The Tasting Room
Houston, TX 77005
Phone: (713) 993-9800
- Cross Street:
- Loop 610
- Best of Citysearch:
- Spot to Find Your Soulmate 2008, Wine Bar 2007, Wine Specialty Store 2007
- Hours:
- Mon-Fri 11am-12am, Sat 11am-1am, Sun 11am-10pm
Message from The Tasting Room
Brings The World's Finest Wines to Houston by the Glass, Bottle & Case.
- Winner of 'Best Wine Bar'
- Wines by Glass, Bottle & Case
- 3 Best of Citysearch Awards
Paid advertisement by The Tasting Room.
Editorial Review for The Tasting Room – by Citysearch Editors
The Scene
The young, hospitable owners will greet you by name at this hip wine bar tucked away in a European-style shopping center. Green wine-bottle lights dangle overhead and a magnificent, massive mirror anchors the bar. Industrial-chic touches like concrete floors and a lofty ceiling mix with large, heavy wooden community tables and wine shelves trimmed in edgy stained-glass. Expect a discriminating 30- to 40-something crowd of well-heeled couples, casual girl groups and big-spender wine geeks.
The Draw
Plush, velvety green chairs, expansive windows and crisp, white-cushioned metal patio furniture keep everyone comfy and lingering. The retail and by-the-glass selections can be fairly unique: Snatch finds like chardonnay from the South of France, voluptuous California viogniers, and a rotating list of Argentinean malbecs. Nice weather calls for alfresco quaffing on the petite patio or the secluded "garden" area.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
Insider Tips
Save MoneyExpect a 10-percent discount on all cases. The Frequent Shoppers card offers a 15-percent discount. Consider a mixed case of champagne: The back wall is devoted to global selections.
The ExtrasHelp yourself to the occasional display of French cheeses, salamis, olives and bread while you sip, sniff and swirl.
Where to SitAsk to have the chairs unlocked in the garden area so you can sit away from the crowd and catch the sunset.
User Reviews for The Tasting Room
05/28/2008 Posted by jbrusovich
First of all, The Tasting Room's Uptown Park location is a notorious meat market. It isn't about wine, principally because it's too loud and obnoxious to even broach the subject, much less sample new varieties. It's really a bar couched as a wine bar. It attracts everyone from upscale, 30-something single professionals, to 50-something married men posing as 30-something single professionals. The same strategy also applies to the women, by the way. There is also a lot of flotsam and jetsam - both male and female - on the prowl for whatever bites. Be prepared for lots of posers in tight, shiny shirts, strippers, con-artists...and what appear to be oily "cage-fighters" straight from Central Casting. Having said this, if you pick an off night that's not too muggy, you can actually have a reasonable evening sitting outside under the patio trees, just watching the rif-raf come and go in search of prey. I think of it like a live version of The Discovery Channel. The location alone makes this place popular. Uptown Park is a gold mine for anyone in this business, with its numerous restaurants and bars keeping traffic raging at all hours of the night. Arguably, it has become Houston's "South Beach." Personally, I would choose The Tasting Room in River Oaks; particularly if you happen to be on a date, or have any interest whatsoever in exploring the world of wine. The staff at this location are quite knowledgeable of wines and always friendly and attentive, given the fact that they're not under enormous pressure to serve six thousand people standing in lines at either ends of a 360 degree bar, with no idea what to order. They usually just say something like "Chardonnay, please"; the same mantra they repeat, ad nauseum, at other hot spots like Bennigans, Applebee's and Chili's.
Pros: Good wine selection, good thin-crust pizzas, lots of outside seating
Cons: noisy, poor service [due to congestion], no bar service [must stand in line for another refill]
05/13/2008 Posted by Beachluva
I liked the place, went with a group of friends and found it to be a great place to enjoy a glass of wine or two, and have an appetizer. I disliked ordering at the bar, and some of the people were a bit as I would say, in love with themselves. They had live music, which was good, and a nice patio.
Pros: Patio, wine list
Cons: Pretentious staff and patrons
Users Like You Also Viewed
Sammy's at 2016 Main
2016 Main St
Houston, TX 77002
702 Patio Bar
702 W Dallas St
Houston, TX 77019
