Quaint place, outdoor patio, and indoor seating. Â Was not crowed which concerned me but I don't necessarily like crowds so if the place is good and uncrowded it's a plus in my book. Â I liked the warmth of this place and the intimacy it brought with it while sharing a brie plate and a pizza for two along with our red wines. Â Our brie plate came with a sliced toasted baguette, fruit, and nuts (of course cheese), and the pizza had a extremely thin crispy crust, flavorful sauce, and enough cheese for my liking. Â All-in-all, good wine selection, good tapas, and good atmosphere!
Review Source:I decided to give this place a try, after visiting it when it was a number of other names. I was most pleasantly surprised! Not only was the service great (Darius); but the wines I tasted were all excellent. Â Extra bonus in that they do not charge a corkage fee!!! After I tasted, a few friends joined and we bought a bottle and had food as well; all of us were satisfied and will be back!
Review Source:A taxi driver suggested this place to us on a weekend staying Ventura so we decided to check it out. Â When we first arrived the place was empty; we were the only customers, which was strange for a Sunday night on a holiday weekend. Â All I can say is that people are missing out if they haven't tried this place. Â The decor is a little alternative and dark but for a wine bar, I think it worked! Â I suggest trying the wine flight and checking out a few of their wines. Â We shared the cheese plate and a pizza and both were great. Â Our waiter was really sweet, he took good care of us but didn't bug us too much. Â We sat inside but they have a cute outdoor patio too. Â I could have stayed for hours longer, it was so relaxing. Â Probably the effect of the wine. Definitely worth a visit.
Review Source:I was so impressed with my experience at Barrel 33 last night that I was compelled to write a review today (my 1st ever). The food was delicious and portion appropriate, the wine was excellent, the atmosphere was so relaxing and welcoming that we stayed for hours, but what really impressed me was the staff. Our waiter  had brilliant recommendations of what pared with what and even told us what not to get (tea and/or coffee). I so appreciate the way that we were treated that I want to make this charming little place my local hangout. I have nothing but good things to say about our experience!!!
Review Source:My husband and I stopped by last Saturday at around 4:30 pm. We live about 20 minutes away but my husband had a meeting in the area. Alas, they were not open until 5 pm - a snobby bartender would have said "Sorry, not open" but that was NOT the case here! Darius, the bartender on duty, Â saw us pull up by the curb and warmly welcomed us on in! He let us know the kitchen was not open yet, but we can certainly try some wine and that is just what we did. What a charming place it is! We then talked with Artemio and he told us all about the food they prepare...Meat Lover's pizza was delicious and we finished it up with a chocolate souffle! We will definitely be back...! Great Staff, Great Food and Great Ambiance!
Review Source:5 stars for incredible ambience, think cozy hideaway on a cold rainy night, with very limited seating so if you're in, you feel special, and an incredible olive and cheese plate with pickles. Â Don't get the souffle. Â They just couldn't get it right after two times but at least they tried so the 5 stars stay. Â Kept coming ice cold in the middle as they tried to heat with whatever means they had. Â Not sure if it was a little warmer or a microwave, but there is no kitchen, just a little space in a corner of the bar where they are putting out food. Â And no dedicated parking lot, just the spaces you can find directly in front of the restaurant on the curb, or around the corner near some houses.
Review Source:Recently I visited Barrel 33 with a Groupon for 2 glasses of champagne and a chocolate souffle. I have to say, I miss when it was Wine Lovers.
We went on a Thursday for a nightcap after a great dinner we had made (live down the street) and instead of a nice little 'end of the evening' drink, it was up sell city and our server making us feel downright guilty for not ordering anything else.
After we finished everything, we went to exit and the server FOLLOWED OUTSIDE and said that he needed $2 to cover the "tax" on the Groupon. Sorry, what? I have never paid tax on a Groupon, ever.
Tip is a different story, but to follow me to my car with people watching from the restaurant making me seem like I tried to leave without paying? Lame.
I've been to this location when it was Wine Lovers and absolutely adored it. Not a fan now.
The location in Ojai is far superior!!!!!!!!!!
Barrel 33 is a pleasant surprise! Â Tucked along a not so good main street in Ventura it doesn't look too promising from the outside. Â Yet inside the friendly knowledgeable staff awaits with an excellent selection of wines. Â Visiting on a foggy Friday night I was also happy to find a crackling wood fireplace warming the establishment. Â It's really a small place but I fully applaud the interior furnishings and layout. Â My wife and I had a window table that felt intimate. Â We could also listen in as strangers sitting at the bar conversed on wines and life. Â The menu is limited but quality items! Â A happy night was had by us both and we look forward to returning.
Review Source:I like this place. Quaint, romantic, cozy. Usually the service is great, depends on who is on staff - but let me tell ya, just a few sips of that Moscato they serve, and I don't care if Bugs Bunny was going to be my server! Just give me my glass, and let me enjoy in peace :)
The inside area always smells of yummy garlic pizza crust, food is great.
Last night we had dinner here for the first time, and likely will be back when in Ventura again.
The wine list is extensive, and they also have a few beers on tap and in bottles.
We like a lighter meal for dinner, and basically that's what the menu has. Â I had the Barrel 33 salad which was quite large, with very fresh greens, blue cheese, walnuts and grapes.
This place is very small, however. Â Unless you want to sit at the bar or on the outdoor patio, there may be a wait. Â However, it was only about 10 minutes at 7:30 Saturday evening.
We had what our server described as the best table in the house, just opposite the fireplace, which felt great on a cool and windy evening.
Barrel 33 is a small business that's not conventionally seen with the naked eye. I mean, you gotta look for this puppy or else you'll miss it.
My beau and I have only been to this place twice, but both times have offered us fabulous service and delicious food. We purchased two groupons over the last periods of months all for Barrel 33. The staff is friendly, and knowledgeable about the wines.
We had purchased a wine flight, and decided we wanted to try one white, one rose and one red and our waiter chose the wines for us.. and might I add, he was right on the money. We also ordered 2 pastas; I ordered the alfredo (a staple, I can't help it.) and my beau ordered the pesto. It was simple, just like how I expected it to be, yet still flavorful and filling.
** I uploaded pictures in the picture section for viewing of pasta, and wine **
I'd suggest this place for a romantic night out, or dinner with a friend. I wouldn't recommend coming in groups or bringing children. :)
Followed the Yelpers to find a nice spot for Dinner with my lovely wife whilst staying in Ventura at teh end of our trip to US.
Wait staff were friendly .... but when asked to recommend a wine he couldnt help..???? surley the main criteria for someone workignin a Wine Bar? ...
Fortunately he offered to get the manager/owner who did know his product range well and he selected a fantastic California Pinot for me and an equally delightful Sem Sauv Blan for my beloved.
Food : We were expecting Tapas ... but didnt feel there was a great variety/selection and nothing on the small menu really grabbed us ....so it was back on to Yelp and around the corner to Cafe Zack...
It always helps to have a plan B ... or internet access on your phone...
This place is amazing! A cozy atmosphere, great food, and an excellent wine selection. Specific tips: the pizzas are fantastic! All of them. Try any of them and you won't be disappointed. Secondly, if you're not seeing wines you're familiar with, or like to mix it up, it's actually cheaper (in regards to wine by ounces) to get a wine flight sampler than a glass of wine. Cheers!
Review Source:I brought my fiancé to Barrel 33 for his birthday dinner. We had been wine tasting that day so it was the perfect last stop!  We split a bottle of 92-point Caricature Red, a cheese plate, a Caprese salad, and a pizza.
The food? Phenomenal. 5-stars! The pizza was the best pizza I have ever had. Â Thin crust, crispy and flavorful... Â No one in Ventura serves pizzas like these. Â The cheese plate was pure perfection - 4 varieties along with some fresh apple slices, dried apricots and cranberries, and assorted nuts.
The service? Norbert made us feel like family! Â
Bonus points for the option to buy wine to go. Â We happily added a second bottle of Caricature to bring home. Â A great experience and I am looking forward to our next visit.
I had been hearing about this place Barrel 33 for quite some time now. It was of interest of me for two reasons...it carried my two favorite things on the menu: 1) Pizza and 2) Wine.
My boyfriend had a LivingSocial deal for a pizza and three flight wine tasting. We used that and I definitely think it was a great experience.
We got the Ventura pizza that was great with lots of flavor between the pesto and goat cheese on it.
My wine choices were great, as well. I had a Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Moscato for my final glass.
Overall I think the price of glasses of wine are fair, but if wasn't for the living social deal I don't think I could always want to muster up 10 dollars for such a small pizza. Maybe 8 dollars would have allowed me to give it that fifth and final star.
Be advised: I'm a pizza snob, at the end of the day that pizza would have been worth any price but I'm also frugal :)
I brought a group of 10 for my buddy's birthday party. We had a blast. We came with some wine drinkers as well as some beer drinkers, both were extremely happy with their selections. The atmosphere was awesome, it was a cold rainy night and the warm fireplace really made it special. The owner, Norbert, is a great guy also, he made sure that everyone was happy and enjoying themselves through out. We had their cheese plate to start on each end of the table followed by their delicious pizza. I'd recommend this as a great place for a romantic date to a quick glass of wine to a large group.
Review Source:This place is a cozy intimate very comfortable and inviting place! Â The ambiance is great and the food is wonderful and the staff is friendly. Ryan is great at serving, he keeps your wine glass full, Â and Norbert...he welcomes you like family. Â The wood burning fireplace is a nice homey touch. Â It is a great place to share wine with a special person or a group of girlfriends! There is a nice patio with 3 fireplaces. The patio would be a great place to hold a private party! Â They even have a waterfall on the patio. I haven't sat there yet as I have enjoyed the warmth of the fireplace inside. Â I am looking forward to spending time on the patio this summer. Â I just recently stumbled across this gem and I have been returning every weekend to bring someone new!
Review Source:I didn't know what to expect from this place, but it was great. We sat outside in the garden next to a stone hearth, with cool ambient music playing and rope lights strung up overhead to add a further touch of class to an already classy spot. It's a perfect spot to take a date.
I'm not a wine guy, but they have great, local beers on tap. We shared the brie and cheese plate (yum!), the olives (wow, huge), the caprese salad (yum!), and the Barrel 33 pizza (great!).
Can't recommend this place enough.
There were up's and downs with our experience at Barrel 33. Â We have been here before when it was Wine Lovers and had a good time. Â As you can see, the Yelp reviews thus far are quite frankly stellar. Â Jolly good for them. Â After closer examination of said Yelp reviews, (6) of the (18) posted are first time reviews. Â (10) in the filtered bin. Â Seems like a lot. Just saying.
Arrived a little after 8:00 p.m. on a cool Saturday night. Â It wasn't very busy which was a plus. Â Inside or outside seating was available. Â Outside sounded like a good idea, but all the fires were nearly out and most of the area is very dark. Â Inside please.
There's one tall four top table inside so we took it. Â Ever gone to a restaurant where you realize that the table you're seated at has a bad case of the wobbly table syndrome? Â Bingo. Â Obviously they are aware of this because there's a bunch of quick fix paper coasters all over the floor. Â I had to get on my hands and knees to balance out the table.
Our waiter was a nice enough guy.  I put in an order of one of their cheese plates and a bottle of Melville Pinot Noir.  <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.melvillewinery.com%2Findex2.html&s=4c80cbc1817666931b4aac2aea7a922f54c9763a23a3efe273674e5f0aeff57a" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.melvillewiner…</a>
We've been to Melville up in Buelton before, it's a great winery. Â Wine took a good ten or so minutes to get to table. Â Please don't make me wait that long for a drink. Â Daddy needs his medicine.
Wine and cheese plate arrive and I placed the order for the table. Â Two pepperoni pizza's for me and my GF's son, and one Margarita pizza for her and her Daughter to share.
The cheese platter was great. Â Just wonderful. Â Great with the wine!
Things were going great, and the pepperoni pizza's hit the table. Â Waiter says the Margarita is coming up. Â Proper edicate says you wait for everyone at the table to get their food before eating, especially when they are women. Â So we waited, and waited. Â After ten minutes it was apparent they must have forgot the other pizza.
It finally came, but that was a big drag. Â The pizza crust is super, super thin. Â However tasty, not worth $10.00 each. Â Not much to them really. Â I think I could have eaten two if I was really hungry. Â Girls said the Margarita pizza was bland. Â Queen of Reseda did not like this place. Â
One more con I have to mention. Â Water and soda served with no ice. Â No ice machine. Â Ice not an option at this restaurant. Â Really?
I thought if they brought all our pizza's at the same time it would have been a nicer experience. Â The Ojai location has more things on the menu than Ventura. Just a guess, but it bet they have ice up there in Ojai! Â Too bad Ventura is the red headed stepchild. Â
The guy making the pizza's and cheese plates was working his ass off to keep up. Â He could have used some help IMO.
I'd like to leave this review on a positive note. Â Cheese plate was fantastic. Â Wine was fairly priced. Â Staff was friendly. Â Good music.
Cozy, dark, with gentle music playing and a fire in the hearth. Definitely a nice date spot. Main menu are light bites. Cheeses, salads, pate, hummus. Only "dinner" items were a few pasta specials. Fillet and escargot in a cream sauce? Hmm ... I settled for a tasty chicken pesto penne and a side of marinated olives with a solid zin. Suprisingly reasonably priced.
Definitely a place I'll come back to. Maybe I'll try the snails then. ... or maybe not!
Yay for the new management. This has become a perfect spot to have a glass (or share a bottle) of wine, a snack and have a nice chat with a friend. With both a cozy, intimate interior and a nice patio, complete with rock fireplaces, it's a great place to relax.
I had a "Ventura" pizza - goat cheese, pesto, tomatoes, olives - which came piled with perfectly dressed field greens. The pizza had a super thin crust, which I love.
The woman next to me didn't like her wine (though her friend thought it was fine), so Norbert, whom I assume is the owner, took it away without question and brought her a really big glass of a second choice.
Some of the local chefs were hanging out and talking and enjoying themselves. I suggest you do likewise.
Very happy to see this place under new management. All the changes that have been made are great. I've been back a few times since it changed and have been thrilled with the service and offerings. It's got a cozy feel and the outside fireplace is great. If you like wine this is a nice little place to visit. Also ask if they have beer special, last time I was here they had Chimay Red and it's really good. Prior that night I had only had Chimay Blue Grande Reserve. Check it out.
Review Source:Really good food, but limited offerings. Went with my mom and husband. We ordered the Barrel 33 salad (sort of a modified Waldorf Salad), the hummus and crostini, Barrel 33 pizza, and the Margherita pizza. The salad and pizzas were outstanding. I loved that the pizzas had a thin, cracker-like crust and were well blistered. The only lack luster item was the hummus and crostini. It was just okay. Would love to see a few more food items on the menu. Very good service and nice ambiance. More of a wine bar than place to eat, but good nonetheless.
Review Source:We are thrilled to find yet another fantastic wine bar in Ventura and are so pleased that Barrel 33 made a clean break from the former establishment.
Our party of five were educated and entertained by the friendly and fastidious staff. Our glasses were filled with delicious vino suggestions and the thin crust pizzas were lovingly prepared and promptly devoured. We felt very taken care of.
WILL return for more tastings, food, fun, and geography lessons! ;)
Barrel of fun with my Barrel of monkey--friends!!!
Barrel 33 ( aka the old Wine Lovers location) is definately the new hot spot !! There aren't a lot of places in Ventura that you can sit outside and enjoy a little vitamin D as you sip a lovely glass of vino.
I recently hosted a bridal shower at Barrel 33 and was so impressed with the service!! ! Mark the bartender/sommelier  even helped me decorate the outside courtyard; which has recently been revamped and is looking quite posh !! If wine or beer isn't your bag than you must come for the delicious cheese platter and signature gourmet pizzas that are just to die for. I really cant say enough good things about this place.  thanks again Norbert, Mark and TImo for making the bridal shower so amazing.
Absolutely love this place. So glad that we decided to give this place another shot (rather Wine Lovers another shot). We stopped coming to, then wine lovers, because the new owners turned the place into a place we didnt want to hang out. food was horrible and service was bad along with the music being too loud and inappropriate for a wine bar. Now that Norbert has taken over and changed everything--it's soooooooooooooo much BETTER!! thank you for making this place what a wine bar should be. the food is EXCELLENT!. the owner and staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. Food is very tasty and wine selection is very good!
Can't wait to go back :)
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