Look, I love wine, but I'm no sommelier. I usually just point and say, "That one looks French!" But…read morewalking into The Hawthorn Bottle Shop and Tasting Room in Helena changed the game. This isn't one of those stuffy, velvet-rope wine bars; it's genuinely "New York chic meets Montana," which is the only atmosphere I ever want to be in. The main reason this place is magic? The staff. We had a server who was less of a server and more of a wine wizard. I told them I liked things that were "a little sassy, maybe a bit moody," and they didn't even blink. Instead, they completely crafted the perfect flight of wine flights for us to sample. It was like a personalized, four-course journey for my tastebuds. Every single pour was a winner, and the knowledge they dropped on us was actually interesting and not at all intimidating. I learned more in 30 minutes than I did in a decade of frantically googling "what is terroir?" If you're looking for an amazing wine bar where you can relax, learn something new, and taste truly incredible stuff without feeling like you need a wine degree, this is it. Go for the ambiance, stay for the wine, and definitely let their knowledgeable service steer the ship. They won't steer you wrong. Highly Recommend: Just tell your server to surprise you. It's the best way to do it.

First, the place has amazing service…read more We had an amazing Italian wine on tap, the charcuterie, and cheese board. The environment was a perfect place for three old friends to reunite and hear each other speak. I highly recommend this place for the food, drink, and a place where your friends can have a conversation.

We arrived in 'the in-between'.. the hour between winding down lunch and the start of dinner…read moreservice. The host seated us; informed us of the timing when giving us the menus for dinner service. The menu is vast for dinner with multiple appetizers, salads, pasta options and main courses. Added to that is a great wine list and a 'special' list as well. Unfortunately for me, the timing of our arrival meant the stuffed grapes leaves were not available (they were being made when I requested and needed time to marinate and chill), so..I chose the tapenade with veggies being a GF gal. Delicious choice!! Hubby wanted dessert- our host/waitstaff was able to secure the last piece of carrot cake for him which was absolutely delicious! Wine choice for me was a French Sauvignon Blanc- perfectly chilled, excellent wine. An amazing mid day snack for us with excellent service and food!

We've been here at least five times because we live close by and really wanted this place to be…read moregood. Unfortunately, it's just not. This last visit sealed it for us. Every sauce we tried was bitter -- the hummus, baba ghanoush, and even the tzatziki, which is usually a safe bet anywhere. The baba ghanoush in particular was shockingly bitter, nothing like what you'd expect at other Mediterranean restaurants. The meats were bland and under-seasoned, and overall the food lacked balance and flavor. On top of that, the atmosphere was incredibly off-putting. We could clearly hear cooks and waitstaff talking trash and making inappropriate, disrespectful comments. It was uncomfortable and honestly felt more like being at a Waffle House at 3 a.m. than a sit-down Mediterranean restaurant. It feels like the menu needs to be tasted and adjusted by someone who actually understands Mediterranean flavors, and the staff needs basic professionalism. Even the bread could be good with a small tweak, but everything feels slightly off. We kept coming back hoping it would improve, but after this visit, we're done. We won't be back.