed
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J
Buccone
Step inside, under the faded gilt and mirrored sign, and feel like you’ve gone back in time. Once a coach house, then a tavern, in the 1960s this building became Buccone, furnished with 19th-century antiques and lined with around 1000 Italian wines as well as a good selection of international tipples. It’s perfect for a light meal, with salads, cured meats, cheeses, torta (cakes) etc.
reviewed
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K
Enoteca Fuori Porta
Set just outside one of the city’s medieval gates, this mellow old enoteca (wine bar) proffers up to 500 different wines, including dozens by the glass, with a special strength in Tuscan and Piemontese reds. For a light lunch or evening meal, take a seat on the pleasant terrace and order a plate or two from the limited list of pastas, salads and crostoni (grilled, open-faced sandwiches).
reviewed
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L
Gales Wine Bar
With 30 years of history as a wine bar and a 100-strong wine list that spans the globe, this wood-lined eatery, with a huge log burner, is a friendly and popular spot with a relaxed feel. Inventive mains make the most of local produce with daily changing menus based around lamb, steaks and fish. The owners also offer B&B accommodation in comfortable rooms with a continental breakfast.
reviewed
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M
Hirt
Hidden among the vineyards on the eastern slopes of Kahlenberg, Hirt is a simple Heuriger with few frills. Basic wooden tables, a small buffet and marginal service all help to create a traditional atmosphere, while views of Kahlenbergerdorf and the 21st district across the Danube are a pleasure to enjoy over a few glasses of wine in the early evening.
reviewed
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N
Enoteca Carso
Locals love this unassuming place with streetside seating. It has a great range of fresh wines on tap or from the bottle, and can't-go-wrong tasty dishes of the day such as mozzarella-and-tomato salad or pasta with basil and tomato - point and choose from the glass cabinet. The waiter with the headband will see you right for wine.
reviewed
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O
Pane, Vino e San Daniele
This wine bar explains itself in its name: 'bread, wine and San Daniele' - San Daniele being a sought-after ham from the north of Italy. It's a friendly, dark-wood and mirror-lined place in the Ghetto. Try all sorts of northern hams and salamis, alongside a strong wine list. A great place for a drink and a light meal.
reviewed
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P
Settembrini Vino e Cucina
Media types from the nearby RAI television offices adore this slinky wine bar/restaurant; its contemporary lines make a suitable backdrop for celebrity bitching. Fuelling the conversations is a sassy Italo-Gallic wine list, new-wave rustic dishes, and a five-course degustation menu paired with five different wines.
reviewed
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Q
Palatium
Conceived as a showcase of Lazio’s bounty, this sleek enoteca close to the Spanish Steps serves excellent local specialities, such as porchetta (pork roasted with herbs), artisan cheese, and delicious salami, as well as an impressive array of Lazio wines (try lesser-known drops such as Aleatico).
reviewed
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R
Casa Bleve
While away an afternoon in this stately, column-lined courtyard roofed with stained glass. It’s ideal for a romantic and epicurean assignation accompanied by sublime wine and cheeses (mature or fresh, such as mozzarella and burrata), cold cuts, and carpaccio (thin slices of raw beef).
reviewed
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S
Bodéga!
The décor is all Spanish cantina, but the French chefs' menu is straight out of his homeland. The ever-changing menu, altered according to what's freshest, features wonderful dishes such as moules frites (mussels with fries) and Toulouse sausage, and there's a late-opening wine bar.
reviewed
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T
Jo Hanns
The food is satisfying but it's the 130 wines from the Saale-Unstrut Region - many served by the glass - that give Jo Hanns a leg up on the competition. No matter whether you order the classic steak or scallops and shrimp with mint-lime spaghetti, there's a bottle with your name on it.
reviewed
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U
Bistro Le Casse Museau
Fabulous find! Cram into this tiny but heaving wine bar, alias bistrot sans chiqué (bistro with no pretension) for a slurp of local Côtes du Rhone in the company of a retro tick-tock clock collection and weathered floor tiles with a thousand stories to tell.
reviewed
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V
Antica Enoteca
Local shoppers and shopkeepers pack this much-loved wine bar, full of frescoes and 19th-century fittings. Plonk yourself at the long wood-and-brass counter and take your pick from the wine list and antipasti, or plunge into the back room for decent pasta or pizza.
reviewed
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W
Vineria Chianti
This pretty ivy-clad wine bar is bottle-lined inside, with watch-the-world-go-by streetside seating in summer. Cuisine is Tuscan, so the beef is particularly good, but it also serves up imaginative salads, and pizza in the evenings.
reviewed
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X
Lorenzini
A bit of a Bern institution, the Lorenzini complex of wine bars and an Italian restaurant is popular with young professionals looking for coffee and salad or a full meal of homemade pasta. The patio is perfect for people watching.
reviewed
