Stopped by on Saturday night after dinner. The bartender was shockingly rude and acted as if we were troubling him to get some wine. Will Never come back. read more

Great small wine bar in Uptown. They have a pretty large selection of unique wines. There are a bunch of fun wine flights, as well. We ordered the Kalimata olive dip with toast, the burrata with acme epi bread and a toasted ham and cheese. The portions were a good size and everything was yummy. We went during the day on a Saturday and it was pretty empty. We sat at the bar and received great service. read more

The food and the wine are good. Ada sucks. She treated us poorly from the time that we sat at the bar, smirking pretentiously. After waiting for our charcuterie plate for an inordinate amount of time, we inquired about its delivery, and we were rebuffed with a scoff and a sour look. There was no apology. We were made to feel that we didn't belong. This marked a stark contrast to the other servers. They were attentive and responsive to customers without negative or even tepid treatment. read more

Service: Top Notch. The staff here know what they're talking about and have great recommendations. They'll also let you know when a wine you're interested in may be a little on the funkier side. Atmosphere: Wonderful. The decor of this place is great and I feel very relaxed here. Food: Delicious!! I don't really have anything negative to say about this place. I love coming here before watching a show at the Fox. Got introduced to a Georgian wine that they serve in clay bowls which was really neat and delicious. read more

Absolutely Darling spot !!! We randomly stumbled upon this little gem while roaming around in Oakland . My husband and I ended up deciding to have lunch here on a Saturday and it reminded me of the simple and chic yet very friendly and amicable bistro atmosphere I enjoyed so much while living in Paris. We were there pretty early and Our server/ bartender was absolutely amazing and very knowledgeable. Excellent service ! The wine selection is fabulous and the food as well . I had a wonderful glass of gamay from the Loire Valley and the Chicken Liver Mousse while my husband raved about the braised beef cheeks sandwich . I loved the wine so much , I ended up buying a bottle . Yes you read that right , they also have a very well set up cellar right in front of the bar area . I will definitely be back ! read more

I've been here three times. First time was with a group and we had a lovely time with great service even though we were there on a Saturday night. Second time, I was here for my birthday with a group again. We ordered lots of food and drinks. Terrible service and we had to keep flagging down the server for water, for more wine, and for more food. We weren't getting rowdy, just chatting and having a low key celebration. When we would ask the server for more food or drinks, the she would roll her eyes. She literally spent more time chatting with a very rowdy table next to us than us. Third time this week, we get there around five o'clock and sat inside. I thought maybe even though I had bad service last time, it would be better and I was totally willing to try this place again. There were about two tables occupied. The server came and chatted with another table next to us, didn't even say hi, offer to give us water, or didn't even say she'll be back. We kept trying to make eye contact with her. We sat there for 20 minutes...silence...we left to the bar next door and had a great time. I'm never coming back. Upside is, if you're on a first date, you can at least make small talk about how terrible the service is. It looks there are multiple complaints about the service on this site. Maybe the management and/or owner will actually do something about this? read more

Wow. In just a few years, service at this place has plummeted. Chronically understaffed by uninterested people. I've left more than once after waiting for 10-20 minutes simply to be acknowledged. Not worth it. Too many excellent bars in the neighborhood. read more

The Punchdown is now one of my favorite things. I was always bummed that I missed it the first time around after hearing so many great things about it, but now it's back in a new location. It even has that "new car" smell so to speak. They have a truly unique wine list and great flights all in different price ranges. Don't have much to spend? Go for the "I'm A Broke Ass" for 3 wines at $9. And their house wine is very exceptional and is only $6 a glass, which includes a house red, white and rose. They also have a lot of bottles for purchase to take home with you. There's also a food menu that's small, but good. The cheese plate and charcuterie were great as well as the olive tapenade. (I have my eye on you, Grilled Goat Cheese sandwich!) They also have wine events and a wine club that is pretty tempting. It'll be hard not to come in here since I walk by it practically everyday, but I think I can live with that. read more

Wine selection was 4/5. Nothing wowed me. Ambiance was 3/5. Could do with some lower lighting and more comfy seating. read more

If you haven't been since the moved . . . GO! The new space isn't quite as cozy as the old one, but what matters is that D.C. and Lisa are running it, traipsing obscure wine regions to bring us unique, funky, and fascinating wines that you probably won't find anywhere else. (And of course, they'll happily tell you the back story, with all enthusiasm and zero attitude.) White wines, pink wines, orange wines, red wines; Slovenian wines, Greek wines, Georgian wines, Sicilian wines . . . places you've heard of, places you haven't--and not a boring McWine among them. There's no better place around for expanding your conception of what the world's greatest beverage can be. read more

Emphasis on natural wines which is the current "it" thing in wine. Most of the selections were mid- or low-priced which is nice for a budget but I would have like to have seen some more exciting selections even if I had to pay a few bucks more. Service was friendly and the cheese board rocked. Several big tables for large groups. All in all, a pleasant wine bar option in downtown Oakland. read more

Five stars is almost hyperbolic on Yelp-- it's the best score you can give, thus the establishment should be (nearly) perfect... Most of the time five star places fall short. Punchdown is worth 5 stars, like actually a flawless experience. It's got natural wine so that in and of itself if worth three stars for me; however Punchdown is so much more than a great wine list. Upon entering the place you are greeted by truly happy people who are genuinely excited to serve you. For those that don't know the whole story, they were previously open in Uptown with a huge following but their lease was yanked. They had to close down and spent the remainder of the 2+years closure plotting their magnificent return. Well they are back and better than before. Proper food will be rolled out soon, but for now stop in and grab a taste, glass, bottle of wine, cheese plate, and enjoy. What the owners have accomplished is nothing short of art by offering wines that mimic the ambiance they've created-- place driven with an intense attention to detail. Bravo and welcome back. read more

I found this place on yelp, and bam! Nailed it! I love cheese and wine and this place has both plus the vibes!! I got the goat cheese sandwich; bomb!!!! I also got the olives and cheese board, both which were really superb. I can't wait to go back here! read more

So glad these guys have reopened in a beautiful spot (and it's right by my office, perfect place to hang out between work and a movie at the New Parkway!) D.C. and Lisa are so friendly and welcoming, and their passion for the wines they pour really shows. They have visited a lot of the vineyards and their descriptions of their travels make the wines that much more special. Tried a great Sicilian red tonight, can't wait to come back and try their other wines and new food menu! read more

The first wine of the evening reminded me of beer...I don't like beer. We really liked our first server, he had an amazing memory too! We ordered 4 different wines and 5 food items and he took that order, walked away and came back with everything we asked for! Second waiter was clearly way too cool for us... ignored me when I walked up to the bar for like 5 mins while he was busy having a conversation. Just talkin...ignorin. Then he came to the table with hella tude and took our order. He thawed at the end once we asked questions about the wine we'd had, which was nice because we had a good time and his vibe was fucking up our good time. The food -- we had the cheese platter (amazing!) and 2 grilled cheese sandwiches.. my friend got the apple and goat cheese and I stuck with ham and cheese, claiming that I hated goat cheese. When I tried my friend's sandwich, that goat cheese was a total game changer for me.. woo wee, it was damned good! I'd definitely come back and stick to the wines I enjoyed most and more of that damned sandwich. read more

Five stars is not enough. They deserve 8 - 10. These guys go beyond the call of duty. They know every wine and have an interesting story for each. They are friendly, warm and fun. Coming to Punchdown feels like coming home. When home is a wonderful place to be. Great location. The prices are fantastic. The wine is basically all organic. I hesitated posting a review cuz y'all don't need to crowd yourselves into my wonderful wine bar!!!!! However, it's the right thing to share with you this great venue. And it's never wrong to do the right thing....! read more

Lisa, DC, and their entire staff are all fantastic. Every time my partner and I go we learn so much about the wine that we're drinking and the wine space as a whole. Their flights are unbelievable, the menu is super customizable (can do tasting, glass, or bottle for basically everything), and each time I go I experience a wine unlike anything I've tasted before (but for those who are picky about their wines, you can just tell them what you like and they'll point you in the right direction). I couldn't be more grateful for being introduced to the world of natural wine by The Punchdown. We usually go at least once a week and will continue to do so, they're just that good. read more

Very cute little spot if you're in the mood for a flight and charcuterie board. My boyfriend and I went in and had a red flight, my boyfriend wasn't a fan of one of the reds so our server happily swapped it for another one. I would definitely go again! read more

So glad to see these guys reopen in an even better location! If you visited the previous space next to Plum you know exactly what to expect: ecclectic, organic wines; yummy snacks and sincere owners who seem geniunely devoted to the space. Kudos for the inexpensive [but delicious] house wines and the new wine store and club! read more

I tried really hard to enjoy this wine bar. My rating focuses on two areas-- service and wine selection. I went in on a random Monday night, and there was just one bartender servicing the bar and all of the seating, from what I could tell. Service was slow. I was only offered a wine list when I sat down, and had to borrow a food list from a neighbor. Service remained spotty throughout my stay. The wines. Maybe this is just me, but I was not a fan of the bulk of the wines I tried-- there's something about the "natural wine" category that this wine bar focuses on that leaves me unsatisfied. The wines uniformly seemed to be thin, light, and muted-- almost like a bad beaujolais nouveau. (Wait, aren't they all bad? :) I did enjoy, however, a really nice Sauv Blanc that spent some extra time on the lees, giving it a beautiful orange hue and interesting flavor profile. That wine was the highlight of my visit. read more

Tried out this wine bar tonight, was really excited for the natural wine selections and all the cured fish options. Wine selection was great, food was delicious. Atmosphere could be improved upon. Really bare bones when it came to decor and set up: wooden table, and chairs with no art work but grape vines on the wall. I could've used some photos of wine country or Spain and Portugal where a lot of the food items came from. But what brings my rating from a 5 to 3 was the service. There was a sign at the front that said "please wait to be seated" but no one came however a bar tender waved menus from the bar saying come in. ‍ No one ever really volunteered to take our order or check in with us or ask if we wanted another round. I had to do all these things myself and the bartender seemed really put off when i asked to try the champagne flight and for another round of anchovies. I'm sorry I had to wave you over but you never came over and checked on us. And for the flight she just placed the flight in front of me without an explanation or which I should try first. If you advertise yourself as a wine bar and offer flights then your staff needs to be knowledgeable and share the info about what wine is being offered. Also no one came to clear our plates, offer boxes or ask if we were ready for the check. All basic expectations when dining out. Will come back to try again but just hope the staff will be a little bit more hospitable and helpful and I don't know serve.... I felt like I was putting them out. read more

It's bubbly and charming and they take lots of pride in what they serve. I had the Glou Glou Light Reds and it was c'est bon! The small bites were a perfect match. I'm going again sooner than later. Stop off before you hop on Bart! read more

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Trendy natural wine bar with very affordable selections and flights. Highly recommend for bringing friends or family, maybe not kids. They have outdoor seating too though limited. read more

Affordable, excellent flights of natural wines in a non pretentious atmosphere. Great to bring someone new to the scene.

This place got its up & down... good wine Selection, but customer service was horrible Justin was so rude.. was on his phone, was hard to get his attention , my lady was asking for napkins he look at the table like we was lying or something... please can you get us napkins & after that we ask for spicy mustard he flip his hands up and snap his finger and says hold on .... REALLY wow it wasn't even Packed no reason with that bad service. I like support OAKLAND business but with people acting like this make me don't want to go there no more sad to say!!! read more

I rarely write reviews (especially while I'm still at the location and haven't even finished my experience) but this place is exceptional. Jack was beyond wonderful. Fun, good ambience, great wine, good food, extraordinary service. What else could you want? P.S. Blind taste test is super fun! read more

It's back! New, larger location, longer hours, expanded food menu, retail shop on the side, with all the great wines by the glass and by the flight. Rkatsiteli in a piale bowl, please. read more

Punchdown never disappoints. Thank you for being there with me in this particularly bad week. And hard Friday! Plus the great wine, food and wonderful new people I met every visit. Thank you! read more

Amazing selection and really appreciate the flight options. Fairly priced for the quality wine you get. Cool atmosphere with friendly bartenders. read more

Sometimes life is just fucking beautiful! I am a huge believer in the logic of nature and the wisdom of traditional cuisine. The Punch is alignment this logic but executes in a graceful and unpretentious manner. The wine experience is not only unique but truly healthful. Once you go here you will not be able to drink the shitty wine generally available in the American retail world. Try the lentil soup and chicken pate. A huge thanks to DC and Lisa for really doing something right out of love. read more

Fun interesting wines and really good service. Do yourself a favor and try the Punchdown.

Went to this place for happy hour last Friday, and had an excellent time. We were tempted away from the happy hour deals (great as they are), toward some of the interesting flights. My personal choice was the Pink Rainbow, a 4 course flight of Rose. The one thing about this place, is you have to be open-minded with your wine preference when you go. This isn't going to be one of those Wine Bars full to the brim with your California Variety. While they do have a good showing of CA wines, their jam is bringing you unique varietals from the lesser known wine regions of the world - think Herzegovina, Georgia etc - so the flavor profiles may feel pretty alien. If you're down to try something new and different it's worth the try. We also enjoyed some appetizers - Stuffed Artichoke, Goat Cheese with Wine Poached Pear, and Charcuterie Board. The portions of the food were pretty small considering the price, but they were good quality and delicious nonetheless. read more

Horrible service. I don't get some of these high ratings. Definitely don't reflect my experience or the experiences of others I know who have patronized this establishment. read more

Great wines. Really interesting stuff - natural wines. I don't think you could order something disappointing. Great atmosphere. I highly recommend this place. You won't regret it! read more

Punchdown is close to home and we love wine - but every time we're here the service is horrendous. There have been a few time where we've come in and waited so long we walked out. We've kept giving them another chance, but the service continues to disappoint. Currently my fiancé has been waiting for the chance to order a second drink for 20 minutes. The bar tender is socializing and the waitress hasn't stopped by since our initial order - and we didn't get to order for at least 10 minutes. We've now been here enough times with the same experience that I can confidently say the service is horrendous and I do not recommend it. read more

Took my mother's here for Happy Hour. Lovely atmosphere with reasonable prices for happy hour- wines $5. Had the House Sangria with this amazing goat cheese, apple grilled cheese sandwich. Only downsides about my experience was there was no heat in the building so it was absolutely freezing. Secondly, they don't carry desert wines which is my preference. read more

Damn, how can you only have 2 people working? One server and one door guy? Why not just have walk up service so people can get something to eat! Sat there for 30 minutes waiting to order and larger lady never came over but served 3 other tables that walked in after us. Place sucks, go next door! read more

Best wine bar in Oakland if not the entire East Bay. Awesome, thoughtful wine list, great snacks, wines by the bottle you can take home. Truly a lovely place. read more

It's... kind of good? My first experience here was great. My experience tonight? Not so great. I absolutely hated a wine in the 3-wine flight I ordered, but it turns out that's because it wasn't what I ordered. It was so very not what I was expecting that I basically spat it out and didn't drink it--and considered that kind of my own mistake, which is what you risk in a flight, and totally fine! Until I was told later by a different server it wasn't the correct wine for that flight, and someone poured the wrong thing. Uh, okay then...?? My annoyance isn't that I didn't like my item, nor that I was given the wrong wine. It's that I was given the wrong wine and it was acknowledged... but wasn't brought a new glass of the correct wine in the flight, nor comped that percentage of the flight. So I was served something I didn't order, didn't want it, was expected to pay for it, and that was fine with everyone. Cool? Not really. It's too bad because otherwise the place was enjoyable, if a little on the pricey side. read more

The customer service was excellent. The staff was very knowledgable about wine and its origin. I learned a-lot. I am a wine lover and had been wanting to try this place for sometime now. I am glad that I went. I will definitely be back! read more