What a darling little wine bar! It's everything you want from a wine bar- an excellent, different, and interesting by the glass list (don't worry- it has the basics like bubbles, rose, sauv blanc, Pinot and cab- just lots of unique ones too), a really good cheese/charcuterie board, and excellent food (small plates and entrees with a good mix of unique/interesting and approachable for picky eaters). Inside it is elegant but cozy. I made it for happy hour on a Sunday and started with the snack plate (big hunk of good bread, some cheese, pickled carrots, dates and duck prosciutto)and the yellowtail lettuce cups, as well as a flight (you pick 5 of any of the by the glass wines). Then I had another glass of the merlot blend (so interesting) and shared the cheese board. It's diy- you pick 1-3 cheese and/or 1-3 meats and it comes with bread, pickled veggies, pistachio cream, garlic confit, candied nuts etc. The balsamic onions are some of the best things I've ever eaten and the cheeseboard has to be the best in town! The staff was super friendly and knowledgeable and totally on top of service too. It was pretty empty on a sunny Sunday afternoon, which was nice but it deserves to be packed all the time! read more

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Walking down Newport we were pleasantly surprised to see a wine bar amongst the taco shops and various other bars. I'm not in OB often, so we chose to take advantage of their Felix Hora, 4-6 Sat and Sun, 3-6 M-F. Classy, calm and relaxing. I had a glass of Gamay. Our server highly recommended the steak frites. We were short on time, but were definitely glad we popped in. Hopefully I can get back soon to have food off the menu. read more

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Decent restaurant, a little too nice, imo, for OB. The restaurant gets warm during summer nights and due to no insulation it gets loud. Aside from the points above the food here is pretty solid. It's a blend of Luigi's with a touch more class. Portions are a bit small, two can split the seared and raw section. We ordered 3 and were still hungry after. Service is nice. 2 people handling the wine bar and the seating. It's consistent and friendly but could be a touch faster. read more

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Our favorite wine bar in OB, since Gianni Buonomo re-located. Luigi is such a great guy, great quality, unique wines, and tasty food. All reasonably priced. Friendly servers, too. Everything is good. We have had the charcuterie board, which is great to share. Last night we had the happy hour Shishito peppers, seated yellowtail on lettuce wraps will be delicious sauce, and steak with frites . We shared a bottle Sangiovese from Santa Ynez, and everything was wonderful. Totally recommend! read more

Vinum Locus - Steak frites; great flavor; wish the frites were a little crispier. Paired with a great bottle of Sangiovese from Santa Ynez - Wine Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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SO GOOD! This is a hidden gem for sure! Wines are between $13-$18 per glass. We got the wine flight, where you can pick 5 of any of the wines they have available. They also have a charcuterie option with multiple different amounts of meat/cheese items that correlate to the price. It comes with a huge variety of other sides that include pickles items, nuts, spreads, etc. everything tasted so fresh and delicious! The ambiance was so cute and service was super friendly and helpful. We definitely will be coming back many more times!! read more

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Always phenomenal food. Great service. I go back a few times a month to try the various specials. The ladies behind the bar are great at suggesting wine based on your preferred tasting notes. read more

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Food was fantastic! My friends and I enjoyed the variety of small plates to share. Each one is special and delicious! read more

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I love this place so much! I had to bring my mother in law. She is hard to please but this place was a hit! She loved it! Every single dish was wonderful! And the server was as sweet as last time. I will be back soon. read more

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This is a great spot to grab a happy hour glass of wine and some small plates. Honestly when you walk in you don't even know you're in OB anymore (I love the OB charm but I don't mind a change of scenery too). They have weekend happy hour on both Saturday and Sunday til 4. We tried the meatballs, shishito peppers and seared tuna for small plates. They are were very tasty. For wine I chose the red blend from Paso Robles (a nice pour). Service was very friendly and knowledgeable. read more

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What an absolute gem this place is! From service, to food (elegance and flavor) to wine. Menu is curated monthly and based on my one experience is so intriguingly thought out. I am so so so impressed. It's very cute inside and the people watching from the window is top notch. I will be back. read more

What a treat! Another Ocean Beach gem I was finally able to check out. I've walked by Vinum Locus so many times chasing sunsets at the beach and finally stopped in for some good grape juice! Ha Vinum Locus is small, intimate yet casual wine bistro right off Newport. Staff were super helpful in matching wines to your palate and the chef is curating what seems to be daily specials and small bites that pair well with any wine preferences. The stone fruit bruschetta and the sea bass entree were the perfect pairing to my wine flight. Absolutely will stop back in to try more of the menu! Definitely add this one to your wine bar list! read more

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Great happy hour!! Love the rotating menu. We tried the meatballs and the stuffed dates and of course the bread. It was all delicious. The staff was really attentive. Can't wait to come back and try their charcuterie board! read more

My husband and I were looking for a fairly nice dining experience for New Year's Eve and stumbled upon this place. Unfortunately we we're a little late and weren't able to die in here, but it's been on my mind since! So finally we made our way back and finally got to dying here this past thursday! I believe our server's name was alexis, she was super nice, hospitable, warm and welcoming, and knowledgeable about the menu and whines. I honestly had high expectations of this place and was so happily impressed that it lived up to my impression! My husband ordered a glass of white wine that he loved so much he bought a bottle before we left (btw some bottles are 20%)! It seems the charcuterie board is a signature item since it is displayed in detail on their back wall, although we felt like that might have been a little too much in addition to some Main dishes. Instead we ordered the olives, the stuffed dates, two caviar hash browns, the red and purple carrots, and I ordered the Beet and goat cheese salad with New York strip on the side and my husband ordered the main dish New York strip. I loved everything we ordered! I was so happy, everything had such a wonderful combination of flavor. We just moved to OB and I'm really excited to make this a new regular spot for my husband and I. If you're looking for a nice dining experience, that is a little hole in the wall, and affordable, this is the spot! read more

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I can't say enough about the wines, the staff, the service, food and setting. This is our favorite place in OB if we want to get some incredible food and have a knowledgeable staff pair some really great wine with it. We enjoyed the Valentines meal / playing tonight and were blown away. A nice, slow, meal with excellent wine pairing to some meticulously crafted the plates in a 5 course dinner. We've eaten at most every establishment in OB. This is the best that OB has and it ain't even close. Keep up the incredible work. We will be back. read more

Not as good this time around. Glad they're doing well but the dining room was much louder than I remember. Wasn't easy to hear my date. The swordfish steak frites were super, super salty. The lettuce cups were great as usual. read more

This gem is a block from my house. The wine is delicious. Oh and they have lemonchello which is my favorite. My boyfriend and I got their tuna lettuce cups. Wow, they were amazing. We have been in a few times. We normally get a cheese board but we mixed it up last night. Fantastic place! read more

Great food, quality ingredients, very nice vibe! Hidden gem, most definitely will go back! read more

Vinum Locus - Absolutely delicious, great value, high quality! - Wine Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

When Maudie serves prepare for the serendipity of wonderful food & wine meeting perpiscacity . This inchoate miracle is quietly attracting gourmands from all over the international region and the brilliance of VL is they cover the waterfront from flights to honey dripped bread converting all to the body & blood of a magic night out on Newport Avenue under the shadow of Luigi, The Black and Sacred Heart of Ocean Beach. read more

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So first off sorry no pictures, I was so into the meal and wine I forgot. This is an absolute hidden gem. 1. Amazing service (most important) 2. Wine selection was outstanding 3. The food was absolutely off the charts If you want to visit a hidden gem, please visit here!!! read more

Soooo goood! Their steak risotto was nuts and the overall chill ambience, wonderful wine selection and consistently good service did it for us. Grateful for this new place!! read more

Highly recommend! We had the charcuterie and everything was delicious. The side items on the charcuterie plate are different than you get other places and really good (roasted garlic, for example). We each had a wine flight and tried different kinds of wine. All of them were good and we had a delicious South African red blend that was amazing! Planning to go back again soon. read more

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The MOST Amazing flavors and presentations. The staff is also very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu and wine selections.. Seriously this is a Michlean Star quality restaurant imo!! We are SO lucky to have a place like this in Ocean Beach!!! read more

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Just go. No ifs or buts, just go. Amazing small spot that over delivers on all aspects. Great service, delicious food and really nice atmosphere. Regret waiting so long to try this spot. It's unassuming from the outside but delivers beyond what you'd expect from a small restaurant in OB. I have never had bread and butter that tasted so amazing. read more

Really great staff, food is amazing, great charcuterie boards available, wine selection is great. Nice spot to catch up with friends in a chill atmosphere. It is starting to become better known and they generally only have one server maybe two on the weekends for the whole place so don't be in a rush. It's well worth it. read more

The food and service was amazing! It was so cool to go to a nicer restaurant without having to leave OB while still having the OB vibes. I totally plan on going again soon! read more

Did the wine flight and had the bartender pick. All the wine was good and the charcuterie plate was AWESOME! Hubby had the meatballs which were also good. read more

Vinum Locus - Charcuterie plate. 2 Meats/2 cheese Mortadella & Salami. Gouda & Burrata. Comes with all the sides shown. - Wine Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

So happy this place opened up in OB! It's cute and charming and soo yummy! The menu changes up so there's a good variety. I've been three times now and will keep going back! read more

Vinum Locus - Wine Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

The bartender with the piercing gets mad and snarky if you don't tip. She called me out and was very rude. I like to tip cash after paying with card. They also don't tell you they charge for trying the wine. It's too bad because it's cute inside and has a nice menu. read more

Checked out this place & loved it! The flavors of the dishes were spot on--something unique and delicious with each one. Also, the service was top notch & the atmosphere was very pleasant. Oh yeah and of course all the wines were amazing :) read more

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I returned for another late afternoon happy hour with my wife. I'm giving this a 5-star review simply for the quality of the food and the passion the cooks have. We sat at the bar. We had a chance to talk with the chefs. They obviously put a lot of work into what goes onto the plate. For example, the pistachio cream on the charcuterie is not only delicious, but sounds like a labor of love. The jidori chicken special was moist and so tasty. The wait staff on the other hand needs some work. We watched the 4pm staff check in again. To prepare for shift, who I think is the bar manager, poured an entire bottle of white wine in her Stanley cup at the start of her shift. This is kind of a turn off. There is a disconnect between the wait staff and the kitchen staff. The wait staff doesn't know about the cheeses on the charcuterie boards or about the timing in the kitchen. They are a little short. I saw a little scowl when I didn't leave more than a 20% tip, but I wasn't feeling it. The wait staff is not polished and was abrupt. The prices are right, the atmosphere is great and the food is awesome. I'll be back. read more

Vinum Locus - Staff shift wine - Wine Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

As a visitor from NYC, I have been to Ocean Beach before, but I have no real dining experience there. A local friend suggested VL for a Friday night meal. I was not prepared for the elevated level of food, wine and service. Just go!! I can only hope that its excellence and notoriety don't overwhelm and spoil this true gem. Thrive on!! read more

We love Vinum Locus! They have a great and varied assortment of wines (plus Aperol Spritz), cheese/ meat plates that are terrific and customizable with a variety of delicious "sides" always added, and a great menu of small plates as well as some bigger ones that are really outstanding. The chef there is great. The food is always prepared fresh, and is such a treat. The wines can also be ordered as part of a tasting flight, a really fun and tasty outing! read more

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Nice little change in scenery in OB amongst the beer and cider tasting rooms and bars in general. Cozy and quaint, nice for a date night. They have some small plates too. read more

There's finally a wine bar in Ocean Beach! I was so happy to see this spot come in as there is plenty of beer/liquor bars but lacked a spot with great small plates, charcuterie, and rotating wine selection. I've been several times and all of the bartenders and chefs have been super friendly and will let you try the wine before you commit to a glass (Marina is awesome!). The accoutrements on the charcuterie board are homemade and delicious and the meatballs and tar tar are so good too. Great spot for a date night or catching up with friends. read more

We love this place! Nice selection of wines and the food is fantastic. Nice Charcuterie boards. The sashimi lettuce wraps are amazing (and I don't really like fish). The stone fruit Caprese is fantastic as are the meatballs. Carrots are out of this world! Love the small plates to go with a glass of wine. Save room for the Brazilian flan like desert (cant remember the actual name). it is not your ordinary flan. Truly great experience. read more

The service and the quality of food are unrivaled in OB. Such a high level of innovation and quality. Worth the visit and the menu changes each weekend. I am here all the time. read more

I have been coming to this restaurant since its opening on a weekly bases. Today I came in the intention of having a full meal with one or two glasses of wines. On the wine list a couple of wines by the glass seams interesting. So i asked for a couple of tasting. to b answered that i would have to buy a wine flight to do so. So let me see i need to buy a glass and a half of wine in order to by a glass or two of wine. No I am not here to get drunk. i am here to enjoy my meals with wine. Working in the restaurant business myself I would suggest that you allow a few ounce tasting. especially when the restaurant is empty. read more

This trendy wine bar is hip, cute, great wine selection, excellent and super-friendly service, and just about the BEST charcuterie board my husband and I have ever had. And the prices are reasonable too. Try it!! read more

This is an amazing addition to OB! Great service, wine and food. They have a rotating seasonal menu that is a great value for the amount of food you get. The wine isn't cheap, but it's worth it! Highly recommend this for happy hour or date night. read more

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The best restaurant in Ocean Beach. I love this place. From the constant rotating food menu to the wide selection of wine, this place is a must try. Shout out to Mark and Nick behind the Kitchen for always putting out amazing food and Francesca for the wine recommendations. read more