I've been driving by this place for years trying to figure out if it was worth a visit. It's tucked up in a non-discrete brick building with nothing more than a window sign and a small patio. But from the lack of showiness opens up a sizable restaurant inside with a great selection of wines (obviously) and food. It's worth a visit!
The service was excellent as they could tell a date was going on. Bring the bottle of wine and leave us alone. We did not partake in the food, but from what I could tell in the open kitchen was that good things were going on. I'll definitely be back for the food very soon.
A nice surprise that was concealed by my ignorance for so many years. Perhaps you have the same feeling or you just want to have a good red vino and stumble to your home? Either way, try this place.
#618 I am seriously in love with this place. I've been here at least a dozen times in the past ten months and I still can't get enough. Their baked brie is to die for, with plenty of roasted garlic and apple slices to go with. I'm also a huge fan of their salmon. It's simple, elegant, and cooked perfectly each time. Their french onion soup falls a little flat for me, but it is still better than any other that I've had in Denver. Oh, and I can't forget about the chocolate cake! So creamy and delicious with every bite.
Of course their main attraction is the wine. I've sampled most of the reds and have officially decided that the Malbec is for me. If you're not particularly adept at ordering wine, the servers are thorough and know exactly what they're talking about. None of my friends have been disappointed with their recommendations to date! Honestly, I love my friends that much more because they're willing to indulge with me at The Village Cork. Plus, FYI, great first date location.
inconsistent. Â First time I dined here I was impressed; not the latest time= very lackluster. Menus were depleted and what they had was blah. Overpriced for the quality and lack of implementation. Seems like a spot that was once edgy and hit the mark and tried to rest on its laurels.
Review Source:I live in this neighborhood and was really excited to find that there was a wine bar so close to my place! I like The Village Cork but it wasn't really up to my expectations. The wine list is full of unique wines, which is great and the atmosphere is really nice, great for a date and for just getting together with friends. The food is good, yet the menu is extremely limited and very pricey. I am willing to pay very good money for great food but The Village Cork's dishes just didn't quite make the grade for me. the services was good as well, nothing over the top but everyone was courteous and well educated on their wines. I would like to go back to The Village Cork for happy hour and give it a second chance, and hopefully add a few stars to this review. I think the best word to describe my experience here was underwhelming. But, as I live so close I feel obligated to give it another try!
Review Source:I loved this intimate wine bar and bistro. Â A girlfriend and I were looking for a spot for a low key dinner that still allowed us to feel like we'd "made of night of it." Â We were recommended Village Cork and were very pleased with our decision. Â The wall of wine corks and decorations, as well as the extensive wine list and menu, helped make our dinner great. Â Though the tables are a bit jam packed, you really don't hear a ton of noise due to the more mature patrons. Â The staff is helpful and attentive and -- more importantly -- the food is delicious. Â My teeth had just been whitened, and I had to keep asking if there were any dark liquids on my food. Â My waiter didn't even seem appalled by my bizarre and high maintenance request. Â We ended up with the garlic brie starter and the chicken and a special pasta entree. Â All was divine and fresh. Â I highly recommend.
Review Source:I am surprised I have not reviewed before. Been there about 10 times. Hard to advise on the menu because it changes seasonally - which is wonderful. Generally everything is super fresh, very farm-to-market type fare. Decent but limited wine list which is very reasonably priced (although cellared temperature would be a sweet bonus). Â The wait staff are quite typically very knowledgeable, very nice people and attentive. Some of the tables are a tad small and close together, but it is a cozy neighborhood place. That's part of the charm. If you can, try to get a seat at the bar because the food preparation is behind the bar (not hidden in the back). Â Wonderful entertainment and good conversation. Lisa the owner is usually there and visits the tables. Nice touch. Will continue to be one of my regular places.
Review Source:Went here for restaurant week and it was fantastic. First, the atmosphere is very nice for a date. Â It's small but not uncomfortable and the lighting is not too dark. We had an excellent server. He gave us good, honest recommendations when ordering and adjusted the wine pairing that came with the menu so we were trying more varied wines, which still paired nicely with the food.
Now the food, it was very good. I had a tasty celery soup and my wife had the warm spinach salad. For our entrees my wife's trout almondine was very nice but my coq au vin was the star. It was juicy and flavorful. The portion was a good size but I was craving more when I was done. To end the meal we shared a flourless chocolate tort paired with a port. Â They went well together and were not too sweet which suited me just fine.
All in all a great experience and a good start to restaurant week.
The Village Cork is a lovely little restaurant that is just off the hustle and bustle of South Pearl Street. Â This is a place that I want to keep coming back to because it's comfortable, homey, and maintains elegance without pretension. Â It's a little pricey, but I appreciate that their menu evolves seasonally and that they prioritize organic and local. Â I like when I see a menu written on a chalkboard, even if it's smaller, because I know they chefs are getting creative with the seasonal flavors, and that the food will speak for itself, rather than chefs having to work twice as hard to make dull, out of season food taste good.
We snagged a cozy seat at the bar, which gave us full view of a rather petite kitchen.  Kudos for the volume of food that just two chefs were churning out  this small-space. Sitting at the bar is the best seat in the house for this reason - Top Chef...LIVE!
The service was easy-going, but we were never forgotten. Â Their wine list is unique and quite extensive. Â The food was excellent, but I was hoping the portions would have been just a little bit bigger. Â We shared complimentary rosemary toasted almonds (nice touch while you wait), a sauteed brussel sprouts dish, a warm sweet and garlicky brie dish, a petite salad, and a cheese board. Â It can be a pricey stop for just a few drinks and apps. Â There weren't any happy hour specials on food, and HH is over by 5:30p, which by today's workaholic schedules, is ambitious for most people to walk out the door by 5p. Â Even if you're sharing, you'll probably see more value in selecting the full plates instead of the small plates.
LOVE!!!! $5/glass open bottles of wine past 10pm, amazing food (a lot of which is grown by the staff and their family) and they are big supporters of animal shelters through their Vin Cru Dog wine donations. Try the Honey Pot white wine- its sweet but not overwhelming. Chicken breast is more like 1/2 a chicken and cooked beyond perfection. You'll never leave disappointed in the chicken. Yummy complimentary rosemary garlic almonds. Duck breast is so succulent. We live around the corner but would drive miles and miles to eat here. Their pasta specials are awesome, homemade pasta.
Review Source:I LOVE this place! Â Went last night with a friend who recently moved to the area and fell in love with this seasonal hot spot. Â It was the perfect fall evening to share our baked brie with apples and warm, chewy baguette...accompanied by delicious Pinot Noir. Â Yummm :)
The rain spitting against the windows, the soft candle glow and twinkly lights overhead.. The sweet sounds of Deano and Frank singin' in our ears. Â It was lovely! Thank you for making this place so awesome!
1/2 price glasses of wine during HH and their seasonal menu is delicious! Will return!
This is a lovely little wine bar in the South Pearl neighborhood! Â I met a friend here for happy hour and we really enjoyed. Â I arrived early, and the waiter was very understanding and nice to me while I was waiting. Â Their 4:30-5:30 happy hour is half off wine, which is a great deal! Â They have a very nice selection of wines, and can give helpful suggestions if you have any questions. Â I tried a verdicchio white wine that was great, and my friend's pinot noir was delicious. Â The food we tried was great; servings are small, but the garlic Brie is fabulous, as was the green bean special. Â And be sure to ask for the almonds. Â They're addictive. Â It's very pretty inside and the patio is nice as well. Â There's a bit of traffic noise, but they've done their best to make it cozy.
I'd give them five stars, but it's on the pricey side. Â It would be nice if they had a few more small plate options under $10 for nibbling on.
I did love the wine and I think for the happy hour price it's a great place to hang. The food is a bit too snobby for me. (I mean it's pricey and it makes me feel I should be the size of an elf.)
We shared a cheese plate and my friend had the pate plate. I would return for happy hour, but not for dinner. It's just not my kind of place. I will say the service was attentive, the place itself was charming, but the bill gave my wallet quite a scream and I didn't even pay.
So went this restaurant during 5280 week and as it is only a few blocks from my house walked (however as other reviews have stated parking during Thursday  nights through saturday is a pain to park here in general terms). My girl and I had this cozy little restaurant on our to go to list for a while so had fairly high expectations. We ahd reservations on a Tuesday night and can see that they are a must as this place is very small but still busy but was sat right away. The tables are tall (but being six foot ten I enjoyed them but definitely could cause other problems). I ordered the minestrone and the Beef short tender while my girl ordered the salad with housemade papardelle. The minestrone was ok (no Pagliacci's) but still good and the salad was good a little bland but ok. However the short steak was perfect with the yukon potatoes. There is one problem going during 5280 week and that is they don'tserve all their items and could tell a few regulars weren't too happy they couldn't order off the regular menu.
The wine selection, as this location was a wine bar before swiching to full restaurant, is a little limited but still found a good wine. The ambiance of this place is perfect for a romantic date or double date. The service is slow, almost european slow where you will have to ask for the check but will not be rushed.
To sum up is a great place for date night a little pricey if get wine bottle which will puch you no doubt above $100. As place is small make a reservation and as the parking can suck get there a little early as might have to walk a block or two. The service is good but it will be more european style in which at the end of your meal you will not be rushed so make sure to let your waiter know if need to get somewhere quick. I wouldn't say this place is a visit more than once a few months but it is good and definitely worth a try when the full menu is offered after 5280 week.
I enjoy the Village Cork. Decent wine choices but I wish they had a few more options under $10 a glass. The dessert menu is small but the options are all quite delicious! Service is good. Only complaint on my last visit was that after 10pm our waitress was working behind the bar in addition to taking care of her tables. Made things take a little longer than they should have.
Review Source:Lobster pot, lobster pot, lobster pot pie! A coworker had asked me if I had ever been to the VC as she was checking out their menu and saw that they had it on their menu. Knowing my affinity for lobster I was immediately sucked in and we made a res for that very same evening. We even called ahead to make sure it was on the menu - that was how dedicated we were.
So imagine my disappointment when I dug into the pie and barely found more than a few lobster morsels - at $28 I should have been able to stab chunks with my fork not hunt for a few measly at best pieces. The flavor of the pie definitely had lobster essence but the largest piece I found was the size of a dime. The potatoes where large cubes and could have been smaller as well. My coworker ordered the same and had better luck with a few meatier pieces but was sorely disappointed as well. When the waiter came back to check on our meals I told the truth and in turn was told in a dismissive tone "I assure you there are 4 ounces of lobster in there" - well they must have been in puree form because this East Coast chick knows her lobster and I'm telling you it was not in there. The waiter had been really nice up to that point so i felt like it took it very personally for some reason. After that his service was perfunctory.
Pros:
- cute, cozy spot
- great, relaxing music
- decent wine selection $8-$15 per glass price range
- local, seasonal ingredients
- complimentary olive tapanade and bread plate
- delicious East Coast style clams in a delicious broth
- nice apps selection
Cons:
- hard to find parking on a Friday night but not unexpected for the neighborhood
- high tables a bit awkward especially if you are a shortie!
- slow service - ok if you go in knowing this - definitely a laid back approach
- Â a bill you cannot read - handwritten scratch and old timey typing. We had to take their word for it as the kids needed to be picked up from the babysitter and we lost track of time.
Went here with some friends in town and it was perfect. The perfect place for catching up, very intimate with cute mismatched china and flatware. Well edited wine list and seasonal menu. The three of us split 2 entrees and the roasted garlic, brie and apple appetizer which was perfect for us. The server was great but we really just wanted to be left alone, the water was never empty though.
 I will definitely be back. Small and fills up quick so I would recommend a reservation. It is a little pricey so be warned.
Village Cork has a very suitable location on the corner of Louisiana & Pearl. The atmosphere inside is very cozy and the restrooms are well-maintained and clean. As the sun set, the waitress opened windows and lit candles on everyone's table. It was a very relaxing summer evening indoors and a perfect Friday night location to decompress.
My friend and I both wanted to check this little place out and we had a great waitress who wasn't overbearing, but also didn't ignore us either. When we had questions about the menu (which is written on a chalk board above the bar) she patiently explained each menu item to us and made good recommendations. She also recommended a good wine and emphasized which dishes would accompany it best. I would give her 5 stars for service.
The paté was absolutely mouth-watering and the salad du jour was fantastic! For the quantity, however, I think a few things were over-priced. The paté was served on a wooden, stamped wine box plank which I found to be very clever. On the side, were gherkins, stone ground mustard, and ONE dried apricot. I realize minimalism has always conveyed a sort of class (I guess), but for the price, hook us up with a little more dried fruit. I can't split that with a friend, and if I do, it feels like we're a couple of hobos arguing over a morsel.
As I walked out, I noted to my friend something that made me beam with excitement, "No television!" None that I noticed anyways. I am so disgusted by other wine bars in town that have a 60" flat screen with college football gleaming over the restaurant. Village Cork is for conversationalists. Thank goodness.
All in all, we had a wonderful experience and the staff was very friendly and helpful. I will be back, but I have to save my money first. It isn't cheap!
Pre-Restaurant week we decided to check out The Village Cork. I had heard good things and was excited to try it out.
We arrived at 7 and were seated promptly. The waiter was FABULOUS! He built wine flights for us that were AMAZING! He was incredibly knowledgeable about both the food and wine. He also didn't give us the usual half answers on favorite dishes.
The menu changes daily and the chef... oh the chef. We didn't even have the head chef... we had his assistant... who was PHENOMENAL. He didn't even have a full kitchen. Was cooking on what looked like camp stoves. And my G-d! It was amazing. He did the most incredible things with his limited supplies. The duck prosciutto was amazing. But, by far, the duck and white truffle pate was insane!! We could have eaten it all night. The waiter told us it would make our socks roll up and down... it did. My socks came off a danced a little jig. I am running out of adjectives. It was amazing.
For the main course, we had the chicken, veal meatballs, crab enchiladas, and roasted vegetable mac and cheese. They were all incredible. The Mac was thick pieces of pasta. Very unusual and I think homemade. Delish!
All in all, it was an incredible dining experience. This isn't a place to come when you have to get home, leave your watch in the car. Take your time, experience your food and wine. It is a stunning experience. Delicious from soup to nuts.
I have plans to go back and just sit at the bar, drink wine, and eat that pate. If you appreciate food or are a foodie, you have to visit. End, Fin, Omega, Nuts. Period.
We had the most ridiculous experience at The Village Cork last night. Â When our bill arrived, it was impossible to decipher. Â When we finally got the server to re-write it so that items were on the same line (and same page) as their cost (This is not too much to ask!), the total was wrong. Â I'm not talking about a few dollars here. Â Her total was almost $150 OVER what it actually added up to be. Â It's no wonder we were confused! Â It took us an hour to figure out the bill situation, and I left wondering whether the server was a moron or truly trying to screw us over. Â I could go on about the poor service but will leave it at this: Â I will never go back and certainly would not recommend this place to my friends.
Review Source:I don't know why there is two listings for this place, but to ensure I am reviewing the correct one, I will reiterate what was said previous.
We stopped in for happy hour yesterday to quench our thirst before moseying down Pearl Street for dinner.
Upon walking in, my first impression of the restaurant is that it is a very quaint and cozy establishment. I had an impression that the front part of the restaurant was there only tables, however, the place is quite deep and sits more tables in the back.
We sat at the bar and were greeted from the first step in the door. Our bartender / server was very knowledgeable and steered us into the perfect direction of some delicious wine choices! We started out by having a glass of the Infinite Monkey Theorem malbec, which was an awesome decision! I have heard a lot of buzz with this newer local winery and have been dying to try out there talked up libations.
We finished our glass of malbec and agreed that we had a little bit of time for a second glass. Wanting to extend my palate and experience some more delicious wines, I decided to try something different. The bartender recommended an old world zinfandel which wasn't on their menu yet (it was a newer wine they received and are pouring). This second choice was also out of this world! Big, jammy, fruit forward - one of the better zinfandels I have sampled!
We didn't eat dinner at this establishment, however, based on their wine choices, I wouldn't doubt that the food would be as equally as amazing! The service was excellent and very attentive, always ensuring that our water glasses were full. I cannot wait to come back and sample their fare even further on our next food adventure!
The main reason that I go to wine bars is for the atmosphere. Village Cork has a relaxing, eclectic atmosphere and a nice wine list to boot. Â
I went to Village Cork for after dinner treats last weekend. Â The server was immediately attentive and gave us great wine suggestions. Â My sister, who was in town from San Francisco, was impressed by the wine list. Â It is very hard to impress Californians.
After our wine came, we ordered peach  zucchini bread with lemon curd and gelato. Such a unique, not-too-sweet dessert!  We loved every bite, although there was so much that we couldn't finish it.
Since it is just around the corner, I have a feeling that I'll be back to Village Cork as often as possible!
Went here for girl talk and wine last Monday night. Â We had an AWESOME bartender/waiter who recommended just the right wines for my flight. Â I just told him I like dry reds that are big and he came up with just the right selections. Â I think his name was Charlie? Â Anywho, me and my friend just sat there and talked for hours while drinking wine of course! Â He was friendly and attentive but never intrusive and the atmosphere was quaint and comfortable. Â We had a great time, but never got around to ordering food-that's why I'm giving 4 stars...gotta try the food too.
Review Source:Nice atmosphere, somewhat eclectic selection of wine by the glass. Â Reasonable pricing. Â Good selection of tapas, albeit a bit on the pricey side. Â We had the cheese platter - interesting choices of cheese, small amount, but it was a great day so everything tasted great!.
Service was attentive. Â If you want a nice place to meet, sip some wine and relax - this is perfect
This wine bar is very cozy. It's comfortable and homey. It is however pricey on the wines (and that is all they serve for alcohol). I was pretty bummed out to find that you cannot get a flight of wine on a Friday or Saturday night, as that is one of my favorite things to do at wine bars. We did have great service though, always had wine if we wanted it and even full water glasses. Ok cheese selection but the pieces you get for the money are tiny! Â We might come back again if in the area, but Denver has a ton of great other wine bars that are far more economical.
Review Source:WOW I don't think I have had such bad service in my  life, so bad I joined YEP to let everybody know. My friend suggested that we go there for HH and it is a nice looking little wine bar that had good HH wine prices and cheese. But the waitress was not competent on her wines or cheeses. Later on the chef came over and had to tell us. (Which I am greatfull for) Â
Every time we needed to ORDER some more wine or cheese we had to FLAG DOWN our waitress, and when we asked for another glass of water she said "I'll be with you in a moment as she is looking at us". So we tried every person at the table asking for service but it took our fourth person before we got any warmth out of the waitress. Oddly enough the owner cam over and was a little nicer, but had a chip on her shoulder as well.
For as small as the restaurant is, she should be greeting everybody and thanking them for their business.
Long story short we spent 150.00 on wine and cheese, then ventured over to  Sketch Wine bar on 1st and Lincoln across from the Hornet.
All I have to say is great FRIENDLY and Personable bartenders Ben and Vickie took us in with open arms. I can highly recommend stopping by and enjoying the modern but quaint place.
Over the past eight years, I've saved every cork from every bottle of wine opened in my home - I throw them in a narrow drawer in the kitchen. Â Well, that drawer is close to full at this point. Â Suffice it to say I LOVE WINE! Â I don't know much about it, however, and when it comes to ordering it, I get nervous and conservative - only ordering Cab's or Pino's. Â
Village Cork is a wine bar minus the attitude. Â The quaint room doesn't have a poorly placed table in it - each one is rock star seating. Â Our server was laid back, knowledgeable, friendly, and efficient. Â What more could you ask for? Â He made some great wine suggestions to go with our cheese plate, and made sure to check in on a regular basis without being pushy. Â
It's been a while since I've been in - looks like I have a destination for this weekend!
The best thing about this place was the somewhat overpriced duck and truffle paté ($12) served up with a couple of glasses of one of their red wines that was described as containing a blend of nebbiolo, dolcetto, and 2 other varieties of traditionally Italian grown grapes I now can't remember (at $10/glass). Â
Good, but when you added the little blue cheese plate I got, the less than 2 hours of drinkin' and nibblin' came to over $50 (OK, Â OK, I guess I did also have a glass of Australian sauvignon blanc to start things off). Â
In the end, I called it dinner, left my friends, and went home satisfied.
I'm givin' this place 3.5 stars and rounding down because one of the servers was a tad ungracious--(is that a word?). Â But I'd try it again. So if you haven't been there, it's worth a shot. Â
Hmmmmm,  ya know, in looking back on it, it was kind of like this review: Nothing special but A or  B-OK.
Not a great experience - nice decor, but disappointing wine selection and very over-priced food menu. Â The antipasto platter was a bit meager and hardly worth the $21. Â The lobster dish was cold (and not meant to be). Â The waitstaff was quite good - if they could elevate their offerings and improve the value, it could be great. Â Until then, I'd look elsewhere - Denver has plenty better to offer.
Review Source:The Village Cork is warm, cozy and quiet - a perfect place for an intimate glass of wine with a special someone or, as in my case, a nice environment to have a long conversation and catch up with an old friend. Â Our server, Melissa, was really knowledgeable and helpful. Â We both had a flight of reds - Melissa helped us with our choices. Â But this is too pricey of a place for me to visit more than once a year. Â The cheese platter we ordered was so skimpy! Â Really no reason I can think of for such small portions of cheeses. Â So that was really disappointing. Â But, if I ever have a date again, this would be one place I would bring her to for a lovely glass of wine!
Review Source:I love, love, love wine, so any place that serves wine is already a winner in my book. Â The ambience was incredible! Â So romantic, peaceful, warm and welcoming. Â This bar was much larger than I'd expected. Â I especially enjoyed all the details they put into the decorating, from the doors made of wooden wine crates to the mismatched antique plates. Â
Our server was okay, no complaints, just average. Â The wine was great and on sale. Although they were out of the first wine we'd requested. Â The cheese plate was just an embarassing display of three tiney chunks of hard-as-a-rock cheese. Â I attempted to cut the tiney rock they called cheese and it flew on the floor it was so hard. Â It was more like an apple and nut plate, which made me sad because I wanted cheese!
We stumbled upon The Village Cork after grazing at Izakaya Den.
After a very light meal of small plates at the Sushi Den's sister restaurant, we decided to take a walk down Pearl St. in-search of an after dinner drink.
Small and easy to miss if not on foot, is the tiny wine bar who's emulating a Parisian Cafe. Â Adorable inside; simply decorated, with a less is more atmosphere.
A minimalistic bar serves as the brain of the operation, and is the focus of the cafe. Â Everything comes from the bar area, your servers, your food, and your drink.
While they do have a full bar, and serve a bit of food: Â wine, beer and coffee seem to be their forte'.
The nice surprise of the evening, other then sampling some yummy wines that I wouldn't normally try, was the tab.
Turns out that us night owls are rewarded with $5 glasses of wine should we be flexible and adventurous and drink from an open bottle.
Instead of corking the bottles from that day, The Village Cork discounts those wines in order to get rid of them--like those 1/2 price bagels at 3pm.
LOVE THAT !!
The Village Cork reminds me of wine bars you can find in France. It has a little outdoor patio, laid back ambiance, really good wine, great service, conscientious servers, and is a great place to go with someone where you just want to talk. It also is easy to find and central if you have friends who live North while you happen to live South. I've been there several times, and its always a great evening. They aren't open very late during the week (10 I think) but last time I was there they stayed open until the group was ready to leave...no pressure or hurry. Its just really cool. But don't go there yourself or tell anyone about it.
Review Source:Can be summed in one word, "quaint". Â Seems to be a perfect place for girls night out for those girls who don't want to don sequins and sip something that has an umbrella. Â The staff is pretty knowledgeable and allows the people to enjoy and converse without being intrusive. Â The kitchen is non-existent and everything is prepared in the little space right between the two-sided bar.
The wine list changes every couple of months and at this moment they have a rose wine for the benefit of breast cancer research.
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