Wow! Â Some of the best food I've had in Fort Collins and the restaurant itself is beautiful!
My boyfriend and I recently treated ourselves to Café Vino for his birthday and the food was fantastic!  Thought many of their tapas are American foods in tapa form, I can say that many things really do hold up the actual cuisine of Spain (I used to live in Madrid).  Their drink "The Barcelona" (which would be called a Tinto de Verano in Spain) was perfect and had me feeling especially nostalgic.
Great food. Â Great ambiance. Â Great service. Â Win win win.
First time eating here (have had great coffee here multiple times), the dishes are on the small side, but the quality seemed excellent, with a lot sourced locally and fresh. Â The pizzas were our favorite dinner item, and the desserts were to die for. Â Unfortunately, about 2-3 hours after walking out, I got violent stomach cramps-my wife and I shared the mussels, which I'm pretty sure was the cause. Â I made the mistake of prying one mussel open that was tightly closed, which is a no-no with shell fish apparently. Â We might go back for pizzas and desserts, or just desserts, but the gag reflex will be strong re-entering the restaurant for some time to come.
Review Source:Very friendly service staff.
The atmosphere is always lively and fun at night. Â Great drink and appetizer selection. Â Even a some vegetarian options available, but not too many.
Sundays are great for a brunch with friends (especially outside if weather permits) and the bottomless mimosas! Â More mellow vibe at breakfast/brunch/lunch than at night.
Can be on pricier side, but not too bad. Â Definitely a good place to take someone for birthday, special occasion or just to unwind after work!
We sat outside in June. Awesome weather and romantic ambiance.
We ordered the bone marrow, which was the first time I've ever had it. It was buttery delicious. We also ordered the mushroom/spinach pizza and bacon wrapped dates.
We each had wine flights which were delicious and reasonable for the price.
After a brief run in with one of the owners, I WILL NOT BE BACK. Some people in life believe they are entitled for others to worship the ground they walk on. I suggested for the Tv I was sitting in front of to be changed to the NBA playoff game. No one else was sitting around me besides my date so it didn't seem to be that big of a deal to me to watch a playoff game instead of some movie from the 50s. The owner which I found out after he approached me had some choice words for my attire and channel selection. Nice jeans and a plain t-shirt I guess was a juvenile choice. I quickly paid my tab and left. As a local this one of the pits in Fort Collins, I will be spending my money and time at other local spots that appreciates local support. I WISH I COULD GIVE THIS PLACE ZERO STARS. OVERPRICED and BS OWNERS.
Review Source:We ordered a number of dishes since there was four of us. Â I'm giving Cafe Vino four stars, because their mushroom pizza was deeeeeelicious.
For a small plates place, portions are very generous. Â We ordered peppers stuffed with goat cheese, mushroom pizza, meatballs, chef's bread (brioche like -- very odd for dinner as a chef's bread), mixed green salad and hummus.
The two stand out dishes for me -- mushroom pizza and stuffed peppers. Everything else was OK.
Mmmmmm...mushroom pizza. Â Crust was thin and crispy. Â Wild mushrooms may have already been cooked before putting on the pizza since they were all tender, garlicky and yummy. Â A drizzle of truffle oil on fresh spinach sprinkled with sea salt that topped this pizza was what made this pizza not just yummy, but super yummy. I would definitely eat this again.
Peppers were stuffed with a goat cheese mixture that was almost mousse like in its texture. Â A light pickling of these sweet red pepper really balanced well with the rich cheese mousse.
Cafe Vino has a selection of wines by the glass including some smaller pours so you can explore different wines. Â All in all, a lovely evening.
Had a great morning meeting at Cafe Vino, decided to order the quiche of the day, which was awesome! Spinach and feta, with berries, orange slice, grapes and apple slices on the side. Delicious!The Americano was also wonderful. Quiet surroundings, did not realize they had a small breakfast menu and cannot wait to go again.
Review Source:I like this place. Â It may be slightly overpriced, though. Â But that's okay, it seems like most of Fort Collins' restaurants are, maybe because it's a college town? Â The food was fun and creative, and they have a great wine list. Â The atmosphere is really nice too, it's the kind of place where you can sit for a long time having a great conversation over a nice glass of wine while continually ordering small plates of food. Â It's got that romantic feel to it. Â I haven't yet sat on the patio but am excited to soon!
Review Source:I've been here twice so far and really enjoy this place. Both times I've been working and found the atmosphere perfect for that. It's quiet and nice, but becomes busy around lunch time. Although College Ave. might not be the best view and give the best air, you can also sit outside.
The food is great and I really enjoy their iced mocha. The staff is also very friendly and the music great. In other words, I'll be back.
This restaurant was recommended to me by a local. Â I had the southwestern sweet potato soup to start and the carmelized pear and gorgonzola cheese ravioli. Â They were both fantastic!! Â In addition, they have a very large selection of beer from local microbreweries. Â My dinner partner had the gnocci and loved it.
Review Source:I only checked this place out in the early morning after Church with my family visiting for the holidays. Â This instantly became a favorite based on the look and atmosphere of the place. Â The seating is awesome. Â You can choose a table, couch, or full seat with a small coffee table. Â We all ordered from the brunch menu, and it was delicious. Â The breakfast burrito is one of the best I have had. Â I will definitely be coming back. Â I only gave 4 stars because I would like to see the atmosphere and settings on a weekend night with more people in town.
Bottom Line: Â Recommend
Went here with a friend on a spontaneous decision on a Saturday night. At first I was concerned about there being a long wait, but we were quickly seated by the very friendly staff. I was happily surprised by the prices on the menu, as well as the variety of beers and wines to choose from. The menu itself was a little bit of a mess, but there are a variety of choices which probably widens the potential customer base for this business.
I chose a simple beer and one of their pizzas, while my friend went with flight of red wines and the bacon wrapped dates. Our drinks came out quickly followed by the food a few minutes later. I was quite content with the pizza and is a great size for a full-grown man. My friend specifically mentioned this place as she loves the bacon wrapped dates, and really, you cannot go wrong with them.
Considering how busy the place was, it never felt obnoxiously loud. In general, it has a nice energy to it, and neither the crowd noise or the music ever impeded the conversation. It was a bit chilly as we were seated by the windows, and I noticed a draft even though the window were closed.
Overall, this is a nice establishment with great service and decent food. Also, given that it's slightly apart from the OldTown area, it was less of a hassle to get in and out in terms of driving and walking.
Came here on a Sunday morning while back in town visiting friends and family for Sunday brunch with my hubby and his parents. When I was going to CSU and being the cheap college student I was, I would park nearby (free parking, I'll take that over paying for an expensive parking pass anyday!) and walk past here wondering what Cafe Vino was like. It seemed so perfect.
Well we finally visited. It wasn't as perfect as I was hoping for, but it was still good. The atmosphere was nice and relaxing for a Sunday morning. The food was tasty - I think my hopes were just too high going into it. Bottomless Mimosas though - who could complain about that?
All in all, if back in town - I'd come again. I'd love to try it out as more of a wine/dessert type of meal instead of Sunday Brunch. For no reason other then that is more what I imaged Cafe Vino to be and maybe then I could say my expectations were not too high.
Another little gem in Fort Collins! We came to Cafe Vino looking forward to the happy hour that Yelp says exists...but were disappointed to then find out that they don't actually have a happy hour. No drink specials...the tapas are the same price all the time. Sad happy-hour-seeking panda.
But that was ok because...everything was still delicious and our service was great. I got the Wine Flight 4 which was really good. We shared the bacon wrapped dates (delightful) and the meatballs which were perfectly prepared. THEN we shared 2 desserts - the creme brûlée and their "ever changing bread pudding"...apple-pumpkin. Both were soooo tasty. We really enjoyed our time there.
Note: We got there at 3:40pm and left at 5:30pm...it was pretty dead. Maybe if they did have some wine or drink specials and discounted tapas for a HAPPY HOUR they'd get more people in. Hmmm...
This restaurant can't be compared to your average American restaurant if you want something different it's fun to have a different ambiance (which was very classy). We sat at what seemed like a coffee house setting where we were in deep soda chairs and the table height was at our knees so I personally was uncomfortable the whole time. As for the food well I don't feel like I got enough to eat to start (for how much it cost), and I ordered some kind of lamb taco that had funky sweet flavor that didn't seem to go with the rest of it. As for the waiter he was helpful with explaining the entrees but didn't seem too educated with the wine. I gave two stars for innovation.
Overall I wish we would've have choose to go somewhere else.
OK, a year later we went back to Cafe Vino and it was even better than our first time. Â We had a great meal on a hot week night. Â We had the Date with Bacon (maybe not quite as good as the first time - did they stop using Nueskies bacon?), Â the large artisan cheese plate, the house bruschetta (roasted peppers, house made ricotta, basil, etc), the Margarita Pizza (nice light crispy crust) the clams and tiger prawn special (in a tasty garlic-y tomato sause), and the piece de resistance - the day boat scallops. Â
This dish was perfectly cooked large scallops on a bed of wild mushrooms, fava beans, and a fois gras "butter" that was full of delish flavor and left us wanting more. Â It was an epic dish - probably the best scallops I have had forever (!). Â
To close the evening we had the chocolate peanut butter cake filled with flavors of chocolate and peanut butter accompanied by peanut butter ice cream. Â It was perfect for our party of five to split - I can't imagine how one person could eat it but if you are a choco peanut butter addict it could stop the cravings for a couple of days. Â We love Caffe Vino and will make it a regular stop whenever we visit Ft Collins.
Two days later and I'm writing an update on Cafe Vino. Why? Four ladies in search of dessert, wine and catching-up conversation on a patio. The service was again fantastic. This time we had a waitress with super fabulous hair only matched by her personality. Looking for a sweet treat, we instructed her to surprise us with four awesome desserts.
What we got: Cheesecake, coconut tart with strawberry-rhubarb cream, layered chocolate cake with peanut butter, and toffee date cake.
What we thought: Toffee date cake is a must if you're in the mood to eat your feelings. Coconut tart could be enjoyed as a breakfast option without feeling too guilty (it's the fruit component). Cheesecake with lemon curd is the fresh, light, summer option, except cheesecake is NEVER light. The layered chocolate cake is the kind of thing you share with a couple of friends or you secret eat in the middle of the night after a night out.
I definitely enjoyed dessert over dinner. And again, the wine was delish.
Wife and I had dinner on a Friday night. I really liked it. Is it a craft beer Mecca? No. Is it a chill place to get some great food and better than average beer? Yes. Our server was fantastic. Very knowledgable about the local beer scene and what beer they have on tap. About 20 or so taps. Mostly local stuff. Beer was poured in proper glassware. Split a couple apps and we each had an entree. Food was definitely better than average. Quality over quantity. An off the radar to relax, have one great local beer and a very good meal. I like.
Review Source:Had the ceveche fish tacos. The shells were nice and crispy with a dark brown color -- I think they were fried. It came with red cabage, civche, guacomole and a side garnish of lime to squeeze onto the tacos. Though, for 3 small 3-4 inch tacos, it is over priced. I had an ice tea with the meal, and it ended costing over $16 -- that's basically $5 per taco. The service was good and the place does have a nice romantic atmosphere.
Review Source:Much like a fine wine, Cafe Vino is getting better with time.
I've always enjoyed my experiences there throughout the years, writing a fantastic initial review in late 2009, and writing about their amazing New Belgium beer pairing dinner in early 2010. I've found them to be consistently creative and delicious during many visits. They've always been one of my top recommendations for date night dining and patio dining. Since their initial review, they've had some menu changes, a kitchen expansion, and new chefs come on board. Between all of the changes and the fact that their initial review is close to three years old, it was due time for me to stop back in and see how their evolution compared to my initial impression.
I really liked them before, but now I love them even more.
The most recent and notable changes at Cafe Vino are the chefs. Executive Chef Dana DeMarco came back to Cafe Vino after spending some time at Jax Fish House. She certainly brings a level of flavorful skill that is highly appreciated by discerning diners looking for a solid culinary experience. Executive Pastry Chef Mallory Wallace has created a sinful dessert menu that rivals many other restaurants in the city. I cannot express enough how smart it is to have a dedicated pastry chef. Desserts require a specialized skill set, and because of this, some house-made sweets can end up becoming disappointments. Â This is certainly not the case at Cafe Vino! This restaurant has some serious culinary talent.
Not only was every dish absolutely wonderful in each visit, but our service was outstanding. I had different servers on each visit, Casey on the first, Ryan on the second. Both made for a pleasurable dining experience with their attentiveness and genuine interactions. The perfect dinner needs not only delicious food, but delightful people. Cafe Vino has both going for them.
Over the years, it can be easy for a restaurant to get in a rut or sometimes make the wrong changes. Cafe Vino has excelled by staying on their toes in the Fort Collins food scene by making some amazing additions in the kitchen and continually working on an amazing menu. I thought I liked them three years ago, but I love them even more now. They keep getting better as time goes on!
Cafe Vino is hands down my favorite place to dine in Fort Collins. So much so that I find myself dining there 2-4 time every week. Their wait staff is absolutely amazing - they are so knowledgeable about every item they serve, their recommendations are always spot-on, and they always make me feel like family.
The food is also always amazing. I love their daily specials, and their routinely rotating menu. It's difficult to get bored eating here since there is always something new to try.
Their extensive wine and draft beers (20 local and international beers on tap at any given time, and constantly rotating) is also a great compliment to their menu. Their bartenders are also brilliant at coming up with a rotating list of delicious cocktails.
I honestly cannot say enough good things about Cafe Vino!
I went here for the first time with family from out of town. Big mistake! We saw the sign for bottomless mimosas and checked out the breakfast menu and thought it looked good.
We arrived to a less than half full restaurant and were told it would be a half hour wait. Although that seemed odd we sat and waited. The host disappeared and no one came in for the next twenty minutes. We tracked down the host and asked if we could have mimosas while we waited. He brought them out and once again disappeared.
Looking for a refill after another twenty minutes of waiting we walked around the restaurant looking for the host. We found many open tables and seemingly no staff. We decided to sit at the bar. One waiter walked by twice and made a concerted effort to not make eye contact with us. After an hour of being ignored, and with no one to pay for the mimosas we casually walked out.
The host ran out into the parking lot and said we needed to pay. We said we would be happy to if we could first see the manager. We saw the host run in, talk to the manager and then he stuck his head out the door and yelled "just go!", apparently not interested in hearing about how shitty the service was.
Much better breakfast places in town (Silver Grill, Back Porch Cafe, Snooze, Ingredient) don't waste your time.
As a preface: the following is a message to all those married and long term relationship folks out there. You will understand as you read along...
Sometimes its best to just shut yer trap, nod yer head, and say "Whatever you want, dear, is fine by me." Not always, but sometimes, this leads to revelations unexpected and pleasant, sublime and simultaneously bombastic in their amplitude. Thus, I submit the following:
Normally, I hate eggs. Bland. Rubbery. Greasy. I've felt this way about them for the nigh 38 years I've spent on this particular hunk of rock called Earth. I can count on one hand (and not using all the fingers on said hand) all the times I've had eggs that I genuinly enjoyed. Cafe Vino changed me, wholly and completely and irrevocably.
This whole thing started as a mistake. My partner and I were going out for a nice Sunday breakfast. Since moving to the Fort 6 months ago, we've been trying to hit a few local spots every month to see what all the city has to offer. I had heard good things about the Egg and I on College, so I figured it might be worth a shot and off we went.
About half way there, my partner decides he would like to try this place we've seen on College by CSU. It looked great from the outside: a largish building by the Fort's standard that resembled a huge, modern mountain home. Needless to say, I was somewhat reluctant (I had really been determined to try the Egg and I), particularly since the place looked like an upscale dining establishment that served only lunch and dinner and I was ravenous for BREAKFAST!!!!! I suppose I'm whipped, because rather than stand my ground, I relented. Secretly, I was bubbling inside with the dissapointment of a craving unfulfilled.
It got worse when I saw the menu. Now, all I wanted was the basic, standard stuff, no frills: coffee, bacon, hash browns, biscuits and gravy. Instead, I saw a "brunch" menu with crab cakes benedict, curry chicken sandwichs, duck confit, and coconut chocolate chip pancakes. (A small side divergence: they do not serve a typical brunch - e.g. buffet style - but instead just a breakfast/lunch menu.) I was starting to get a little steamed. I wanted what I wanted, period.
The first sip of coffee, however, peaked my interest. Strong, with a nice lingering bite. Good stuff. Really good stuff. I ordered "The Vino" and my partner ordered the Breakfast Croissant.
We waited. Sipped coffee. Chatted. The food arrived.
Sitting in front of me is a SMALL dish, biscuit on the side. Bacon, eggs (eeewwwww!!!!!), melted cheese, potatoes and assorted veggies. Your basic scramble. I knew this would not fill me. Bile rising in my throat, the first release of adrenaline surging through my frayed nerves. MUST....SUPPRESS....URGE....TO.....KILL....MY.....ÂPARTNER.... I Lift the fork, knowing that I will not leave this meal sated, my craving not suppressed.
GOTT IN HIMMEL! MON DIEU! YED MAI! OH-MY-FREAKING-GOD! The moment the eggs hit my mouth, I had a moment of pure rhapsody. The heavens opened up, the planets aligned, and I was one with the universe. Delicate. Light. Airy. Flavorful. PURE.
The next 10 minutes were spent with my head over the plate lapping up every morsel in front of me. If I had not been in public, I would literally have licked the plate. I might even have been tempted to eat the plate, too.
I cannot say what they did to those eggs (and the rest of the dish as well, which was superb). I thought it may have been the organic eggs, but I used to raise free-range, organic chickens and those eggs tasted nothing like these. The Japanese have a term, umami, which in a non-academic vernacular is a 5th taste that is difficult to describe but is a flavor that takes a dish over the top. Those eggs were umami.
All I could do was sit there for a few minutes and breath, slowly and deeply. I was sure I could have ordered 3 more of the same dish and finished them all.
I'm glad I didn't get my way, that I didn't go to the Egg and I, that my partner was right. For once, I was completely content to be wrong.
A few brief observances:
Decor: upscale and nice, but not snobbish and overbearing. Very relaxing. I could easily spend hours sitting there reading a book ordering dish after dish after dish.
Service: friendly, efficient. Worth a good 20% tip.
THE ONLY DOWNSIDE I FOUND: I get the whole Spanish "tapas" concept/style. But I really think that for breakfast or for entree food, the portion should be a bit larger, particularly considering the prices. I would honestly say adding approx. 50% more per order would be apropos. But I cannot take a star off for this, as I see it to be a minor quibble.
If you go, plan on ordering more than one dish, and be prepared to be surprised.
I think this place was meant for me. Â From the pasture-raised local organic eggs (Grant Farms) to the delicious tea to the oldies music playing overhead (Beatles and Herman's Hermits, anyone?), I was quite at home. Â We decided to try their Saturday brunch as I had seen on their sign out front that they use Grant Family Farms eggs. Â As a quasi-ovovegetarian (I will only eat pasture-raised eggs), I was thrilled that there is a breakfast/brunch place where I felt OK eating the eggs. Â
We were a little concerned that there were so few people there at 11am on a Saturday, but we decided to give it a shot anyway. Â Thank goodness we did--our brunch was FANTASTIC!
My husband and I ordered two entrees to share--the French toast (which the server was happy to substitute soy milk for dairy in the batter) and The Vino. Â Both dishes were so amazing that I had a hard time deciding which would be my last bite. Â Their eggs (which I ordered overhard--not one for runny yolk...blech) were seriously the best restaurant eggs I've ever had. Â This is due to both their preparation of them (fluffy and awesome) and the deliciousness that are Grant Farms eggs. Â I also had a cup of their Autumn Harvest tea with soy milk, and they gave me enough tea to brew two large cups of strong tea. Â Impressive, as tea most places will make it through one brew at most.
Their prices are on the higher end for breakfast, but I don't think they are much more (maybe $1-2 higher per entree). Â However, you have to remember that they source a lot of their ingredients from local, organic farms--good food costs a bit more, and I'm perfectly OK with that. Â I would pay more for happy hen eggs, organic mushrooms, and real maple syrup any day over factory-farmed eggs, mushy 'shrooms, and maple-flavored corn syrup :P
Since we we there for breakfast, we didn't try out their alcohol selection, but they have a good 20+ beers on draft as well as a unique selection of bottled beers. Â Also a little on the higher price end, but their selection is stellar.
We will be back! Â Definitely check it out!
Mmmmmmmmmmmm....
My mouth is watering as I write this review and dream of bacon-wrapped dates. Yum.
Went there with some girlfriends for appetizers and cocktails after work.
I had read some reviews earlier on Yelp so I figured I was well-prepared and knew what to order.
However, EVERYTHING on the menu sounded delicious!!
I ordered the Dirty Martini which was wonderful and tasted so much better than most dirty martinis which use jarred olives (at CV they use Castelvetrano olives, which still have the pits in). Yum.
Then, we ordered bacon-wrapped dates, the antipasti platter, and the portobello ravioli. Everything was absolutely delicious.
I know that some reviewers have complained about the price of this place, but honestly, I am never one to complain about spending money on quality food and good ingredients. Especially when it's in support of a local business.
I will definitely be back!
I've been there two or three times. The most recent time (two days ago) my group and I were not satisfied with what we received.
The drinks are overpriced. My group ordered a few glasses of wine and while the restaurant has half and full glasses of wine available, we were never asked which one we wanted. Considering the wine was $5.5 and $10 respectively we should've been informed about that by the server. I ordered a beer and that was reasonable priced at $4 at pint.
The food we ordered left something to be desired. Two of us ordered the seafood pasta, expecting that it was going to be a full meal. When it arrived it consisted of 6 pieces of pasta. I asked whether this was the large plate or the small one. The server snidely replied, "of course it's the large one."
Maybe when this place goes out of business something worth my money will take its place. Â Needless to say, I won't be going back.
I heard great things about this place, so I was excited to try it on a Friday evening. Â Right from the get-go, it was clear that Fort Collins as the new "it" place! Â We were greeted by two great hostesses, who gave us the scoop -- grab a drink in the bar, enjoy it out on the patio... they'll come looking for us. Â They tracked us down, and unlike some hostesses who seem to be annoyed when it's busy at the front entry area, they were very friendly and welcoming and made a great first impression. Â By the way, they were stunningly attractive (I really hope my wife doesn't read my yelp! reviews!!!)
The interior is beautiful... modern and classy. Â The bar is long, and can handle a lot of people, though not quite enough. Â Also, check out the firepit table on the patio. Â I do NOT suggest reaching across this table to shake a colleague's hand! :)
Waiting was no problem at this place... there was interesting crowd watching to do... a mix of college students (though this is NOT a college bar place), young professionals, girls night out groups, and couples of all ages. Â
Despite the name, if you're a beer guy, you'll love it... seemed to be at least 20 beers on tap, and from what I hear, a very good selection. Â Wines were by the glass and 3-glass flight (a good way to go), and the prices were right.
The food was good, but not legendary. Â It's a tapas-like menu, so lots of little things. Â Nothing you won't see at most other tapas-type places. Â They offer small pizzas, which were good and filling enough to compensate for how small the small plates really are. Â We were frankly a little disappointed with dessert.
One thing to watch out for -- there were 4 of us and were seated at a rather small round table. Â Between 3 glasses per person of wine flights, water glasses, various tapas plates coming out, we had NO ROOM to put things. Â The waiter could have been better about getting plates cleared (and refilling water) as soon as we didn't need them so we could have some room on the table.
That said, I'm really glad Ft Collins has a place like this. Â It's a GREAT choice for after-work drinks and appetizers, and any time you are interested in being around some of Fort Collins more interesting people.
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