I had parked nearby, so decided to check out Ristretto before heading back onto I-5 yesterday…read moreafternoon (3/29/25). I liked the interior brick walls and the abundant support for indie artists seeing artwork on display and merch for sale. There were coffee roasts from Victrola and a decent selection of items in the pastry case. Various seating arrangements from two tops, community tables, and counter seating towards the entrance. Overhead music was not discernable. Clean restroom which was appreciated before the drive back home. Pleasant service and well crafted mocha.

Justlike the other reviews say, super cool, eclectic coffee shop, and wine bar. I don't know if…read morewould call it so much a wine bar... as they only have a few wines to offer. That being said, the coffee is handcrafted and incredibly tasty! Really a good cup. The reason that I went with the 3 star is because the service was almost negative. They just weren't really kind or could care less if we were there. Which takes away from the overall experience.

Great wines and phenomenal charcuterie boards…read more The owner is a retired chef who's passion is wine (and pairing it with delicious things). I stopped by for a glass of wine and ended up leaving with 2 bottles plus a new appreciation for Washington GSMs and pinots! Purchased a 2017 GSM (grenache-syrah-mouvedre) from Latta, Columbia Valley AVA ($25) and a 2019 Syrah from Rockgarden Vineyards, Walla Walla AVA. Looking forward to trying both soon! Definitely splurge in the charcuterie boards; they are works of art!

My Queen and I stopped by at 6:58 to grab a bottle of wine, since the sign said open. There was a…read morerope across the entrance, however there were people inside at a table as well as outside.. Can't say for sure, but all the people there were Caucasian and we are not, sooo... Gonna take a stab in the dark, but I bet the owner is white too, which could mean our money isn't good there.

For my daughter's 21st birthday we chose wine tasting with family and friends. Angela was AMAZING!…read moreShe created 3 wonderful charcuterie boards full of delicious different cheeses, meats and treats... service was impeccable and fun., the ambience was perfect for our party with every detail checked. Definitely recommend Wine by the bays whether you're looking for wine with friends, a date place or your daughter's private party wine tasting they did not disappoint. To top it off they had a great little gift/candy shop inside.

Great pacific NW wine selection, reasonably priced tasting flights and awesome charcuterie boards…read more Cozy environment and very friendly service.

Finding a table for three on Valentine's Day without a reservation usually ends in heartbreak, but…read morewe lucked out here! Despite it being a busy holiday evening, we were seated immediately. The vibe was lively but comfortable, with most tables and the bar filled. Since we visited in February, we leaned heavily into their specials menu. We skipped the small plates and went straight for the mains: the Greek Salad with Steak, the Steak and Gorgonzola Flatbread, and the Vine Burger. Every dish was a hit, though my wife found the red wine vinaigrette on the salad to be just "okay" rather than great. For drinks, we stuck to the mocktails. We tried all three on the menu, and the Blueberry Mule (ginger beer based) was the undisputed winner. We'll have to come back for the cocktails another time since they looked promising! We capped the night with the Apple Blossom pastry with vanilla ice cream--it is a total "must-try." Overall, the service was courteous, the ambiance was spot-on, and parking was a breeze. We'll definitely be back!

Such potential! Went for lunch. Didn't have a cocktail but saw several made. They looked good…read more Service wasn't very good. Not sure why, it wasn't busy. I had soup and salad. The soup of the day was fantastic. A sausage, potato and kale soup. Warm, comforting and delicious! The salad was somewhat disappointing. I ordered the quinoa kale salad, with a citrus vinaigrette. There was a little quinoa and kale on top of a large amount of romaine. Not what I expected. It was also served stuffed into a small, tall sided bowl with the dressing on the side. How exactly are you supposed to dress it and eat it? My friend had the burger and fries. The burger was half the size of the bun. She literally removed 50% of the bun. It was also extremely well done. The fries were cold. They don't have decaf coffee, but I was able to order mint tea. It was brought in a cup that smelled like old coffee. The table had been cleared and I had no napkin and he didn't bring one with the tea. There was a slice of lemon I didn't want and I had no place to put it. There is potential here, I hope they pay more attention to providing a quality experience and food.

A great little wine shop with an outdoor deck and seating and a nice selection of white and red…read morewines by the glass. The furniture outside could use an update but the views are great of the shops, marinas and the channel. Prices were reasonable. The shop is filled with a great assortment of wines. Staff was friendly enough but not very engaging. They offer some meat and cheese boards to go along with your wine. A wonderful, relaxing experience.

Never a bad time here. Fantastic and knowledgeable staff, fair prices, extraordinary views,…read moreexpansive selection. 10/10 will return.

Starla's Tavern is incredible! I loved Blotto on Capitol Hill in Seattle and was so sad when they…read moreclosed. But I was so happy when I saw that Starla's Tavern was opening in Bellingham! The menu is much the same, and executed flawlessly. We had the Pepperoni & peppers pizza, with pepperoni that cups perfectly and just the right amount of Mama Lil's to make it interesting but not too spicy. The potato leek pizza was delectable, and the Blotto burnt potatoes with Labneh and chili-vin has my mouth watering just writing about it. Paired with an exceptionally funky Orange wine, this will be my go-to whenever I'm in Bellingham. Be mindful the place gets busy! Staff is kind and efficient. You'll love this place!

Cozy, casual wine bar but that dinner mean lack luster or boring. A strong wine line up is…read moreavailable for selecting from the board inside with help from their knowledgeable staff, if needed. Wine pours, or bottles, are served up alongside changing plates of bites that are great for snacking or sharing. This is the perfect spot to sit and share wine, food, and a good time with your friends or family and maybe relive some of Blotto's good ol' times. Like what you drank? They offer a well curated selection of bottles for retail, mostly from Europe. This neighborhood bar hits the spot.

Great place to enjoy a glass of wine and a snack after a hectic day of tiptoeing through the tulips.read more

This place was okay! We went for a snack on the water and this was the perfect place for it. There…read moreare patio seats looking over the water and we heard there are frequent otter sightings here (though we didn't see one). They have a great, inexpensive and unpretentious wine list with plenty by the glass. We split a glass of rose and it was lovely! The food was just okay. They bragged about having large portions but our $18 cheese plate was a small snack for sure. It also said it came with fruit and chocolate and they only brought out the cheese, crackers, and nuts. Not sure if they were out, we didn't have enough time to talk to our server to figure this out. The servers were all in a huge hurry and missed a lot. I know they were busy and don't completely blame them, but it was definitely amiss. They asked if we wanted more wine and we said no, so they cleared our food quickly even though we were still eating. They also put a reserved sign on our table while we were still there (we only stayed maybe 25-30 min) and told us that someone else wanted our table. It was kind of rude and we felt super rushed by the servers. We really felt like we were being hurried out and didn't get the full experience. They also took our water glasses and dumped them on the ground next to us while we were still sitting and before we were done. They could not have been more blatant about wanting us to go even though we weren't there long. I would probably revisit on a slower day to see if things improved, but the service wasn't great.

In a word: WOW! This was a mighty impressive event and I will definitely be adding it to my list…read moreof can't-miss festivals. Held at the absolutely GORGEOUS Eaglemont Golf Club, the Skagit Wine & Beer Festival features wineries, distilleries, breweries, cideries and tons of food. And it's all-you-can consume! Nope, they don't give you a limited amount of tasting tickets. You can enjoy as much (or as little) as you want (including the food). Since I was the designated driver, I definitely spent more time stuffing my face with food samples than wine/beer/spirits, and left feeling like I wouldn't need to eat for several days. The venue is spectacular, with its sweeping views to the west, over the sound and towards the stunning Olympic mountains. Held on two levels of the golf club, the top floor is full of wineries and distilleries. The bottom level features mostly breweries, with a few cideries sprinkled here and there. The food stations are on both levels, and I enjoyed everything from a deconstructed nacho plate by Max Dale's Chop House to a delicious pork taco from COA Mexican Eatery. Other eats included sliders from Skagit River Brewing Co, Indian food from Taste of India, and nibbles from Eaglemont's own restaurant: Fireweed Terrace. There were also cheese/charcuterie samples from Whole Foods, and chocolates from Forte Artisan Chocolates. I'm sure I'm missing a few - I was in too much of a food coma to note all of the options! The VIP room was in a separate area and featured even more food, plus pretty much all the chocolate and candy you could ever want. It was a nice place to sit and relax away from the growing crowds once the doors opened for General Admission. There were also some raffles and a free photo booth with goofy props, plus a huge "store" area where you could buy bottles from your favorite vendors. I can't wait to go back next year! And next time, I'll bring my own driver (or take an Uber) so I can enjoy more of the alcohol samples.

The wine flowed with ease and the beer was poured with a heavy hand into each person's…read morecommemorative festival glass. Tickets were about $60, but I managed to win mine at a Yelp event earlier in the month. The wineries and distilleries were on the 2nd floor, and the breweries were on the 1st floor. Many heralded from Skagit County (Glacier Peak Winery, Valley Shine, Farmstrong, etc.), but there were several from Whatcom (Bellewood Acres, Aslan, Samson, and Wander) and King Counties (Elysian and Fremont) too. All but one or two were from Washington state. Most of the wineries offered 4 different varieties for tasting; whereas the breweries were more likely to have just two choices: one light (ambers and lagers) and one dark or hoppy style (stouts and IPAs). If you liked what you were drinking, you could go back for more. If not, each table had a bucket where you could dump the excess. Vendors were great about rinsing the glasses with water before each pour so you could enjoy their special offering. Interspersed between the vendors were restaurant representatives handing out small samples of their food offerings. These included BBQ chicken (which was always drawing a line and ran out seconds after the chaffing dish arrived), pulled pork sliders (tender, flavorful and moist), Indian chicken marsala (spicy and warm), and pork belly served on polenta with a spicy pesto (elevated and unique). Forté had samples of chocolate and the chocolatiers, a husband and wife team, were there answering questions and selling their sweet bars of perfection. All were delicious and paired well with the liquid libations flowing freely. An onsite store was available so people could purchase the flavors they became enamored with during the evening. No sales tax and a 5% discount made this the cheapest way to stock up on your "liquid therapy" for dealing with in-laws during the holidays. Skagit Media Marketing captured the fun with a free photo booth. Groups of friends grabbed props and donned costume ware for silly photos. I guess the amount of drinking will be in direct proportion to just how goofy the photo results are. I'm afraid to look on Facebook! Uber was nice enough to throw in a $20 discount on your ride home. Hopefully lots of people took advantage of this as there didn't appear to be any perks for designated drivers other than bottles of water available to all. Personally I left with a grin plastered on my face. Sampling so many varieties of wine and beer was a contributing factor, but what really brought about the happiness was winning one of the raffles. I bought 4 tickets for a grand total of $20, and I walked away with a new television and Blu-Ray DVD player. The Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce staff were nice enough to help me squeeze it into my compact car. I'd like to send a shout out to them for putting on such a fantastic event.