I've been meaning to go here since I turned 21. Finally, last night we gathered a group of friends to explore the famous Wine Loft that all underage Seminoles dream to experience. When we walked in, the ambiance is exactly what I had expected. Nice mood lighting with very trendy, chic decorations. Unfortunately, for a college-student on a relatively tight budget, it was on the pricier end. Luckily, we went during happy hour, so for a glass or two it was manageable for the night. I started with a glass of their Maso Canali from Italy, which was a very bitter Pinot Grigio. Next I tried on their Chardonnays which as a bit more compatible with my palette.
For large groups, this place could be a hit or miss. They do have at least one large bar-style table, which wasn't available when we first arrived, so for the first 30 minutes we all squeezed on a couple of couches in a corner. Once the first large party left, we were able to swoop in and snatch the larger table, which made the evening much more comfortable. I will probably venture here again, I would like to try one of their wine tastings. However, I will not be a frequent customer, because as I said it is definitely a pricier option.
This place is super nice for a girls night out or a date night! Â This place is too overpriced for everyday on food though this does not suggest the food is not delicious! The baked brie en coute is fabulous!!!
The wine list is AMAZING!!! Â If you go for happy hour 5-8pm Monday-Friday, there is a discount on wine. Â Which makes the place more affordable!
Nice place to go for a first date. Â I like that they don't have live (loud) bands playing, and I like that you can actually talk in your normal voice and hear the other person too. Â There is an upstairs (outside), and a downstairs (inside). Â They allow smoking upstairs, which sucks for non-smokers, but I understand. Â Inside has some nice couches to sit on. Â Drinks are on the expensive side, but again, it's not packed, it's a nice atmosphere, good place to go for a drink after dinner to talk.
Review Source:The Wine Loft has a pretty expansive wine menu, living up to its name. The crowd seems to be mostly people in their 40's and it is more of a low-key, quiet environment, definitely not a place to be rowdy. As a recent college grad, I can appreciate the venue but it's not a place I'd prefer to spend my weekend, but rather for meeting a coworker for drinks after work.
I've been here for 2 special events and that is the only time I've sampled the food, which seems to be pretty standard catering fare.
The wait staff is kind of slow if you're lounging in the downstairs, inside area.
Not a lot of parking, so get there early or know where the overflow lot is (kind of hidden).
If you're looking for delicious dessert wine, try Fratelli Moscato d'asti. It tastes like juice.
I like it. Â It draws a pretty mixed crowd and of course has a good selection of wine. I mainly come here when I don't want to run into a ton of people that I know. Â Sometimes they close the downstairs for events (which is a huge pain in the winter because the upstairs balcony can get quite cold despite the warming lamps). It also closes pretty early. Â I'm a little more comfortable here if I'm a little dressed up, so that can be a fun excuse to get a little fancy.
Also, get the truffle tots. Â Best $6 you'll ever spend. Â The cheese board is awesome too.
We had two very different experiences here. Â At first, we sat up top and looked forward to watching and listening to the band playing across the street at Chez Pierre's. Â Alas, pretty soon after we got there the Wine Loft starting playing canned music, and really loud. Â So then we were hearing the loud band across the street AND the loud canned music. Â That was no fun at all, and the server could not have been more rude when we politely asked if there was anyway she could turn off or turn down their music. Â So we thought about leaving, but decided to take a peek at the lounge downstairs. Â We ended up staying and having a great time. Â The server we had inside was great, the wine reasonable, and the food really good and also reasonable. Â We also loved the chill atmosphere. Â We'll be back.
Review Source:The service was weak- our server didn't know much about wine at all (in fact, my friend ordered a glass of a white wine and the server showed up with a glass of a red). Â It seemed to take forever to get orders, checked on, etc. Â One of our friends ordered a cheese plate, and it wasn't worth the $13 or $14 he was charged.
The decor is definitely nice and it was great with providing seating for groups of people throughout the bar. Â It was extremely clean (including the restroom) - so I will give this place kudos for that. Â They just need to either hire more knowledgeable staff on the wine/beer they are selling or lower their prices.
I'm not a big fan. Â I feel like the place and people who come here are just trying too hard. I went to Florida State a few years back and was back in Tallahassee for work. My fiance and I met a friend here. Living in Orlando now where wine bars are popular this place just doesn't meet the mark. There wine menu is small if your calling yourself a wine bar and I just feel something is missing.
Review Source:Located on the second floor above some retail shops, nice huge balcony with high tops to sit outside while enjoying the weather. Have been wanting to stop in and check them out. We arrived and walked straight upstairs. It looked like most of the clientele were local business people.
The wine menu was sitting on the table, so I began to look. White wines, bubbly, reds all by the glass. It was not a bad selection just to few. Not enough to choose from. I did see BV Tapestry for $15 a glass. Good wine, decent pour. Prices were average to high on the glass prices. It was comfy sitting up enjoying a glass of wine with my best girl but it overlooks a main road and all you hear are noisy cars. I think they could have picked a better location IMO.
Our waitress was nice, although I did ask for a glass of water that she never brought over. I had to take a pill and oh well I just waited until we got to the restaurant. I must say I was looking at our waitress and thought she really could have spruced up a bit. She had a plain black unironed tshirt on with black shorts, hair tied back with no make up and well the place has an upscale appeal to it so maybe they should consider uniforms.
Not to impressed we left and took the elevator downstairs to see what all was down there. And to both of our surprise the other part of the Wine Loft was also downstairs. Dark, big bar, comfy couches, yes now it looked cool. So would I go back and check it out. Good place just need to tweak a few things.
Oh and the best part was also realizing they serve food. Not entree's but some really nice looking apps. Sliders, Truffle tots, etc.....next time gonna check them out.
This is quickly becoming my favorite lounge in mid-town. The only thing it lacks is life music, but that is also sadly lacking at Cafe Cabernet these days as well. Other venues offer live music, but are frequently too crowded or too loud when I'm looking to relax and chat with friends.
The Wine Loft has a nice selection of wines, but nothing overwhelming. Though he happy hour specials are pretty good, this isn't your place if you are looking for the cheapest alcohol and you don't care about the quality of the atmosphere or drinks. They offer a full liquor bar and a knowledgeable bar staff. The loft upstairs faces Thomasville Road and Chez Pierre, with strong fans to create breeze while you enjoy your drinks.