Get on their email list for their latest wine dinners. Great price for a worthwhile date nite. Come early enjoy a cocktail before dinner begins. They offer killer prices on wine to take home. read more

Wine Vault & Bistro - Menu - Wine Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

We have been here quite a few times, though mostly before COVID. However we just returned last Saturday. We absolutely love the concept. Always a tasting menu. Sometimes they do a wine paring that is included or you can buy it on top of the meal price or you can buy a bottle or glass of wine. You know exactly what you are paying including tip and everything and they charge your card the day before your reservation. They are open Saturdays and Sundays by reservation only. This past evening we had a 5 course tasting menu with wine pairings. Our total pp was $110. So worth it!! I attached the menu so you could see what we ate. Everything was fantastic. The flavors were on point and very balanced. The wines really added to each dish as well. We will def return!! read more

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I recently had the pleasure of dining at The Wine Vault & Bistro, and I must say, it was an exceptional experience from start to finish. Especially since having a three star Michelin chef take over! This charming establishment perfectly combines a sophisticated yet welcoming atmosphere with an impressive selection of WINES. You will definitely get the biggest bang for your buck here! A locally kept secret. I'm Not Sure about the cry baby review below that mentions how she gave up alcohol and expects an establishment to cater to her past alcoholism, 'ie poor choices' and reduce their prices for her, because she's "special " but what a party foul to let her ever get behind a computer. She goes on to say, she wants to pay less than $150 for the wine and food pairing, it's already low ma'am, this isnt a charity or section 8 potluck. This Chris guy handled that phone call like a champ. The restaurant is in fact called the WINE VAULT, not 12 STEPS to SOBRIETY. I cant believe this lady continues to whine and whine and expect red carpet services instead of a binky. It's people like this that should stay home. I Highly HIGHLY recommend this spot for anyone in the 92103 who loves to GEEk out on Wines! read more

We loved the winemakers dinner except for how NOISY the dining room is. It was really interesting listening to the chef explain the dishes we were about to enjoy. The winemaker also was super interesting, giving us the history and personal insights to the wines we loved drinking. The food was fabulous and wines exceptional. I would subtract a few stars because we had to yell at the people next to us and still only heard part of the conversation read more

I actually love this place to the point where I would give 10 stars... For the food and for the decor. And the servers. I'm only giving two stars because the owner named Chris is so completely rude and unprofessional. He should have someone else make the phone calls for the business to represent something that resembles what you experience when you are there. Because he is not friendly. I've called a handful of times over the years, to ask questions about the menu from the emails I get. Every time... He is snarky and rude in everything from his tone to his words. I just told him on the phone that I don't drink alcohol. That is something I'm very proud of. I gave it up six years ago. I asked him if there would be a lower price than $149 for an upcoming dinner, that includes wine, pairings, being that I don't drink alcohol. His exact words were..."Well- we are called WINE vault... And we like to 'geek out' on the wines. So no. There will not be a lower price and wine will be included." Now--- if you are someone who gave up alcohol for whatever reason in your life - how does that sit with you? I find it very insulting, condescending, and downright apathetic. He said after the pandemic, they decided to do away with meals that didn't include the wine pairing, that used to be a lower price. And I said... After the pandemic, a lot of people quit drinking because of mental health issues. There's a reason people quit drinking. I even offered him a great suggestion and said.. with how many people don't drink alcohol these days and especially after the pandemic, it would be nice if you brought in nonalcoholic Prosecco and nonalcoholic wines and things that are herbaceous and taste like a rosé but don't have alcohol. And that would make it worth that same price for someone who doesn't drink. - He was snarky with his rebuttal and claimed they will not be making those changes. Didn't even entertain the thought. So he mentions that they are called Wine vault, but doesn't mention the fact that they are also called bistro. Which means some people may go there because they enjoy the food, but don't want the wine. it's like I thoroughly insulted him by telling him I don't drink wine. He seemed absolutely insulted and put off to the fact that anyone would have this six course meal and not have the wine pairings. Really bad business to talk to people like that. Especially when someone is doing something great for their health and giving up drinking. What he doesn't know is that I've had a stroke and breast cancer in the last two years and alcohol is not an option for me with the medication, I'm on. But this guy just doesn't care. I did not give up drinking alcohol because I had a problem with it. I did it to be better towards my body and be more respectful towards my liver after decades of drinking socially on the regular. I got tired of it. But if I was someone who had a problem with alcohol and had to go to rehab... Think about that. He just doesn't care. He's going to serve you wine with every single Course and make you pay for it, even if you don't drink it. Other than his demeanor, this place is absolutely amazing. It's just a shame that he makes me not even want to go and spend the money to go there. I can appreciate that he likes to geek out on wine... But there's so much more to life and business. And human kindness and a general nice bedside manner... Goes a long way when you're a business owner. I really suggest that somebody else starts returning the phone calls of voicemails left from potential clients of the restaurant. This place used to be known for being prices that were similar to restaurant week. It was so affordable to go have an amazing three course meal and you didn't have to drink alcohol to enjoy that. So post pandemic, they've completely changed their business model which used to be appealing to many types of people. read more

The food, at best, was piccadilly cafeteria style, and messy. Remembered only for its lackluster and the over-hyped pre-serving sermon. They raised expectations beyond the moon and then served disappointment. As for the wine tasting, we were there for a Chilian tasting. Once again, you would of thought that the King, any King, was coming to town. The parings were ordinary wines and other deeply fruity, almost kool-aid like, wines. I think this restaurant is so caught-up in its little ecosystem that they've profoundly lost comprehension altogether. I'm convinced they served Gallo boxed wine, but I can't prove it. I'm sure the Chile vineyards are lovely, as many are. However, to hype them beyond unimaginable heights is an intense insult and disrespect for us as consumers. The evening was like something out of a B-Rated film. These people walked up and down between the tables with loud microphones, going on and on about nonsense. Incredibly intrusive and annoying to any dining experience. For $200/person, we expected better. Much better. We were warned by close friends that one goes to this establishment for the wine, not the food. That much was clear. But to also serve the ordinary? Restaurant usury. You must do better, Wine Vault & Bistro. read more

I can't believe it's been six years since I last dined here. They specialize in wine dinners and our friends are regulars. Last minute decision to attend this dinner and glad we did. It was 3 courses for $27 and an optional wine pairing for $15. I do wish it had been 4 courses but that is because I chose a protein versus a salad for my 1st and 2nd course. Would have been nice to have only salad choices for a 4th course. Service was excellent and my favorite course was the scallops accompanied by a viognier which I usually don't care for but the chef definitely chose a winning combination. The lamb was also delicious paired with a pinot noir. My lamb was prepared medium, but a couple in our group thought theirs was slightly overcooked. I'm glad I opted for the charcuterie for my 3rd course because I was still kind of hungry! The presentation and pace of the courses was perfect. Will definitely return for another dining experience and I guarantee it will be sooner than 6 years from now! read more

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Great food, service and ambiance! I would definitely recommend this place for date night or girls night out.

We loved this place! Really high end food but not a stuffy environment. Classy but not formal. Service excellent. We came for restaurant week and took our waiters recommendations and were not disappointed with a single course. We will definitely be back! It is upstairs & can be a bit tricky to find the entrance from the street level but don't give up! read more

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At the risk of it getting harder to get reservations here I will tell you that the food and wine pairing dinners are exceptional in taste and presentation. The dining room is intimate and inviting. You will meet diners at your table and make new friends here! Get on their email list so you can be the first to know who's coming to town ! Hope to see you there again! read more

My friends & I came here for restaurant week & I was so excited to give it a go after hearing so many great reviews! Located near Shakespeare's Pub. There is street parking or valet available (I got valet & they called me an hour prior to when they were suppose to call & said they were closing for the night due to it being a slow night so they had to return my keys to me. Thankfully, they were able to park my car in the front but if they had closed early & left my car off in the boondocks, that would have sucked!) The restaurant is very cozy & romantic with dimly lit lights all around. Friendly customer service. Good food but, I must admit, I had expected to be blown away & was not. My friend said that they typically have amazing food, but their menu always changes. The menu had 3 courses with an option for wine pairing. I ordered: Complimentary bread Shrimp + Chorizo Paella: Very good! I loved the crispy rice & the sauce they used. Grilled Argentinean Skirt Steak: The meat was already sliced & I got slices of raw, medium, & ultra well done... French Quarter Style Bread Pudding: Moist, buttery, melt in your mouth bread pudding. I was obsessed with their house made pecan praline ice cream, so yum! 2014 Margerum "Late Harvest" Sauvignon Blanc: A must get if it is still available! Sweet & refreshing. NV Yalumba Antique Tawny: Bold & good. read more

Wine Vault and Bistro is a technique forward, ingredient focused restaurant that I highly recommend everyone try. Our 5 coursed meal was delicious, and a conscious blend of textures, matched with complimenting flavor profiles. The recommended wine pairings are a must, and the accompanied descriptions were appreciated. There are only a handful of restaurants in San Diego just as impressive as WVB, and I see their chefs on the forefront of progressing the elevated restaurant scene here. read more

Wine Vault & Bistro - Hanger Steak au Poivre | Wild Mushrooms | Shelling Bean Ragout | Madeira + Grain Mustard Jus - Wine Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Went for their special three course pre-restaurant-week dinner and it was simply outstanding. Don't know how they do it for the price. $30 plus $15 for wine pairings that consisted of 2 excellent wines plus an after dinner drink and a pre dinner glass of sparking wine. 3 options for each course and the choices we all made were fabulous. Simply some of the best meals with great wine pairings available at a very reasonable price in San Diego. read more

Wine Vault & Bistro - Menu - Wine Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

I am a fan. Wine Vault was all about food and wine pairing and that's what it should be! Interesting menu as there is no a la carte, only prix fixe with an optional wine pairing. I went there with a small group and we all got the same prix fixe menu which had 3 courses, my favorite was the appetizer which was some mushroom soup with rice. Really delicious! I don't remember how much we paid exactly but I recall the price was very reasonable. Definitely recommend! read more

I'm on WV&B mailing list and have always wanted to try their course meals. The perfect opportunity was during Restaurant Week when they had some interesting items on their menu for $20pp. I brought my own bottle of red wine straight from Washington state - $20 corkage fee. We arrived early for our reservation, but were seated promptly in a nice corner table. Love the ambiance and love how there's an enclosed heated outdoor patio. So pretty with the trees decorated with lights. Ordered the following: -Griffin Farm Beets: I didn't really care for this appy. -Beer Battered Oysters: Yum!!! Reminded me of sweetbreads with an oyster taste. -Slow Cooked Tri-Tip: It was a tad salty, but overall, tender with good flavor. -Roasted Yellowtail: This was also delicious. The yellowtail was just flown in that morning - tender and moist and not fishy. -Bucheron: Goat cheese. Not a fan... -Milk Chocolate Ganache with Brown Butter Ice Cream: Nice way to round out the evening. Just enough to curb the chocolate craving. Cons: -It was difficult to find, but it's located next to a pub and on top of Saffron on India Street. Park in the back lot adjacent to the Irish pub. -Charged an automatic 20% grat fee. Luckily, the service was great! -Small portions. I was ok with it since I eat in proportion anyways. You've been warned if you have a big appetite! Mix of young and older folks dining here enjoying their food and glasses of wine. I didn't feel it was pretentious. You can dress up or come cas. I'd come back to try their other tasting courses. read more

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My friend & I did the Restaurant Week menu for Wine Vault and added on the wine pairings because we felt like being a bit fancy. I just have to say, they are EXTREMELY generous with their "5 oz" pours. Anyway, when we came in, we were seated immediately and our server introduced us to the menu as we sat down. I can't remember her name, but she was very kind and knowledgeable, not only about the food, but also the wines. After we ordered, she brought out WARM bread and butter. I don't know why, but my friend and I found this bread to be amazingly addicting. We actually ended up eating two platters because it was so good! It was warm, fluffy, and the crust had the perfect crunch. Honestly, I'd come back just to eat a bunch of bread! Onto the food: Peking duck breast -- I've never had duck breast medium rare before, but it made the duck so tender. I've pretty much only eaten it fried, but the way it was cooked here maintained the duck flavour. I found the shitake mushroom sauce to be a little too salty, but it was extremely tasty still. Wild king salmon tartare -- I wasn't a fan of the taro chips, but I absolutely loved the salmon tartare. It was fresh, tender, and seasoned perfectly. Braised sea bass -- brought my love back for seabass. Soft, tender, juicy, flaky: everything you could ask for in fish. Skirt steak -- my least favourite of the day. The steak was a little undercooked, but my friend really liked it. The flavour was good, but I preferred my seabass. Crema catalana -- was like your average creme brulee, but a lot more gingery, with a punch of orange. Rum raisin ice cream -- this was interesting... I really liked the biscotti and ice cream, but just not the texture of the raisins in the ice cream. I felt like the chewiness of the raisins really detracted from the dessert. Overall, I loved all the food. They actually have prefixe menus normally, which really makes this restaurant affordable because the quality of food is definitely worth the price (which actually isn't even that expensive). I can't wait to come back! TL;DR: Food: 5/5 Service: 5/5 -- our server was amazing and checked up on us many times. Price: $$$ read more

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Love how they've transitioned during Covid with to-go wine pairing dinners, yummy cocktails, and desserts! Service is always friendly and they've got a great system for safe pickup ... love the wines and the food is always on point! Best takeout in SD! read more

Love love love this place! I heard about this place from my friend, and then I finally got around to try this place! If you find yourself having a hard time finding this restaurant, it's because you have to walk up the stairs to get there. You can order a three course meal, and if you want wine pairing, you can add that to the course. If you are planing to do the wine pairing, I suggest you should get here from a Lyft. Haha! Better safe than sorry! I came here a few times already, but I don't remember what I order. What I do remember is that the food was always so delicious, and the people are always super friendly! I would 10/10 definitely recommend this place. read more

This restaurant lost a few stars because of the server. I came for restaurant week with my friend, and we had no reservations so they sat us by the fire pit which had awkwardly higher chair and a lower table more of a casual seating area probably meant for appetizers or drinks. We got water initially and it took 30 minutes for our server to even come by and initiate our dinner. That was a huge turn off as it made us feel neglected. Another worker, I think it was the hostess tried to distract us by offering bread, but that's still such a long time to not even acknowledge us or get us started with drinks. It was a $30 dinner for 3 course meal and we opted for the wine pairing for 15 more dollars plus mandatory 20% gratuity. The first two wines I had were good, but then the last one was way too sweet for me I ended up not even really drinking it because it was gross. My appetizer was the new orleans gumbo which was tasty creole chicken with rice, the entree I got was the hangar steak which was sliced and had good flavor, and the dessert was rum ice cream and blondie biscotto. Overall a cutie intimate setting, but will probably not return here because of the poor customer service. It went from upscale to downhill in 30 minutes.. thinking I get better service at Mickey D's with some acknowledgement or a smile at least. read more

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I recently went here during restaurant week and really enjoyed my time. We did a three course prefix menu with wine pairings. It showed the versatility of the kitchen and the knowledge of the staff to be able to pair wines so appropriately to what you are eating. Each room has a different feel, from the patio, to what boasts of a warm library vibe, to a dining room vibe it's a really unique spot. I would recommend this for a classy date night, and especially thought who love and have an interest in wine as there is a large variety and it is the focal point of which the meal is based around. Enjoy. read more

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Went for a 10-course prix fixed Christmas Dinner that featured four wines and an eggnog with dessert. The food was incredibly well done. The chicken served as course number four was moist and flavorful, more than one in my party expressed desire to eat more of that for dinner. The only disappointment was dessert. The gingerbread cake was dry and the truffle while delicious was also made dry at first bite by its dusting of cocoa powder. The wines were excellently paired and I loved all of them. The eggnog was delicious but clearly lethal (in the best way) as one whiff let you know there was going to be quite a kick. My few recommendations for the restaurant would be these: though beautifully made, your cutlery is overly heavy and it really should be replaced between each course. read more

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An update for the Friday 3-course meals. This one is up in the air in terms of how filling it is. I visited a couple of weeks ago and had the wild boar to start with along with the salmon for the entree. Absolutely perfect to finish a week with. Sometimes the sides will be different from what is listed on the main site. They had shishito peppers yesterday that were so sweet and tangy. However, I went yesterday and tried the tapas for two as well as paella for two. While I do agree that the tapas for two are sufficient for two people, the paella for two was nowhere near. We actually looked around when the plate came, thinking that they split the dish into two. If you eat little and high quality is a deciding factor in feeling full, then this dish might suffice. However, if you eat like an average foodie, I advise not to order the entree for two. We ended up ordering another dish anyway because our stomachs were nowhere at the desired fullness. But last night's dessert was the best among all of my visits here. Carrot cake ice cream with frothy cream cheese and pea ganache! Yumm. read more

Went for restaurant week with my friend and the food was amazing!! I got the cioppino (seafood dish) and my friend got the baby back ribs. The ribs were amazingly tender! We both got the grilled swordfish as the main entree, and it was also extremely tender and smooth. For dessert, I got the bread pudding, and my friend got the milk chocolate cremeux. We took the desserts to go but they were still delicious a day later! read more

Wine Vault and Bistro is such a wonderfully intimate place to try new foods and wine pairings! We came for restaurant week recently and I had forgotten that I had come to this place a long time ago. It was a wonderful, nostalgic surprise to be able to come back and enjoy it again. For appetizers I had the achiote rubbed pork belly which was my favorite dish of the evening. Crispy and paired with a soft boiled egg, a great way to get the salivary glands warmed up. For the main dish came the Seabass with lemon preserve and clam sauce. It wasn't too overpowering and the everything went well together. Finally for dessert came a churro bread pudding. It was a little dense for my taste, but the cinnamon ice cream was on point. Great place for a date or if you just want to pamper your palette. The pairings with each dish were great compliments to the food, you won't regret splurging! read more

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What a stupendous evening of fantastic fun, sharing foodie time with a couple of friends and another lady friends of my friends with whom I ended up talking about...food! and recommending some places to go to her upcoming visit to Barcelona and south of France (with the owner of Wine Vault & Bistro, nice! good stuff at the table ensured). It was my first time at this bistro and even I have been many times at nearby Saffron and at the British place located very close too, never noticed this restaurant before. I have heard of it, but somehow when someone mentions India Street one tend to think it must be located at the heart of Little Italy...that is why my absence in this fantastic bistro before! I absolutely loved the decoration. Who would say the all-white tendency will make it cozy, but it is indeed a very cozy place, with exotic plants caressing your eyes, bottles that serve both as decoration as well as nectar for your palate and cute bottle-candles creating some intimacy. And you can have a conversation at this place, not strident music, not too much traffic, just perfect. My friends recommended to try the 3 course fix menu for $25 + $12 if you want wine pairing. I had the asparagus bisque (delicious), the pork chop with pesto, chipotle and veggies (tender, juicy and spicy!) and my favorite of all was that tahitian vanilla ice-cream with aged sherry...I wish it could have repeat! That good! Also, we had some other appetizers that were equally tasteful and, I guess, healthy (hey, they are veggies after all): brussel sprouts very nicely roasted and cauliflower with undefined spices, but I would say they had some cumin on them. In any case, very flavorful and aromatic. It was a great evening and I guess they had to kick us out from there as we were the last ones to leave:) read more

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This restaurant has been a Yelp bookmarked place for us as long as a year ago. We decided to try it for the first time during San Diego Restaurant Week. OH MY GOSH! What an awesome restaurant! We both did their Prix Fixe 3-Course Dinner ($30) and opted for the Wine Pairing ($15). My wife had the ensenada-style aguachile verde (bay scallops, whitefish, pulp, pacific prawn, avocado, and pimento cracker for her appetizer which was paired with a 2012 mauritson sauvignon blanc. I decided on the caramelized leek + roasted walnut agnolotti (wild mushrooms + truffle foam, alder smoked sea salt) paired with a 2013 ski "carneros" pinot noir. Both appetizers were delicious and were finely paired with the above listed wines. We both tried the same main entree which was their sous vide hanger steak served with bacon sautéed winter greens, charred scallions, white beans, and rosemary. This dish was elegantly paired with a 2010 marjoram "piocho" bordeaux blend. WOW is all we can say. The steak was cooked medium rare and was absolutely delicious. Last was our desert which we both chose the same dish again and selected the brioche bread pudding served with toasted pecans, bourbon + brown butter roasted apples, and a bourbon hard sauce. This desert was paired with a buffalo trace kentucky bourbon (1 oz pour). This was the icing on the cake and ended the night on a high note. We both loved the Wine Vault & Bistro!!! The pairing of wines (5 oz pours on the appetizers & entrees) was very well selected. The atmosphere and ambiance was very inviting and not too over-the-top. We met the owner, Mary, and her daughter Katie. They were very nice and recommended we try coming back for their 5-course meals, or during their special events such as their Valentine's Day 5-course event, or their 10-course Mardi Gras event. The Wine Vault & Bistro instantly became my wife's favorite place to dine at. Everyone we know who's dined here has highly recommended that we give this place a try. After finally trying it out, we definitely agree and suggest you make a reservation to dine here. read more

Wine Vault & Bistro - Ensenada-style aguachile verde - Wine Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Oh my God!!! I had the best food and drinks from Wine Vault for my Christmas Eve dinner! I want them to stay open and support small businesses owners! Can't wait to order my New Year Eve dinner Laurie read more

This restaurant was amazing! This place takes phone reservations and it gets busy so I highly recommend calling them early during the weekend. Parking can be very bad, and there is a valet option if you do not want to fish around for a spot.The 5-course food and wine course tasting menu (42.50 for food/pp and 20 for wine/pp) was very neat and tasty. I was afraid that I was going to be leaving hungry, but nope, not at all! So you don't have to get the wine with the food, but I highly suggest it. The restaurant did a fantastic job pairing the food and wine together. My easily picked favorites were the roasted quail and steak.. The service from the waiter was excellent and very knowledgeable. I am like how they choose dishes based on the season. I was not stuffed with food, but man it was a culinary delight for my taste buds. read more

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Dined during the 10-course Mardi Gras promotion. The food was good. Most impressed by a green tomato appetizer and the desserts. The white wines were served too cold for me, but these are 'the experts.' Service was very good. And friendly. The promotion was a good value and I would dine here again. read more

Wine Vault & Bistro - Wine Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Tonight I had the Wine Vault and Bistro's 10 course thanksgiving dinner. I feel I have been remiss in not doing a review sooner. I absolutely adore the concept of this restaurant; accessible tasting menus. And the execution is exceptional. On all three of my visits. Tonight, clearly, was no different. The service is excellent, the food divine, and at a price point that seems like fantasy. I don't know how reservations are taken months in advance, but I am overjoyed every time I make one! The fourth course was the star of the night. Thought everything was fantastic! read more

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My boyfriend and I celebrated our anniversary at this lovely place. It was a cozy ambience with dim lighting but the white walls helped it not feel too dark. We had a 3 course meal with the wine pairing and I definitely recommend the wine pairing! It really brings the food to another level of experience. I was happy to find they had vegetarian options as well! It was definitely romantic with low chatter around and relaxing low level music. Will go again on a special occasion! read more

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A lovely white candle lit setting where the focus is on the food and wines. Had a preset 5 course dinner with wine pairing that was delicious. One of the wines, a Zinfandel stood out as being exceptional. Each dish was of perfect quantity and complemented each other. The service was stellar from beginning to end. read more

-the food here is magic on a plate . obviously . what really deserves a round of applause are the cocktails . omg , they are sooo tasty and robust, full of flavor . now, if you are seeing this during covid times just know u can order to go and they let u play mixologist at home !!! i recently tried the aged barrel manhattan . fantastic ! thanks wine vault, see you sooner than later . read more

Wine Vault & Bistro - a bottle of barrel aged manhattan - Wine Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

First time here and had the most amazing time. We came across this restruant after searching the restaurant week options around town. I thought a dinner with wine pairings sounded fun! I tried calling a couple of times to make a reservation but wasn't able to get ahold of anyone so we decided to be there right as they opened. As we walked up I was already impressed with the ambience which made it that much harder when the sweetest woman told us they were booked for the night. I explained that I had called earlier but never got in touch with anyone and she confirmed my number but still, they were full. Disappointed, we left and attempted to google other places around. A couple minutes later, my phone rings and it is the lady from the restaurant asking if we could come back that they would make it work for us. Woo-hoo! And it was worth the small hassle for sure. 3 course dinner with the best fish I've had. Perfectly cooked and moist. The wine pairings were fun as I got to try things I wouldn't normally order. Everyone was kind and services was excellent. We will be back but wont make the mistake of not having reservations again. read more

In the age of COVID 19 Chris and Mary continue to impress. We ordered our dinner early this week and picked it up late this afternoon. The meal came with directions for reheating and the wine pairings if you wanted them. Shout out to Saxon Brown, the wines were perfect. We had spinach salad, mushroom "lasagne", beef short ribs and white chocolate panna cotta with a citrus infused strawberry preserves. The dinner was exceptional! Thanks again to the staff at the Wine Vault, Chris, Mary and Katy for making an incredible dinner for us to enjoy when we can't be there to eat in the restaurant. Bob and Lisa read more

1 YEAR LATER... Yes I LIED, I did come back! But it was a friend's birthday so I had to...except that they remembered how loud and obnoxious we were last year and wouldn't take his reservation! They actually told him to go Wine Steals instead! Haha! Understandable, our crowd is pretty fucking annoying to sit near...so the party moved to Shakespeare's but the Wife and I decided to stick with dinner here. FRIDAY NIGHTS: $20 Three-Course Prix Fixe Menus! Course 1: Heirloom Tomato Bisque...puuurrrrphict! Course 2: Beef Short Ribs...absofuckinglutely melt in your mouth meaty deliciousness. More sides please? Course 3: Butterscotch Sundae with Sherry = Happy CHUN P. But don't come here starving, small portions! The service was great overall, though the entrees took almost half an hour to show up after the 1st course. Wife and I will definitely come again, I'm definitely interested in the $30 Five Course Menu on Saturdays for next time. Again, quiet romantic, bromantic, or double dates only, no loud groups allowed! :) read more

NOTE: This is for the SDRW 3-course dinner menu ($30) with $15 wine pairing. CONCEPT: A restaurant where the food complements the wine. All the wines that are served are available for purchase at the end of the dinner. The Wine Vault is known for their Winemaker Dinner series hosted every Sundays, their five-course chef's tasting menu for $35 with a $20 wine pairing and a three-course menu served every Thursdays and Fridays for $25 with a $15 wine flight. The prix-fixe only restaurant changes its menu every month. I was looking forward to the chef's tasting for the night I made reservations but it turned out they were extending SDRW's menu by a week. VENUE: I've been fascinated by the exterior ever since my first visits into the restaurants of Mission Hills. It is noticeably more upscale than its neighbors El Indio and Shakespeare's Pub. The inside is quite homey with a modest decor for tables and chairs and with an emphasis on white. It is clearly a wine vault first with the numerous wines on display; I was afraid I was going to break the bottles if I accidentally moved my arm in the wrong direction. Parking in Mission Hills can be tricky with the meters and the hill but usually when dinnertime comes along the time limits on the meters don't matter. SERVICE: The service was great. They were able to be flexible with the No1DP's request for a white-only wine pairing and he was quite impressed with pairings. ~First Course~ Thai Coconut Soup (poached scallops, rice noodles, toasted garlic, basil curry) Paired with: 2012 Stolpman Roussanne. The dining party all got this as the first course. The rice noodles were slippery and I eventually had to use a fork to finally eat them. Scallops were small but soft. The No1DP and ODP thought that the soup was a bit on the spicy side and they could barely tolerate the spice. The ODP's girlfriend and I, used to spicy foods, actually liked the spice. To me it was more peppery-spicy and not hot-spicy that would suggest chili or chili oil. The wine was quite salty and didn't accentuate the food. ~Second Course~ Argentina-Style Skirt Steak (chimichurri sauce, marble potato confit, charred scallions) Paired with: 2013 cass mourvedere. An upscale carne asada meat of good quality and went well with the chimichurri sauce. Meat pieces were easily cut. The potatoes were chopped into tiny pieces that can be easily consumed with the meat. The greens had a light vinaigrette and the charred scallion also added more flavor to the greens. The wine paired with this was also okay, didn't do too much to complement the dish. Fennel + Black Pepper Seared Ahi Tuna (mediterranean couscous, nicoise tapenade) Paired with: 2013 bodegas borsao rose. Everyone else got this dish. The ahi is lightly seared and quite soft. No1DP was happy with his Chardonnay wine he got in lieu of the rose. ~Third Course~ Caramel Pecan Bread Pudding (tahitian vanilla bean ice cream, px reduction) Paired With: nv dios baco 34-year-old pedro ximenez sherry. The bread pudding is dense and can hold its shape. It also has a good amount of caramel pecans. The ice cream pairs with the bread pudding quite well, provided a creamy contrast. The reduction is made from the sherry that was also used as the wine pairing. Definitely accentuated the sherry and made the small sample go a long way. Chocolate Flight (dark chocolate truffle, milk chocolate mousse, pistachio + white chocolate bark) Paired With: nv forgotten barrel "lot 5150" zinfandel/cabernet franc blend. Alternative Paring: The Stump Jump, vintage 2010. No1DP: I would be happy if I were just to eat this all day. That truffle disappeared within a few minutes but I did have samplings of the mousse and all of the bark as No1DP doesn't like white chocolate. I would be quite content if all I had was this as well as my dessert. I loved the alternative pairing that the No1DP got me a bottle of the dessert wine for myself. I'm glad that I finally got to try this restaurant and I look forward to trying a chef's tasting dinner and/or a Winemaker Series dinner. I'm definitely gonna add this to my personal favorites, recommendations for value prix-fixe (it's quite a steal) and restaurants for oenophiles, though I wonder if SDRW was a reason for my subpar wine pairings. I hope that the standard weekends have better wines served so I can up the rating. read more

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I love that you have to get a 3 course tasting menu and it's different every time depending on who's cooking. You have to go to their website to see the menu for the day and make reservations. I'm not sure if you can walk in. My date and I decided to come early so we can finish before our movie started, so we ate at 5:30pm, like seniors. And we were right, we only saw seniors... lol. The place is huge! I didn't even know how big it was from the outside. I live around the corner and told myself I have to try their food. They also have wines to go with your tasting, all for a very affordable price! And they are experts (I would assume with the name "wine" in their restaurant name) My date and I wanted to get different items so we can share it and taste more of what they have to offer. -Scallop salad: I love the citrusy flavor, but it was literally 2 small scallops. There was also an orange in it, it went well with the spinach salad -Tuna tartare with prosciutto and deviled egg: the prosciutto and the egg was the best thing! The tuna was a bit too bland. The wine pairing for the tuna tartare was spot on. -Brussels sprouts: good brussels sprouts but my favorite is still Bo Beaus, this is probably in the top 5 though -Steak with garlic spinach: I love my steak, it went well with the wine pairing. -Zucchini lasagna: my date had this and it was good, the tomato sauce was a bit too sour. I don't think I would get this again just because there was no meat in there! I need meat. The wine pairing for this was good, but they gave my date a bad glass of wine, it smelled like vinegar and we had to ask the server to smell it and we were able to exchange for a new glass. -Crepe with pistachio mascarpone: this was probably the blandest crepe ever. It didn't taste like anything and I felt it was undercooked or something. It wasn't a good dessert. They paired it with the shot of Brandy and it was so gross, I can't stand a shot of Brandy and I tried to mix the dessert then take a sip...nope didn't do it for me. -Butter cake with pear: this dessert was far better than the crepe! The wine pairing was right on as well. It was delicious. Wine pairings: Roussanne, bertrand rose, guigal red blend, sika cabernet franc, dessert wine- sheery and 1 shot of brandy They got most things right and some things we were like, they can do better. But I would still love to come back for their 10 course tasting menu! I'm glad I discovered this place. It reminds me of Napa Valley. read more

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Here's an interesting tidbit. I used to frequent the Wine Vault. But after getting hit on by a waiter (in a rather straightforward and icky manner) and politely turning him down, the owner got mad (!!). I was taken off the email list, which I had been on for months. There are definitely Pros to frequenting a family-owned restaurant, and I support these venues. The Con, however, is that if you don't like the owner's favorite bartender, you get the boot. Not fair, says I. read more

I give them 5 stars because of the impeccable service. This family owned restuarant has a great ambiance. The owner Chris is always there with his wife making sure everyone is happy. The food parings are always right on. The selection of wine is hand picked and impressive. I've dined here at least a dozen times and have never had a bad experience. If you choose to go, I suggest going to one of the winemaker dinners. You really get the bang for your buck with the amount of food courses and wine to go with each course. The owner's passion for good wine and great service is apparent. read more