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Whineo's - CLOSED
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Music:
- DJ, Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Tue
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
16 reviews for Whineo's
16 reviews in English
-
Review from David H.
Vancouver, BC
11/27/2009
If you have Wednsey off or just want to have lots o drinks on Tuesday, go to Whineos.
Its a nice and busy restaurant atmosphere and it doesn't take much outta the bank.
The appys that they sell during their tuesday night gong show is really good. Mac n Cheese, Sliders, Grilled Cheese, and Skewers of meat. Very good. You can get a pitcher of Granville Island beer and some sliders for under 15 bucks. Not bad!
The only problem is the busy-ness of the establishment. There is usually a line before 9pm. So get there early to get a good spot. -
Review from Tae K.
Vancouver, BC
7/8/2009 ROTD 7/13/2009
Okay, so maybe Whineo's isn't exactly a classic "wine bar", as the name might suggest. But honestly, I don't go here for the wine bar experience; I go for the bar's great music, delicious small plates, hip/young crowd, friendly service, interesting decor, and the cheap beer (especially on Tuesdays, where the pitchers are $6-7). They make a mean whiskey-sour, as well. Go early on Tuesdays as the tables fill up fast with people taking advantage of the pitcher special.
Honestly, pitchers for those prices? I could stop writing right here.
And I will. -
Review from Luisa S.
Vancouver, BC
11/12/2008
As the name suggests, wine is the main attraction; and as the resident wino (there's only one other contender at mine and he prefers beer), I feel remiss in never having gone here until last night. The wine list is extensive and broad, offering a variety of old world Bordeaux and new world merlot.
The place is quite casual and is a happy middle ground between the hip dance party scene and scummy sports bar. The atmosphere was fun and lively, even on a Tuesday night. In addition to the drink menu, they also have a range of tapas and appetizer dishes. They also have regular specials on beer, sometimes costing as little as $2 for a glass--the cheapest I've seen this side of town. -
Review from Darien C.
BC
11/19/2008 1 photo
I love a good wine bar. Whineo's is not a good wine bar. It is trendy, on the Granville strip and a novelty. I love the room, which is long, has bizarre decor and even a farm loft above the doorway.
My love for this spot ends there. A destination like this caters to the wine ignorant. No avid oenophile would consider this to be a proper wine bar. The selection is unimaginative and spans the typical grapes. The staff likely just made the jump from earls to Whineo's and have all the knowledge that goes with it. Don't expect them to assist you with pairings or offer any insight on the processes going into the various selections. They have classic wine dishes, like anti-pasto, available to pair. The burden of decision is on you however. I find half the appeal of a wine bar is hearing the server romanticize it prior to consumption. It's fun to learn about the grape and the process going into each bottle. Take that away and you're just ordering wine at a bar. -
Review from Dayna B.
Vancouver, BC
9/24/2009
Who likes Tuesday? Well now I do, and you do, or at least you will after this.
I know the word has spread already but I didn't really believe it! $6 pitchers?! Well, not really, apparently they're $7.50 pitchers now, but STILL! Come on, I'm pretty sure you can't even get that at The Funky Winker Bean. Also, the food specials, which don't seem to be advertised, are awesome. After drinking a ton of $7.50 pitchers you can have an appetizer sized mac and cheese for $4 which is pretty good for a $4 mac and cheese. Kind of bland and totally bad for you but who cares? Their sliders also seem to be on for $4. Not typical sliders, more like a small burger on a baguette, but a nice little meat break with all the beer.
The place was great, we were tucked into a booth in a corner in the back and it was our own little utopia, one filled with inexpensive beer, plentiful food, and no one shorting the billing. People came and went but there were probably about 10 or more people throughout the night from 6pm to 1pm ordering beer and food and the bill total was $108.00. If that's not insanity in the best sort of way I don't even know what is.
All in all, this place is great. Perfect place for an almost mid week break. I think I'm going to move in. -
Review from Monica C.
Surrey, BC
9/3/2009
Went here last night for the first time with my girls and had an excellent time there. Came by at 7:30pm on a Wednesday for a party of two and the place only had 2-3 other tables. By about 9 when another friend came by, it was definitely busier. Here's the breakdown:
Venue: I like it! intimate, music was good, kinda mysterious lair looking haha. it's narrow, so I can imagine it gets pretty swamped on Tuesdays. the high chairs were a little difficult to maneuver after about 2 glasses of wine =)
Service: our bartender/server Nick (if that's your real name) was excellent. Great recommendations on the wine and the tapas, honest tips about their food (haha), kept the wine flowing, and cute to boot =) Our server did change towards the end of the night, but we were basically calling it quits by then anyways.
Food: yummmmm. we ordered the disassembled pizza (3.5/5), edamame (3.5/5), the cheese plate (4/5), and the tempura tuna roll (4.5/5). The tempura tuna roll was definitely the highlight. so good i would go back just for that. The wine i got was the merlot (Alas, i don't remember from where) that was on special. I believe it was only $5-$6 a glass! I haven't had a glass of wine i like so much in awhile - either it was actually that great or the whole experience just rocked.
Definitely will return for more wine, food, and ahem good service =) -
Review from Sheila W.
BC
11/26/2008 2 photos
Holy $6.50 pitchers of beer, Batman! I thought I'd check out a new wine bar downtown but found a slick little spot filled with 20-somthings drinking beer. You'd be crazy to order anything else on Tuesday night when you can get a pitcher for such a low price. Sadly, this is a Tuesday special only. But what a special!
In addition to the super cheap beer, they also have mac n cheese, grilled cheese or Italian sliders for $2.75 a plate (and all were yummy). And I saw an ad for Thursday lobster dinner for $9.95. What?!
So this place is on the Granville Street entertainment strip, right across from the Cellar nightclub. It's a narrow shop front, but once you're in it's a fairly long room. There's deep red carpet and exposed faux-rock walls in the entrance and a piano with a bust on top. It has high tables with tall, backless stools. The main room has charcoal walls with black/white/red accents. There are a couple glass chandeliers and the effect is kinda goth/sexy or if you can imagine Avril Lavigne made into a bar, this is her.
The music mix (Marvin Gaye, Pharcyde, Blackalicious to name a few) agreed with our table and was easy to chill to. Tables are set for four people, we squeezed five, but bigger groups might be challenged. Every table was packed by about 7:30pm on a Tuesday, so if you plan to chill and visit with friend over cheap beer, make it an early date.
PS - I wouldn't come here for the wine. Bottles average $33-50 and nothing I saw is on my wish list. -
Review from Anita T.
Toronto, ON
8/15/2008 1 photo
Whine-o's is completely out of this world. When you walk in off of the well-lit Granville Street, it takes your eyes a few minutes to adjust to the darkness and decor of the very narrow lounge; but when you do finally adjust, you're pleasantly surprised. A mix of goth and glamor, this lounge is definitely different.
As the name suggests, they specialize in wines. So basically, you could potentially find any type of wine you were looking for, and if they don't have it - they can always suggest something that's so close you won't even notice! They also have a variety of tapas that you can enjoy alongside the wine and fairly moderate price points. -
Review from claudia r.
Vancouver, BC
2/26/2010
I went for the first time on Wednesday night after an Olympics LiveCity event.
I heard a lot of hype and perhaps that was the problem- it was ok at best. The staff were rude to the parties around us (stressed and busy, but who isn't right?) and the bill automatically had an 18% gratuity added, for service that was not great.
We ordered the meat and cheese platter - $19 for 3 picks. Definetly not worth it- for the amount of food and quality of food I would have paid $10 max.
Wine list was not great- too marked up for me.
When the patron beside us asked how much the beers cost, the server stared rudely and said "I don't konw, like $6 and up?" The patron responded, "How about xx beer?" and she then says, "I really don't know". The patron didnt order anything as a result- I wasn't surprised.
Not sure if I'll go back. -
Review from Ian B.
Vancouver, BC
6/7/2010 1 Check-in Here
We stopped by here for a drink on a Sunday night, and I am having trouble understanding the other reviews on here.
The wine menu charges *literally* double for what you should be paying for BC wine. I would say next time I'll take a photo of the menu as evidence, but there won't be a next time.
Lesson: don't go to this wine bar for the wine. I hear it has super-inexpensive food. Great. -
Review from Thu N.
5/27/2010
Johnson introduced me to the $7.50 pitchers here on Tuesday!!! Such a cheap night out :) We showed up around 9 and had to wait 20 min for some room! There's also $4 tapas: mac n cheese/sliders/grilled cheese. I got the mac n cheese - really filling..but really just a filler.
It's a pretty packed place on Tuesdays...I would say that the appeal is the cheap pitchers! -
Review from Christine R.
New Westminster, BC
10/12/2008 3 photos
I'm happy to see a certain trend in bars and nightspots - cool, lounge-y places for people who wanna go out, and see and be seen, but not go clubbing. That is, deal with bouncers and coat checkers with attitude, have my ID scanned (yeah, right), and stand around being jostled. This girl is too old for that kind of hassle. I just wanna sit down, eat and drink, and hang out with friends. Whineos is a cool place to do all of the above.
The drinks were great - I had a delicious Desperate Housewife martini (which my friend insisted on calling a Dirty Housewife), while my friend enjoyed Negro Modela beer - very rare, I'm assured. The food was equally fabulous. I loved my delicious, if slightly difficult to eat elegantly, Italian sliders - perfectly done mini beef patties atop a baguette slice with mozza and basil.
The prices were pretty reasonable, although you could go very high-end here if you wanted to with a $300-$500 bottle of bubbly. If I have the occasion for that kind of celebration, I may just do it here. -
Review from Cameron M.
Toronto, ON
12/16/2008
The thing I love about Whineo's is there's always room when you think there won't be. That isn't to say you can always get in any time. It's hugely popular so there's full periods like any Granville restaurant. But whenever everything else is full or closed this seems to be the place to go.
Whineo's is great for wine, duh. But it's also great for liquor in general featuring a stocked bar and huge selection of beers. What they almost should be called though, is foodie's. They've got some great little meals and tapas choices that really pair well with their liquors and show off their unique premise.
I know Whineo's mostly as an after work place.I head out a lot with my restaurant friends after their places close and grab a late drink and bite here. People who work in the industry and kitchens love this place because it's so chilled out yet offers a lot of good quality options and is open late.
Whineo's is a great place to check out if you're looking for a bit of a party or food. If you're just in it for the wine there are better options but for the 1:30am muchines you can't get much better in the middle of downtown. -
Review from Alex D.
Vancouver, BC
4/28/2010
The best drink deal in Vancouver I have found. Tuesdays at Whineo's are a good way to brush away the midweek blues.
$7.50 pitchers iare a win but the $4 appies are the icing on my now hungover cake. The grilled cheese is pretty damn tasty with what I think was melted camembert served with a cheesy white sauce.
Pretty darn good music as well but come early as the place is full at 6pm. -
Review from Curtis A.
Vancouver, BC
5/10/2009
I remember when this place first opened it had a lot going for it. Interesting decor, pretty decent wine list and some good eats (the deconstructed cheese cake dessert was awesome). Whineo's, however, quickly showed it was more about style than substance.
You know the ideal wine bar that you have in your head where you can grab a seat, have a glass of interesting wine, listen to some good tunes, possibly nosh on something, decent service and, ultimately, not pay through the nose? Yeah, this isn't that place.
The wine list is weak and over-priced. In fact, Whineo's is becoming more known for its cheap glasses/pitchers of draught beer so, bear that in mind because it can really live up to the the, ahem, 'standard' Granville street experience.
The food is the bright-spot - relatively small portions and high-prices aside.
Now, here is the other catch that really results in a one-star rating. BY FAR, the most dissatisfying restaurant experience I have ever had in my life occurred here. Whineo's has a very unique private-room (the 'Scooby' room as it is called....due to it being 'hidden' behind a book-case) available for rental. About two months before my girlfriend's birthday I reserved this room. About a couple days before the event I hadn't heard anything from restaurant to confirm (as is typical) so I called just to make sure. The manager I spoke to went and checked the reso book and confirmed and that was that. With a group of friends invited we all showed up, only to be told that they had 'double-booked' the room. I looked in and saw a bunch of wonderful looking scenesters (one of whom I later learned was a third-owner of the place) enjoying themselves. The manager on-duty offered my group a round of shots as compensation. I have never ever been so insulted, angered or embarassed by a restaurant in all my life. We left.
I have been back a couple of times, late at night, for drinks and have noted a fairly continuous shift: annoying granville scenesters permeate the place, prices continue to climb, service is amiable but slow, etc etc.
This ain't a wine bar. Its crap. -
Review from Amanda M.
8/21/2008
This strip of Granville seems to cater to those I would never hang with in college - gel-coiffed jocks and ladies in tight pants. That's why Whineos is so refreshing. Whineos is, of course, a wine (not whine) bar. On the night we went - a Saturday night around 10pm - it was packed with big parties. The scene was on the cheesy side of upscale but the venue has great atmosphere - narrow, brick and wood with a little secret room you can inhabit if you get there early enough. Whineos's wine list is upscale as well but that's why you'd be drinking here and not on your couch. Food is available as well.
