After a 9-mile hike, we stopped in for an early dinner. We ended up ordering half the menu and staying for 6 hours! We started off with mezcal cocktails (which were amazing and complex) and 4 appetizers: the crispy brussel sprouts, tempura squash, calamari, and cauliflower soup. My favorite were the brussels but I am amazed at the deliciousness of the soup. I didn't realize that cauliflower soup could taste so good! We moved on to wine and bacon-wrapped quail and ravioli. I was hesitant about the quail because it seemed to have a lot going on, but it all worked together very well. The ravioli was cheesy and delicious! We finished with panna cotta and coffee, and snagged a bottle of wine to go. It wasn't cheap, but it was worth it. The staff was warm and personable as well as attentive. The food was amazing. I would recommend this place to anyone! read more

Carpe Vino - Calamari, tempura squash, brussel sprouts - Wine Bars Near Me - Auburn, California

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First of all we had reservations, and I was with 2 85 year olds. The place look great when we got there, then they took us back into this cave that was cold. Nothing on the wall black tarp for the ceiling. We all ate with our coats on, I probably should have requested to be in the main dining area. We started the night with calamari and brussel sprouts which were excellent. For the main course I had the sirloin which was cooked just right, little salty. The others had the sea bass good flavor, one was under cooked. The wait staff was excellent, he did come back to check on us often. When he brought back the sea bass it was less than what was sent out and not plated up All and all dinner was good, no dessert. The women wanted chocolate and none was on the menu read more

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Yes please!!! Such a cute little find. This is the place that folds your napkin when you stand up and leave the table... fills your wine glass for you. Super attentive service from friendly, kind staff. Everything we had was fantastic. Perfectly cooked and beautifully presented. I'll admit it, I scraped 2 of the plates completely clean - right in front of the server (no shame in my foodie game). If you want an adorable little spot with fantastic food for a great date night - you found it. read more

Carpe Vino - Wine Bars Near Me - Auburn, California

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We enjoy eating at Carpe Vino. Glad to see that they are still in business and providing quality food to go. The pull pork platter is awesome. Comes complete with side dishes and dessert. Can't go wrong. Paired the dinner with a nice Cabernet. We will be coming back for more. read more

Carpe Vino - Sides include: baked beans, Mac n cheese, cold slaw, pickles, awesome sauce, and chocolate chip cookies. - Wine Bars Near Me - Auburn, California

We are so glad that you have found ways to stay in business. Picked up our dinner special curbside tonight. The meal consisted of a TWENTY-FIVE OUNCE COTE DE BOUEF, prepared perfectly over the wood stove, summer squash, roasted yukon gold potatoes, gaucho chimichurri, blistered tomato & summer squash herb butter. Dessert was strawberries Romanoff. Amazing flavors. Only disappointment is that Paul, our favorite server,was not able to serve it to us. Thank you for a very special meal. Bill & Kathy Sloan read more

Fabulous and cozy wine bar! We stopped in on a Rainey day, and this totally fit the bill! We tasted white and red wines; not just your average Sav Blanc, Chard, Merlot, etc. etc.; we tried unique local and foreign wines! Def worth a stop in on your next day trip to the area!!! read more

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Wow! This place was awesome! I have NO IDEA why people were saying it has a "bad reputation "

Our friends who live in nearby Cool wanted to take us for a nice dinner while we were visiting. Coincidentally, we had stopped in for a glass of wine on our way to their house. While having our wine, I didn't realize it was a restaurant as well. So our friends are wine club members at Carpe Diem, so we were able to enjoy their wine w/no corkage. To start, we had the cheese/charcuterie tray which was very good. Then we had the Caesar salad, whole leaf Romaine lightly dressed, topped with white anchovy. For dinner we had fish, fried green tomatoes, veggie ravioli and a hot brown (which was better than the one I had at Churchill Downs in Kentucky!) The food and service was top notch. read more

Carpe Vino - A glass of VDR, very dark red, a petite Syrah/petite Verdot blend - Wine Bars Near Me - Auburn, California

The chef is a bad ass. His flavors are eloquent and clean, a hidden gem that we are glad we found. The service is spot on and flawless. We will be back for sure too enjoy the atmosphere and delicious morsels. Me and my lady would drop a Benjamin here all day long. read more

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The food is amazing but expensive, you get what you pay for! The wine selection is overwhelming there are so many regional wines to choose from. Great place to stop in sit, chat, and sip on a glass of wine. Perfect opportunity to taste some yummy wines in a very inviting atmosphere. read more

Really enjoyed this little gem of a wine bar! My husband and I visited on Festivus (day prior to Christmas Eve) and the Christmas decorations made this place cozy and inviting, more so than it already is. If prices weren't so steep, we probably would've stayed for another round! The wine selections were amazing, but a little pricey. I had the Barbera and loved every drop of it. A bit steep at $15 for a standard pour, but again - very enjoyable! We ordered the cheese/charcuterie plate as well. It came with blue cheese (which I usually ask ahead of time in order to sub if possible). They graciously brought out another cheese (a delicious parm) that was very enjoyable and very much appreciated. Service was friendly, attentive, but not overbearing. We are only 15 minutes from Old Town Auburn and I can definitely see us coming back for a date very soon. read more

I set out to make a fun evening for my husbands birthday and decided to do a progressive dinner for him. So we started out at PF Changs in Roseville for his favorite northern ribs for an appetizer, then we headed up to Auburn for our dinner course, then back towards home to the Cheesecake Factory for cheesecake dessert! We absolutely loved our evening here! I loved the fact that everything was slower paced, we enjoyed our wine, our cheese plate and our whole roasted chicken with a side of macaroni and cheese! So delicious...everything was perfect! We sat in the back room, right next to the window...which, with the Christmas lights all around the area, was pretty! Our server was awesome and his accent was pretty great as well! We are already looking forward to date night with some friends there! The funny thing is...we lived in Auburn for 10 years...we were so excited to get out of there a couple years ago and back down to Roseville...and I always said there would never be a reason to go back up the hill...well...we just found a reason! I heart you Carpe Vino...thanks for being a part of my husbands birthday progressive dinner...you were the high light...we will be back! read more

Carpe Vino - See our great view!? Perfect! - Wine Bars Near Me - Auburn, California

What a find! I usually think of wine bars being stronger in the wine vs. food category. But Carpe Vino had BOTH an epic wine selection AND an ultra gourmet dinner and bar bite menu. Coming from the Bay Area, I didn't have the highest expectations for a small town wine bar in Auburn, but we were totally impressed. The food was on par with fancy restaurants in the Bay, and the wine list had plenty of unique international picks. The atmosphere is lively, charming, and intimate. The staff and patrons share their small-town friendliness with anyone who wanders in. It's the full package. Suggested eats: the lamb meatballs, giant mussels in white wine verbena broth, and ricotta gnocchi were all superb. The cider braised pork chop was well loved by my husband. Prices are "special occasion" status, but the quality matches up & portions are very generous. Note to party planners: their private party room is the oldest structure in Auburn, with old brick walls, dripping with decades of melted candle wax. Super spooky and cool. Ok I admit it, Carpe Vino had me thinking I could actually *live* in Auburn if I had a wine bar like this to chill at. Thankfully, we've got wine bars back home too. But we'll be back when we're on the road to Tahoe! read more

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Been here twice. The food and presentation are exquisite. This is now my new favorite place. I'm not a pork chop kinda guy, but they have the best pork chop I've ever tasted. The portions are not big, but they're big enough--and they're excellent. read more

Boy, has this place gone downhill. Went there on Friday night for my birthday with two girl friends. Had a heck of a time getting a reservation, but when we got there, restaurant was half empty. Ordered veal. Way too salty. Had to send it back, a first for me at this restaurant. Girlfriends both ordered fish. Dry and tasteless, except for salt. The ceasar salad, which used to be made with baby romaine, had big tough leaves instead. Bill came to almost $300.00 and we didn't even order a bottle of wine, and this was after they took the veal off. Waitress was lovely, but we won't be going back. What a disappointment! This use to be the best place for miles around. read more

Is it a wine store or a restaurant? Wait, it's both. The best part of Carpe Vino is the plethora of wine available at retail prices. That's right - you are not going to pay the crazy high prices of a high-end restaurant for any bottle you order. In fact, should you choose to bring your own bottle - they only charge a $5 corkage fee. That's a great deal (especially when compared to some of the high-end corkage fees of SFO or NYC). As for the food - it's great. They do meats really well. I had the pork chop and it was succulent and wonderfully moist. My wife had a mix of small plates and reported nothing but good flavors with every bite. We had a lot going on at our table with wine, food, and spirited conversation - the server didn't miss a beat. He was spot on and always available. His knowledge of wines and his command of the menu were very apparent. Carpe Vino is well worth a trip and even a little shopping in their wine "store." Wait - is it a wine shop or a restaurant . . . ha! read more

We came up from Sacramento last Friday with a reservation for our anniversary dinner. It was our first time dining here after hearing great things for a long time. We love the old charm and brick walls but the decor was a little cheesy, would be beautiful if they kept the style more classic since it's such a historic building! The food easily gets 5 stars. Everything was impeccable. We started with the scallops and then had the summer corn pasta and the Wagyu steak. We ordered a salad too but it never came out which was a bummer. The server blamed it on the kitchen but I'm not so sure that was their fault after our experience with her. On the other hand, I would rate the our service 2 stars. I hope this doesn't come off too critical. I'm honestly writing this so the owners and staff can see it and hopefully train this server better. The server was awkward, ditzy, forgetful, and not very knowledgeable about food and wine. When we asked her if she had a bottle of Pinot that she'd recommend to go with both the fish and beef she couldn't say anything other that "I like this one, it's really good. I think you'll like it." She was nice but it honestly seemed like she had been working at a diner for years and this was her first day. Every interaction was so awkward and we were really surprised by the level of service for a fine dining restaurant. Overall the food was fantastic, we joked we would just order it to go next time if they'd accommodate! read more

Good wine, good friends & a good meal. Great little place, excellent food, nicely done. You will not be disappointed. We discovered this place when our friends invited us to dinner, it's a little out of the way, but a nice drive, with a cute little downtown you can walk around & shop if you like. read more

Carpe Vino made me feel very special for my 24th birthday. A happy birthday card from the restaurant was waiting for me at our table. It is a sweet romantic intimate setting. I had the wagyu beef and my boyfriend ordered the mussels. We ate EVERY single bite because it was so delicious. We will definitely be returning to Carpe Vino because of the amazing service and delicious foods! read more

Great food and great service! A little pricey, but definitely worth it for the great food and the wonderful customer service.

ATTITUDE ABOUNDS. Had a really great meal here first time around with great service. Two other visits made to feel very unwelcome that we weren't part of the clubby in-crowd and as such would never get a seat at the bar since the dining room was full. We had called to ask about reservations ans son Drew had said they weren't necessary. This is when they has switched to small plates. Feeling welcome at a restaurant is part of a pleasant dining experience. Paying a fair amount of money for a good meal is fine but don't act like you are doing me a favor by allowing me the privilege of eating there. Too bad because we thought that the food was good. read more

VERY cool place. Wine is superb and presented by very knowledgeable owners and staff in a beautiful, Old West style bar, surrounded by witty art in a laid-back but sophisticated atmosphere. Amazing wine dinners; featuring local fare and wine pairing. Delicious and every bit worth the time and money. A 'must see and do' when in Auburn, for sure! read more

Carpe Vino - Old Downtown Auburn's Carpe Vino - Wine Bars Near Me - Auburn, California

This place is incredible tucked away in old town Auburn, CA. We would not have known about if the owner of Casque Winery didn't tell us to try it. The menu is something I did not expect to see along with the option to choose your own bottle of wine for only $5 over retail cost. We had the chicken liver mousse, pigs ears and Kobe beef cheeks. Everything was amazing. If you are ever in auburn I strongly recommend this place. One of the best dinner experiences and meals I have had. read more

We have been going to Carpe Vino for years. We recently had a special event there upon the sale of our business. Patti did an excellent job of helping us plan the event. Everyone who attended was so impressed by f the food and service. Of course we never doubted that it would be excellent, that is why we chose Carpe Vino for the occasion. Robert and Paul were exemplary servers! They were never intrusive, but always there when we needed them. The wine selection was also perfect, thank you Paul! The food was indeed excellent, prepared perfectly and served warm to our large group, which always amazes me that Chef Eric can time something like that so well! We are so fortunate to have a restaurant of this caliber in our small town. I know everyone in the room that night agrees with me. Thank you again Carpe Vino and yes we will see you again soon! read more

We've been to Carpe Vino a few times and each time we come away impressed by the food and the service. I am not a wine fan, so it took awhile for it to dawn on me that they are more than just another wine bar. But once we figured it out we were hooked. One time we came in for dinner, heard about their French onion soup special and ended up having only a small plate and the soup for dinner. Not what we intended to have when we drove down but it was great. Other times we've had the entrees and have always been very satisfied. Service is very professional and knowledgeable. Since we have been going there they have started offering cocktails so we consider that a bonus. read more

Wanting to be WOWed? If yes, this is an absolute place to explore! My husband and I sat in the bar area in the comfy leather club chairs and enjoyed drinks, appetizers, dinner, and dessert. Renae (our concierge) was confident, quality-driven, and spot on with recommendations. She made us feel like VIPs. This place is non-pretentious yet Ritz Carlton level. Pork chops will never be the same for me. Carrot cake expectations have elevated from expected to unbelievable. You won't be disappointed! PS- Ask for Renae as your server if you want an extra special read more

I love this place! The service is great. Great wine list. Terrific location in old town Auburn. Amazing food! Get the pork chop if it's on the menu! read more

Carpe Vino - Wine Bars Near Me - Auburn, California

Hands down one of the BEST restaurants! Great service, amazing food and the perfect old town ambiance! My husband and I try to eat here as much as we can! read more

Carpe Vino - Special oyster and vodka night! - Wine Bars Near Me - Auburn, California

The way Carpe Vino is adapting to these changing times is phenomenal. For a small business to be able to make online ordering and pickup so seamless is truly a testament to Debra and Drew's dedication to the restaurant and its customers. We had the ribs and pulled pork and Pitmaster Spencer hasn't lost a step despite his new fascination with making bowls (check him out on insta). The food is still fantastic and as always I couldn't leave without a visit to the spirit shop for a sweet deal on vino, a little vodka and whiskey. Well done in such a time of need we should all patronize businesses like these that work to keep things as normal as possible for all of us. read more

The unequivocal gem of the Foothill culinary scene. This was my second trip to this exquisite establishment, and won't be the last! I am not a huge wine drinker but our server was knowledgeable. I didn't catch his name because I was in awe of their mouth watering menu. The charcuterie board an foie grad left us speechless. Incredible doesn't do them justice. The pappardelle was the greatest pasta dish I have ever had in a restaurant! And the mishima wagyu sirloin was so tender and flavorful, I will be hard pressed to find one better. Bravo! read more

This is not 5 stars for Auburn, this is 5 stars for California. As we know, yelp ratings can be relative to your region- do not be mislead. This place will dazzle you. Honestly the best food, incredible wine selection and outstanding prices for the caliber and quality. I would recommend for any special celebration or every day. I spent a decade in the restaurant business, and consider myself a bit of a 'food snob' and this absolutely knocks it out of the park in every respect. The truffle popcorn is 100% a MUST and always save room for dessert. If beef cheeks are on the menu it's not to be missed. I literally cannot give enough praise to my favorite restaurant. read more

Used to be my favorite gem in Placer County. Service has taken a HUGE dive. Bartender is very unfriendly(2 separate visits). Under pours wines unless you are a "regular". Food is decent, but comes out lukewarm. I miss old staff who were vested in the success of this restaurant read more

I love this place - great food and wine menu, fun wait staff and bar. In the historic downtown of Auburn, it is one of my favorite places for dinner in Gold Country. read more

The food here is really, really good and I like the wine selection. However, I find the service to be a bit pompous and unfriendly. We always get an older server who acts pretty put out to serve us. He has a condescending manner and has a rather amateurish serving style. For instance, he put my water glass in the window, forgot our steak knives, and dumped my wine from one glass into other (as if I am such a lush that I must want the measly tablespoon of wine). His serving style is so abrupt that it interrupts conversation. My recommendation is to act more friendly and spend the money to put up acoustical treatment. It is obtrusively loud in the dining room. read more

My husband and I have frequented this place since it's early days in late 2004. The owner's son has always been welcoming and knowledgeable. The atmosphere is nice and the wine selection is vast. However, I am only giving 2 stars today based on the experience we had today; Christmas Eve (also my mom's birthday). The sign outside said they were open until 4 and it was only 3:30. Perfect timing to grab a glass of wine. When we walked in we were told by the owner behind the bar that it was "retail only" and there wasn't enough time to get a glass of wine in 30 minutes. He said this as he was pouring an existing patron a glass of wine. He said it was Christmas Eve and they wanted to go home soon. Then why are you open at all?? We mentioned it was my mom's b-day and he still refused to serve us. Another patron asked out loud, but not to us, if we were tourists and then recommended we go to the brewery across the street. What an incredibly rude group of people. I'm sad to say we will not return here after 8 years of patronage. My money is much more appreciated elsewhere. Merry Christmas. read more

We had a reservation and ordered at 7:10. We did not receive our salad until 7:45. We were not in a hurry, but nothing to nibble on for 35 minutes was a wee torturous. After 30 minutes we were ready to walk out, just as the waitress came around to say the delay was due to a large party they were busy serving. Hmmm. So they blame their poor planning on the customer. How does that add value? The mixed green salad should have been called a pecan nut salad. Just overdid it with the nuts to the point the chopped lettuce became the garnish. The mushroom soup was good . . . the best part of the entire meal. But it could have been presented better. It looked like a bowl of dark gray paint. Try sprinkling some chopped parsley or floating and shaping some cream for color. The Shepherd's pie with duck was far too vinegary. It was too sour and challenging to stomach. The muscles ... er mussels were served near cold because they probably sat around waiting for the Shepherd's pie to finish baking. Three of the twelve muscles were not open, which usually means they were dead to start--not a good sign. Muscles that do not open should be removed before serving. The so-called Tokyo turnips had too much rosemary and honey. That is all you could taste. Suggestion: because turnips are delicate, substitute honey for a milder agave nectar or mirin and rethink your usage of herbs and spices for everything . . . rosemary is too overbearing for some dishes. Presentation was lacking on all counts. Seasoning selections and flavors produced seemed amateur Our dinner and one glass of wine for two people was about $80. The cook should bring in a chef to improve the cuisine. The servers should be trained in customer care and monitored constantly for quality service. read more

Thank you to the amazing staff and Patti for making my husband's surprise birthday perfect! We had a private dinner with friends in the "cave". The ambience was elegant and cozy with candle chandeliers and they played our music of choice. The service was perfect and of course the food was delicious. They selected the wine based on our likes and it was wonderful. 5 stars! read more

If I were rating the food and wine alone, I'd give it six stars. It's a tiny place, and we had to wait a long time for a seat. The sommelier was not really interested in serving us, but he spent a lot of time with the big spender across from us. I was planning to go back for a birthday dinner, but everyone I invited refused to come with me and insisted I chose a place that's less pretentious. Such a bummer. read more

We went up to Auburn to stop into Bootleggers for their Wednesday Date Night thing, unfortunately they were full, so we tried this place. I think if you haven't been to other nice restaurants in the area, it might be something, but I just wasn't impressed. First, the menu. There are like, 4 or 5 choices for entrees, I think if I were going to craft a simple menu like that, I wouldn't start with unpopular stuff like a lamb shank or duck. In this case, 2 of the 5 were those two. Appetizers... hard to get excited about stuff made from ground up organ meat. After a lot of debate between the only two things on the menu that even sounded tasty, the steak or the "Louisiana shrimp & grits", I decided to give the shrimp & grits a try, my wife tried the steak. Both were very so/so. I agree with other reviews, I used to live in the South, and was just in New Orleans a couple of months ago actually and stayed at the Sheraton on Canal Street and we experimented with a lot of food in the French Quarter. Nothing about the "Louisiana Shrimp & Grits" tasted anything like creole food. It was supposed to be shrimp and andouille sausage over some kind of grits... similar to jambalaya I was guessing? The sauce or whatever was on it, was pretty bland. Maybe butter-based, not like the roux that someone in the Quarter would have been working on for a couple of hours. The "Grits" were like a polenta or something, ground up to the consistency of really mashed potatoes, the shrimp was "ok", didn't taste fishy, but didn't really taste like anything at all. They were the tiny popcorn size, probably previously frozen... not exactly the Gulf shrimp I was imagining. The andouille wasn't exactly sausage, it was more like bland bacon bits, and just a ground up sprinkling of it. I don't think there were even any vegetables on the dish, just the mashed polenta thing, a bunch of butter, maybe 5 or 6 popcorn shrimp and the bacon bits. Serving size was pretty sad, maybe 5 or 6 ounces, about the size of the oatmeal serving at a Starbucks. The price - $25.00. I'm sorry, but it was pretty insulting and even though I ate the thing, I left quite hungry, even after several bread plates. I think they were going for the world's lowest calorie count at the highest possible price - each warm bread plate had 2 very thin slices of bread on it, cut in half (for two of us and about a 40 minute wait overall). My wife had the "Manhattan Steak"... kind of a New York strip. Smallest one I've ever seen. Maybe 3- 5 ounces. SImple steak served over maybe 3 or 4 ounces of root veggies. $30.00. It tasted good, just really small. She sliced it thin to kind of savor it. Neither dish included a salad.. The salads on the menu didn't actually sound that appetizing, and I eat mixed green / arugula / spinach salads around 5 or 6 days a week. The saucer-sized salads are another $10 or so if you want one. We tried this appetizer thing, mixed cheese & "meats". The "meats" were 4 slices of salami, not a dry one, just a Pepperidge Farm kind of thing (thin / deli cut slices). Came with 3 or 4 crisp toasted slices of bread, 2 small pieces of cheese - maybe 1 ounce total, and a few olives and quince about the size of a sugar cube (none of this is exaggerated). $14.00. The wine, I wasn't impressed, all Central Valley stuff for the most part, I didn't see anything that was more than $7 to $9 a bottle at BevMo. The prices really were not bad though for a wine bar environment, around $30 a bottle or so. Odd, that a Mediterranean / French inspired restaurant didn't have any French or Italian wines on the menu. Just below-average "anything-but-Napa" local stuff. I was craving a good chianti. nada. I opted for the single import on the wine list.. kind of had to choke it down. Very weak, not much flavor. Ambience. Ok, so, for around $120 for 2 glasses of wine and the 2 smallest dishes I've ever ordered, and an appetizer that was a 1/4 order of a tapa downtown, you would expect a little more than a 30 inch bicycle-wheel sized table and a couple of barely-comfortable bistro chairs. The ambience just wasn't there for me. You're also kind of piled into the wine case storage area, maybe they were going for a theme, but it's really just crowded. The whole place is about the size of a small antique store. Execution - I think they try really hard, but seemed really scripted, I didn't see a lot of personality. The wait staff try to look sophisticated by delivering each other's food, like the assistant waiter would at a more established establishment. In this case, I only saw two people, and they were messing up the table destinations for the food a little. It seemed pretty strange. There are much better and well-executed places in the region - try a few of these instead: Moxie - midtown Sacramento w/ real food / real wine... Bootleggers... across the street. Hawk's... Granite Bay. Land & Ocean.. Folsom. read more

I had dinner there last night and made my reservation through Open Table. I wanted to give Carpe Vino 5 stars because the food was amazing, but the service was not very good....sorry Paul...he was our waiter. I sat with an empty wine glass twice... over 10 minutes each time. When we arrived we were sat right away which was nice, but it took over 40 minutes just to get the olives I ordered for my husband; the place was busy but not packed when we arrived. Again, the food was amazing, but the service was lacking...not very attentive and it took way too long to get our food. read more