The Cellar Lounge is part of the Ponte Winery and Inn; I spent a couple of nights next door at the South Coast Wine Resort. While I loved South Coast, the only aspect lacking was a lone mediocre, overpriced restaurant. While doing a wine tasting, we at some point commenced talking about local restaurants with the gentleman pouring our wine and he mentioned that the restaurants at Ponte were a significant improvement. I wish we had learned this earlier in our stay as we enjoyed the food, ambiance, and staff we encountered. The Cellar Lounge is below ground and has an intimate ambiance with the dark lighting and had the vibe of a sheik lounge. A beautiful wine display comes into view as you enter and you have the option of sitting in stools along the lengthy granite bar or at a variety of tables, couches and plush chairs. There is a well stocked bar (the only full bar nearby), three local beers on tap (several more in bottles) and a variety of wines by Ponte as well as from elsewhere. A wide array of craft cocktails run $12. The menu is small, but nice featuring upscale pub food ( i.e. the sliders are made from short rib rather than beef patties). 4:00pm to 7:00pm on weeknights is happy hour. One beer on tap, two wines (a red and a white) and well drinks run $4 to $6 and three food items are priced at five bucks each. We took advantage of this and ordered all three items (the aforementioned sliders, nachos and a Caesar wrap). For five dollars this was a steal; my favorite was the Caesar wrap, everything tasted fresh and I particularly loved the Parmesan cheese. The nachos were quite good too; the tomato salsa appeared to be homemade and again the ingredients seemed fresh - while there was no meat included, the more expensive non happy hour version contains sausage. The sliders again were spot on with the only criticism being that they were just a wee bit dry. While the lounge seating looked nice, we sat up to the bar and really enjoyed bantering with the staff; everyone was quite friendly and we left not only wanting to return, but also wanting to partake in Ponte's two other venues, The Restaurant at Ponte (casual setting serving American cuisine open daily for lunch, but only weekends for dinner) and Boquet (fine dining venue that was awarded four diamonds by AAA in 2012). If you are in Temecula definitely check this venue out! read more

The Cellar - Cool Wine Rack - Wine Bars Near Me - Temecula, California

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Despite the fact that it's located in the middle of nowhere, the Ponte Winery is beautiful. The moment you walk into the main building, go to your left and down to the lounge....the chic, romantic and air conditioned lounge. Your wine selection is limitless and it's all displayed on a wine wall too. We ordered the White Angry Wife bottle and it was delicious, very sweet and very smooth. For food, we ordered the Bruschetta, the Sliders and the Butcher + Cheese!! All were delectable, but the best of the three was the Bruschetta. It was the best bruschetta I've ever had and many have recommended it. The slight added sweetness from the tomatoes creates a divine combination on your palate. It was so good, we ordered a second round of it Overall, the service was excellent and you can chill AS LONG as you like, and the food was great!! We will come back again if we're coming to visit the wineries. My 3 P's: - Plating: 4/5 - Palate: 4/5 - Presentation: 4/5 read more

The Cellar - Wine Bars Near Me - Temecula, California

Awesome little bar. Walk down the stairs when you enter the Ponte Hotel...to the left. Great craft cocktails. Good food. Live music. read more

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Great service. The waitstaff here are really pleasant and friendly. The little gem salad was absolutely fantastic - I would come back just to order this. The burger was great- we had the pretzel as an appetizer and I wouldn't recommend. A little dry and hard. I'm sure if I'd said something they would have remedied it, but it wasn't terrible. Their happy hour is a good deal, but I'd suggest the full price wines after a day of wine tasting. The happy hour wines are not Temecula wine and are a little lower quality, not bad for what you pay for though. A huge plus to this place in addition to great service and good food was the availability of a full bar and being able to visit somewhere in wine country later than 6pm . We would definitely go back. Also a great walk next door if you're staying at South Coast! UPDATE July 2017 - still a good place, but I think they changed their menu. When we were back over the summer, they served this same entree salad I enjoyed before pictured on a tiny appetizer plate. About 25 percent of the size as before. When I asked the waitress about it, she told me "they ran out of bowls and it's the same". I was a little disappointed in the lack of addressing the concern, especially after I ended up ordering another meal (which I never do). read more

The Cellar - Little gem salad with chicken added. Delicious!! - Wine Bars Near Me - Temecula, California

This is a nice spot specially to grab food after the wineries closed is open till 11 pm for food I have a great pizza and really good short ribs tacos, also the service at the bar was great and fast, good spot to drinks and nice ambience with live music... read more

The Cellar - Wine Bars Near Me - Temecula, California

I've been here a few time since and everything was top shelf. The happy hour is perfection and late night live music is on point. The hamburger lettuce wrapped with Caesar and cosmo is what I live for. So amazing. read more

The Cellar - Buffalo chicken flatbread - Wine Bars Near Me - Temecula, California

A great experience every time. As a wine club member there are several benefits including bar snacks served in a trio platter. In addition, a 10% discount on your bill. Wine by the bottle is reduced to the member price (way better deal) than what the menu states. The live music differs, on a week to week basis. Anything from soft to alternative or today's hits. You can review what's being played by visiting their website directly. The food is reasonable. I have had a few of the items. I tried the chicken Marsala tonight in which the chicken was cooked perfectly. I'm in love with the salad. They utilize fresh ingredients and vegetables come from their garden. The Cellar lounge is a great stop! read more

The Cellar - Chicken Marsala - Wine Bars Near Me - Temecula, California

Been in here now a few times. It is a very nice change of pace in the wine country in that you can come to a winery, enjoy all that it has to offer and then drop downstairs for a twist and get that full bar thing you need. Atmosphere is great and very inviting. Have been multiple times, late afternoons are very soothing and you can just chill and have good drinks and nice conversation. Later in the early evening they have live entertainment which is usually very good but get's louder. Then later in the evening can get really loud especially if a Wedding Party let's out that has been having only beer and wine for 3 hours and they are ready to roll! Service is usually very solid and the bartenders mix good drinks. All in all it is a great addition in the area when you want something a little more than wine and don't feel like heading all the way down to Old Town. read more

The newly renovated Ponte Cellar was a disappointment. It went from a lounge feel to a cafeteria feel. I had a cesar salad and the Ponte burger. The cesar was not good at all, it hardly had any dressing and the burger was salty. This used to be one of our go to spots but unfortunately not anymore. read more

Gave 3 stars for a couple of reasons. 1- the smell in the cellar is horrible. It smells like an old wet dog. Kinda smells like a dirty bar like it hasn't been fully cleaned. 2-we received our food & had to ask for utensils. 3-my husbands burger was burnt so I received my food & finished my plate before he received his remade burger. That was sad. I didn't feel we had dinner together. Our waitress was nice and the food did taste good but all the other things was disappointing especially for such a high caliber hotel. Love the live guitar music that was playing Saturday night! They were amazing. read more

My friends and I came here for cocktails and wine before dinner somewhere else. Love the dimmed feel of the lower level with some couch and armchair seating. I got an Old Fashion and it was very good. read more

I'm visiting for a day in Temecula. I hadasun we at Ponte Restaurant then at cellar pointe. I have so much fun! Love it! read more

The Cellar - Wine Bars Near Me - Temecula, California

Came here yesterday for a friends birthday. Loved it. They had a band that was awesome. Jessica our waitress was amazing and very attentive. I highly recommend this place. They also have a hotel that seemed very nice. I will definitely be back very soon. read more

The Cellar - Wine Bars Near Me - Temecula, California

I came here on a Saturday afternoon while wine tasting with a large group of friends. We stopped in and had a couple of cocktails. We were served by Grace. Ironically, just as her name implies, she was friendly, patient, and pours a solid cocktail. Great ambience, comfy chairs, and entertaining music. I would definitely recommend this charming lounge to anyone. Cheers! read more

Came here during my stay at the Ponte Inn. The service was good (warm, friendly and attentive). The food was tasty. We ordered the Brussel sprouts, salad, tomato bisque and cheese sandwich. A bit on the pricey side (especially the wines). The atmosphere is a bit dark and very much like a man cave. There are some comfy lounge chairs to sit in, enjoy a drink, and watch some sports on the two large TVs by the bar. read more

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Great place to go after you're tired of the wineries, good quality bar food. They always have good music. A great little place to go to unwind. read more

Ordered molten lava cake to enjoy with my port. After 30 minutes of waiting I was served a burnt cake. I don't know why anyone would even offer that to a guest as if guests wouldn't know the difference. After notifying the waitress she said it would be 8 minutes to prepare another. 15 minuets later a manager came out to notify that the second cake had been burnt and they were preparing another one for me. Although I appreciate the offer of dessert on the house, time and guest experience is far more valuable than a free subpar desert. In addition, the one hour wait for the dessert ruined the mood and appetite for the entire evening. After an hour I received a cake that still had a crispy exterior but cold inside. Once again.., message to the Ponte leadership team - Growth without bare minimum operational efficiency is short lived and almost unscrupulous towards your guests. Please focus on "managed growth". read more

We stayed at the Ponte Resort and have really enjoyed our stay. We have been here once before but today was New Year's Eve at the Cellars Lounge it was full . They have a limited menu, food was ok. Not great but good. If you're going to have Dessert , Skip it , they come straight out of a Box no one in our party liked them so avoid the Desserts . Music was nice . Nice place to enjoy an evening with friends . read more

Wow! I came to the cellar lounge for a drink and I had the best spicy mango Margarita I've ever had in my entire life! We chatted with our bartender Katie for the longest time and she has an incredible personality! Look forward to coming again and seeing her! Beautiful paintings on the wall! read more

The Ponte Inn has a hidden gem in the cellar...The Cellar Lounge. This is the perfect place to go to listen to live music, drink a cocktail and snack on some great food. The music starts at 7:00PM so be sure to arrive around 6:30PM to grab a nice seat. Almost all of the food items are very good, and are reasonably priced. When it comes to drinks, there are plenty of choices - from beer and wine to every cocktail you can imagine, this place has it all. If you happen to be in Temecula past closing time at the local wineries, this is the place to go! Food 4/5 Drinks 4.5/5 Atmosphere 4.5/5 Music 4/5 read more

From the moment we walked in we should have known that eating here was a bad idea. The minute we sat down, the server says "Just so you know the food will be about 40-50 minutes, but it's not my fault." After a day of wine tasting, we were ravenous and desperate for food, so we were willing to tolerate the wait. We figured we'd have a round of drinks and wait it out. We asked the server if they had any bread or crackers we could snack on and her reply was "Yeah, I can't get anything like that, but you can buy chips or nuts at the gift shop upstairs." Awesome customer service, right? Finally the food arrives, two orders short and wrong side dishes. As we ask for silverware we are handed 4 set-ups for our party of 8 and told that the restaurant is short on silverware so "who really needs it?" Really? The sliders consisted of burnt buns with mini dried out meatballs and nothing else on them. They looked nothing like the pictures I had previously seen on yelp. The short rib sandwich didn't have any short rib on it whatsoever. The food was nowhere near edible. All the server could say was "Go ahead and complain because I had nothing to do with it." All the manager could say was "we don't look at the food before we deliver it." REALLY??? You don't? That speaks millions to the professionalism of your establishment. In my years in the service industry, never did I serve a plate that I didn't check for quality. If a dish didn't look yup to par, I would bring it to the chefs attention so that it could be corrected before being taken to the customer. That should be standard for a restaurant that charges $15 for a slider appetizer. Way to ruin a girl's birthday celebration. You can be sure we will never visit this winery again. If you are busy and you know your service sucks, just admit it and stop blaming others!!!! A fine dining establishment should know the importance of good customer service and should train the employees accordingly. These employees would be better suited working for Denny's. Sorry Denny's. read more

FUN PLACE TO DANCE AND PEOPLE WATCH My wife and I came here on a Saturday night. The entertainment was very good - a sax player playing to pre-recorded music. The dance floor is small which is good. Not reviewing him, but I'll just say that he is a very good sax player and everyone enjoyed and danced to his music. The room itself has a lot of character, the walls are lined with paintings by the wonderful Fabian Perez. The service is quick and friendly, the drinks are very nice and the crowd is diverse and fun to watch, if that's what you like to do.The dress is very wide open, from casual to dressy. Just come to dance, associate, drink and have fun. I enjoyed my evening here and will be back when I am in Temecula. read more

The atmosphere is great with a very speakeasy feel to it. Have the bruschetta- best I've ever had. The chicken marsala is big enough to share and is equally fantastic. Great place! read more

I love this place, this hotel and this winery. I am so happy I decided to become a member. I came here with a few friends after another friend told me I HAD TO TRY THE NACHOS!!! So we did and they were good but my favorite was the Kobe Burgers. The Syrah here is absolutely delicious. The staff is super friendly and there are nights when they have a live band. If you are in the area and want to relax this is the perfect place to throw your feet back. read more

We were staying at the Ponte Inn (which is wonderful btw) and went down to the Cellar for a light dinner and some wine. The place is very nice, although it did get a little crowded as the crew from that evening's wedding found their way there as well. The food was just what we were looking for and the Ponte wines were very nice. Even able to try some they didn't have at the winery like "Angry Wife". I do have to say though, the best part were the two guys providing the music, one on the guitar and the other playing percussion by hand. They played some classic songs that are perfect for folks who actually listened to music in the 70's and 80's! We are definitely coming back to the Inn and the Cellar Lounge! read more

I have been a wine club member for several years and have yet to experience the Ponte Inn/ Cellar lounge. Best experience I have had. The food is great! Of course ordered a bottle of Beverino. The hospitality and service was exceptional. I definitely will be back . read more

Sat at tables away from the bar and after ten minutes of no service I went to the bar to get my drinks. After that, the bar waitresses never once came over. The atmosphere is good and it's the only place in the area that has liquor. The drinks are slightly weak, however, beggars can't be choosers considering there is no one else around that has liquor. After ordering drinks from the bar, and gradually sipping it because we had gone wine tasting all day, we were never once approached by a waitress. From what I saw from the waitresses that decided to tend to customers, they had attitude. The service sucks with the exceptions of the bartenders. This is the third time I have been here and it is pretty consistent. It is a miracle they are the only place around here that has liquor. There is no cell phone service in the bar, but at least there is free wifi from the hotel you can tap into. On the plus side, there is an elevator that comes down to the bar from the hotel. Can't beat direct access to alcohol. And for those that are curious, this last time there were other tables complaining about that poor service and it was a Sunday at 5:45pm. Hardly a rush hour. The two stars is purely for decor and the fact it is the only liquor stop in the area. Claudio would not approve..... read more

Went there twice. Omg they charged me for other people's drinks the second time!! Wtf. How do they stay in business while breaking the law?

Visited Temecula for the weekend to run a 1/2 Marathon with a friend. We did wine tasting at Ponte Winery and decided to eat at The Cellar Lounge for dinner. We went on a Thursday evening so it wasn't too crowded. The atmosphere was nice...quiet enough to have a conversation. We were greeted by Katie as soon as we arrived. She was very personable, professional, and helpful! We ordered the 3 flat bread pizzas on the Happy Hour Menu, the Wine Country Salad, and a bottle of the Ponte 2012 Super T wine. Everything was PERFECT! Most of their food is antibiotic free, free-range, grass fed, and organic. We were so impressed with the food and servie that we decided to eat there again tonight. I had the Chicken Pomodoro and it was delicious! Flavor was perfect! We were lucky to have Katie as our server again! read more

We read that the Ponte Vineyard was a great place to stop, wine taste and eat lunch. Well thanks to too many Yelp'rs compliments there was a 2 1/2 hour wait to be seated to eat. The helpful girl suggested we go next door to The Cellar Lounge. It was a very short walk to the Ponte Inn and we ventured down into their cellar. It had a wonderful atmosphere and a perfect variety of seating, one choice being sofa chairs which were perfect for us to relax in. The Lounge was perfectly lighted, two muted TV's showing sports, classy artwork on the walls and enough ambiance to give you no clue that you are 20 feet below ground. Hannah our waitress greeted us with a wonderful smile and intriguing accent. She was far more knowledgeable on the wines that I expected and made pairing suggestions much to our liking for the meal we chose. Since it was out first visit to Ponte, we sampled their wines, of which Hannah was able to describe and recommend. I ordered a glass of the Super T with my meal which was delicious followed by the sparkling raspberry beverage. This was our first visit back to Temecula in ten years and the two hours spent in The Cellar Lounge was the highlight of the day, thank you all. read more

Took a large group of friends here about a week ago. Out of our entire experience at Ponte, this lounge was the absolute worst part. Like so many others customers have stated - the service was beyond bad. We were ignored and ignored and ignored. I have never been so embarrassed!! It was my trip, I planned it, told everyone how I had heard great things about Ponte, and have had wonderful experiences at other Temecula wineries. .. and then, to be ignored and treated like pests, like we were a nuisance to the staff. We were able to salvage the day by going elsewhere. Being the hostess of the trip, I was horrified and, like I stated, totally embarrassed. I will never again take a group somewhere I have never personally been before, regardless of how many good things I have heard about it. They did have a nice cocktail selection, but it was not worth the wait nor annoyed attitudes of the servers and bartenders alike. I will keep to my regular spots in Temecula from now on. read more

Let me start by saying that I love this venue, especially if I'm looking for a spot to hang with friends and listen to music that's NOT in Old Town, but it really needs to be managed better. I've only been here about 3 times, but every stinking time the service is S-L-O-W and the music is way too loud. I was here last Friday and it was a good 15 minutes before we even saw a waitress, then another 20-25 mins before we got our water, much less the bottle of wine we ordered. It wasn't that busy either. By the time our group left it was very busy, but we literally had to track down the waitress and ask for our check, then wait more than 20 minutes to get it! In my mind, that is ridiculous service. Also, please turn down the volume just a bit so that people sitting in the back don't have to use sign language to communicate with each other. I want to love this place, but they make it hard. read more

Friendly service Devin is the best! The food o my is soo good the tomato bisque is addicting the subtle flavor of what I can only engine is brandy, and the wine o wow! I recommend the petite Syrah, I can't wait to come back. read more

Nice atmosphere for listening to music and relaxing with friends. My vodka martini was just average, but my java martini was excellent! We didn't try the food as we had just finished dinner, but we hope to give it a chance next time we visit. Great vibe! read more

The Cellar - Wine Bars Near Me - Temecula, California

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The decor here is nice, however the service is very slow. I wish they had better food and less costly. I have been here many times with small or large parties. If you go too late in the evening they are out of the food that is actually on the menu. This place could make a lot more money with some tasty food. Most people go there after a day of wine tasting and they are hungry a better menu will satisfy that need. read more

While the atmosphere and service was great, I found the food lacking. The dark, intimate atmosphere and the winding staircase down into The Cellar are really awesome features. Especially the large wine bottle display. Several different table options, including regular tables, bar seating, tall bar tables, and short lounge tables. Our server was very helpful in selecting wines and seemed genuinely interested in us having a good experience. There was also some great live music throughout the evening. Played a great range of classics and modern songs on the saxophone. However, their menu is very small. Extremely small if youre Vegan. What we had: Potato Fries-typical fries with a light garlic dipping sauce. Pretty tasty. Mediterranean Nachos-While this was a fairly big appetizer, there definitely wasnt enough toppings for all the chips. Overall, only ok. Our party didnt really care for them too much. Well also ordered a flat bread, but different than the one posted on the menu here, and a alfredo like pasta that isnt even on that menu. The pizza was ok, the crust was a bit doughy. The pasta was good, but beware of the giant capers if youre not a fan of them! Overall, come for the atmosphere and the wine of course, but I wouldnt bother with the food unless its happy hour or youre starving. read more

Live music was great!!! So happy they played till 11pm so we could hang out. Food not so much. For a restaurant in a four-star hotel, I expected better. I had the salmon feticini, the flatbread, and my boyfriend had the burger. I swear the salmon was pre-made salmon. Soooooo salty and not fresh and torn into super tiny shreds. Flatbread was crunchy and bland and the burger was eh. Good music, forgettable food... read more

The atmosphere and music was nice but be careful with the seafood as they served me bad mussels. Since my husband and I were celebrating I didn't send them back but rather did not eat so it was a waste. On a better note the sauce they were prepared with was good but after the 3rd bad mussel I was done with it all. read more

Well it's a nice place and it was located in our Hotel. We were told that they had Happy Hour and live music from 6 - 8 so we decided to go. We arrived and found a table. We were greeted by a waiter who told us that our server would be with us shortly. I guess it wasn't too long before she came over. We ordered Happy Hour wine and Happy Hour Flatbread and enjoyed the music. It was a little too loud for my taste and we were almost as far away from the stage as you could get. The guitarist was excellent. The wine was chardonnay (not bad, but not Ponte's) and the Beef flatbread was pretty good. After that was delivered, our waiter disappeared. Actually, she was still in the restaurant, but never came close enough for us to get her attention. She spent a lot of time in different places, but not taking care of us. it was almost 25 (yes, 25) minutes since she last came to out table, and Happy Hour was almost over. I got up and went to the bar and ordered more wine and more flatbreads so as to not miss out on the special pricing. Well these were not nearly as good as the first one, but oh well. Our waiter came by again a couple of times and she was very friendly. Once she said she was going to refill our waters, but never did. We ordered a bottle of wine and she brought it out, but forgot our waters. She left and said she was going to get us a chiller bucket for our bottle of wine but that never happened either. Oh, and the water was forgotten again. So we came here with high hopes but it fell short, way short. Now don't get me wrong,our waiter was very nice, friendly, and we had great conversation about various things, but as soon as she left our table, she forgot it all. The place was kind of busy, but the other waiter seemed to be taking care of her tables. The South Coast Winery was right next door - just a short walk, there's even a shared road in the parking lot. So the next time we wanted to sit and get a little bite - we went next door. read more

The Cellar - Happy hour Chardonnay - Wine Bars Near Me - Temecula, California

Great drinks. Great bar tenders. AWESOME love music. The food is a bit over priced and slow. Twice we have ordered food and twice it's taken forever to get to us and when it did...it was cold. We will just stick to listening to the live music and having drinks. read more