A wine bar walking distance to me?! What a dangerous thing! First of all, this is your standard neighborhood wine bar. Lots of familiar faces and everyone is so nice. The first time I visited, I was only expecting to have a simple drink or two and it turned into a 2 hour adventure; drinking and chatting it up with the patrons here. The selection is great too! I love having the option of taking a bottle home. So great. Totally happy with this local watering hole and most importantly, I love that it's a simple 8 minute walk. read more

The Punchdown - Of course a wine bar - Wine Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

I liked the weeknight vibe of this downtown wine bar because I saw a good amount of solo diners reading and journaling. I got the wine flight that included rose and orange wine. And shared some cheese and bread with friends. Love the addition of anchovies and curated wine selections also for purchase. Service is a bit on the slower side so allow yourself time to sit, sip, and relax. read more

The Punchdown - flight! - Wine Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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This has been on my list of places to check out for awhile and today I finally popped in. I was told they've been in business since 2010. I loved the decor! Once you're seated inside, you can imagine you're in just about any rustic wine region kicking back with some local wines and people. I did the sparkling wine flight. I really enjoyed what I tasted (see photo). I think because there was going to be a Georgian food pop up, the kitchen wasn't as it usually is. I had a little board of brillant savarian triple cream and salchichon salami. What a treat! The service was unusual. Part of it is that it's a wine bar and shop. The person staffing the bar was really busy doing many different things. As that was the case, interacting felt a bit strained. At the same time, considering how much she had going on, she kept it together. I appreciated that she kept track of who was next. Something that stood out to me was how reasonably priced the wines are. Great "bang for the buck." I see myself being a regular. read more

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Came here for a little wine moment with the girls after work. Overall good vibes and wine! Ordered: A bottle of an orange wine and the cheese plate. Highlights: Everything on the cheese plate was delish (always could use more bread though). The wine was also good. Notes: I feel like the service could have been more clear. We got seated but didn't know if it was an order at the bar of place so were just sitting and waiting for a bit. Someone eventually came by and got our order but we ended up just going to the bar to order more and pay at the end. read more

The Punchdown - Bar area - Wine Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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I used to come to this place regularly before 2020. This was my first time back and it was just as wonderful as I remember. Great choices of wine and elevated bites. I loved the anchovies! And the flights are beautifully paired! Service was attentive and friendly, very welcoming. And the venue is rustic and elevated. It feels upscale without the pretentiousness. There are tables and bar seats. Great for a date or catching up with friends. read more

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The service tonight was disappointing and did not reflect the level of hospitality I expect from a wine bar. The bartender came across as dismissive, particularly toward me and my friend simply catching up over a holiday drink. There were several small moments that contributed to this impression. When my friend asked for background on the wines in her flight--something that feels standard at a wine bar--she was told to "just look on the menu." When I requested a fork for the burrata platter, the bartender reacted as though the request was unreasonable rather than assisting. She also overcharged one of the flights and did not acknowledge the mistake when it was corrected. Based on this experience, I won't be returning, which is unfortunate because I'd come to this bar a few times and recommended it for tonight. However, I can't support a business with poor inconsistent customer service. I hope this constructive feedback encourages more thoughtful and respectful service for future guests. read more

Couldn't believe it when I saw it. I was tasting wine out of a wine box! The service was not all that great either. The server was more interested in playing a card game rather than taking notice of their patrons. Sorry to say I won't be coming back. read more

Thank you so much for the great experience. I came for a first date. We had fun! Service was great. We walked in sat at the bar had two rounds and bites. I will be back. Perfect for a girls night, first date and or an intimate date! Great wine selection and bites! read more

Long time love of mine. This used to be my go to place for happy hour. I loved that there is close bike parking, and comfy bar and window seating. I have tried some very nice organic wines here and made some beautiful memories here as well. I usually opt for a house red or flight. This time I enjoyed the Cali Sunshine Mix, each wine unique and did not disappoint. This is a great place for a date or to catch up with a friend. They offer a great food menu of offerings that pair well with the wine of course. Cheeseboards, dried fish and large salads are just a few of the companion offerings. The punchdown has also been known to hold food pop-ups and have a small library of books on organic wine. read more

The Punchdown - Cali Sunshine Mix - Wine Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

This is a romantic wine bar with a beautiful selection of natural wines. I really love coming here for a quiet date night. Every time we're at The Punchdown we're greeted with warmth and treated with kindness. There's an option to sit outside but the vintage church pews inside are such a vibe. read more

We enjoyed a glass of wine here before a show at The Paramount, which is less than a 10-minute walk away. Our group of three grabbed spots at the bar (there are also tables of various sizes) and were greeted promptly. Along with wine, we had also planned on eating their delicious sounding burrata and/or other food options, except we didn't realize that the only food option that day was a pop up starting at 4 pm, which was the same time as our show. The staff person helping us was super nice and helped us select delicious glasses of wine, and volunteered her recommendations of food at other local businesses nearby. It was a short and sweet visit so I look forward to returning for more wine...and hopefully some food. Even though I am terrible at guessing wines, the blind flight sounds like a fun challenge. read more

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I love the Punchdown wine bar :) Came here with a girlfriend after work for their happy hour. Got a house red, and the Meredith Dairy Sheep & Goat Marinated Feta ($13, pictured) which I dream about all the time. It was SO flavorful and great for two people to share. The ambiance of the restaurant was relaxing. Low lights and ample space between tables. Staff was attentive, and service was prompt. read more

The Punchdown - House red and Meredith feta plate. - Wine Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Very cool happening place. It was buzzing yesterday on a Wednesday that too. I went briefly with my 4.5 year old for the food pop up the lovely combo sfizzio homemade pasta and couchdate who served some scrumptious dishes. My toddler and I loved the lamb kofta, the meat sauce spaghetti and the cacio peppe rigatoni. Beautiful flavors and amazing taste. Loved pairing it with one of taste wines from punchdown. Totally loved the vibes. Staff is warm, friendly and very accommodating. Bathrooms are super clean which I love! Ample space at the bar or inside tables with few outdoor options. Would love to come again and explore more from punchdown wine and food menu and hopefully more sfizzio couchdate food pop up here :) read more

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Love the local vibe Delicious burrata cheese and white bean dip with some nice bread. Cons- A little costly, no ac so it was kinda of hot Pros- Very friendly service Wine bottles available for purchase Local love read more

The Punchdown - Big Red tasting $20 - Wine Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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Recently walked pass this wine bar and wanted to try it out! It has a cute rustic feel with plenty of wines to choose from. Clean bathroom, and plenty of tables for small and large parties. Although the aesthetic was amazing, our service was pretty slow and clunky. We ordered with two different bar tenders who forgot what we had originally ordered. I'll give it another shot in the future! read more

The Punchdown - Wine Flight - Wine Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Stopped by the Punchdown in a Thursday afternoon and the place was completely empty. Happened to catch Happy Hour as well! I got the blind flight number while my wife got the cheap-ass flight. As casual wine drinkers, we thoroughly enjoyed the wines we received. The blind flight is cool because if you guess the wines correctly, your flight is free. It's definitely harder than it looks we're told, as only 40 or so guests have guessed correctly over the 12 years the place has been opened. The happy hour food is really tasty as well. I'd highly recommend the buratta as well as one of the cured fish dishes. Bread is warm and incredibly fresh. Fish is not too salty. For the two of us, our bill came out to around $65 or so. So worth it! These days when you search on Yelp for a wine bar, Snail Bar seems to always come up highly on search result. This place is infinitely better! Will come back again. read more

The Punchdown - Wine Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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We came for the Lion Dance Cafe popup. It was really crowded and the punch down staff weren't helping with any food stuff, which is fine. People were ordering wine while waiting and the staff was still super slow to take orders, 5 people would be in line and they had staff seemingly hanging out behind the bar. You could be standing at the bar and it would take 5-10 minutes for someone to even acknowledge you. read more

Ten starts for Georgie and Esteechu. Popped in on a Saturday with some friends. Immediately greeted by kindness, warmth, humor, and professionalism. Plus, they shared a love for my dog, which is always a win ;) Thank you ladies for being perfect hosts! read more

The Punchdown - Best bartenders - Wine Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

First and foremost, I had this nice eloquent intro drafted about supporting small businesses blah blah blah but in truth, I find myself boiling the point down to this. The experience could be boiled down to good food and drinks but meh organization and service. I was finalizing the venue for a work mixer with about 20 people and decided on The Punchdown as our #1 option because of its more intimate setting and wanting to support local businesses. First off, it was surprisingly very difficult to ask for a reservation. I had called twice and no one picked up the phone. I then attempted via Yelp messenger to receive kind of a response but not really in terms of confirming a reservation. I should have definitely known better by this point. Ultimately, I had to walk in and speak with someone. I explained this would be a mixer with our executive staff and new hires. The staff member recorded my reservation in their planner and noted he would inform the owner so they could let the staff know we have a reservation. Okay, all is forgiven. On the day of our reservation, my colleagues best described the initial interaction as "off-putting". Oh hell naw! The bartender on shift did not know we had a reservation and our group did not have a section for us as agreed. This resulted in 30 min or so of confusion. In the end, the event seemed to have been successful but because of the people at the mixer and in spite of the venue. However, there is no excuse for any interaction to be characterized negatively and it is no way to conduct business. The Punchdown is better for small groups but after the feedback I received from colleagues, they've lost any future business my organization or I may have provided. read more

My husband and I went here before a show at the Paramount. We like to try local places instead of the usual chains. It was 5:00 on a Thursday, and at that time there was plenty of seating (we opted for the bar), but it did fill up as we were leaving. I had the house white, which was just fine. My husband had two different reds, and didn't like either one. Both of them seemed to be just a little carbonated, which was weird, with a strange aftertaste. Happy hour runs until 6:00, so we got a a few appetizers on the HH menu as well as a charcuterie board. With four glasses of wine and three apps it came to about $90, although half of that was the wine. read more

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I came here from out of town for a show and Mercy was behind the bar. She made a point of telling me she has less knowledge than all of the people who work there but she worked with me through my taste profile based on the by the glass options, and I trusted her on a bottle. I took it back to the hotel room and it was SPOT ON based on everything I told her. I hope she trusts her palette and intuition moving forward because she made an excellent recommendation based on what I told her. Thanks for the great recommendation Mercy! -AJ read more

Natural wine and snacks in uptown Oakland. They have a good wine selection and sell bottles to go, even my favorite Tessier from Berkeley! There's a miso sample plate from Shared Cultures and other little salty snacks and food with good bread. The service is great, they know the wines and give good recommendations. It's a nice place to have a wine or cider and chill. read more

The Punchdown - The bar and food - Wine Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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A natural wine bar, which means that a varietal might taste different than you expect. I've been there twice this week, and the house chardonnay was the most fruit forward dry chard I've ever had. Both times, I was waiting for the Fox Theater around the corner to open, and the Punchdown is like an oasis in a frequently chaotic area. I love the savory vittles. If you get the baguette with oil, you may gasp at how much bread you get for $3 (happy hour price) but the baguette is wonderfully light on the inside, absorbing the scant oil quickly. Try it with the burrata. And marcona almonds are another of my vices. I need to try more options, including the intriguing wine tasting menu (their choices). Clean non-gender bathrooms. read more

Obsessed! This place reminds me of one of my favorite wine bars in Amsterdam, very European vibes. Delicious wine, fun flights, and the best snacks. Do you like natural wine? Done. Do you like cheese? Done. Tinned fish? Yup. And all at a great price point? Yes. If any of that sounds good to you, and you want to transport yourself to Europe. This is your place read more

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I stop by here had nice great vibes and Good service and recommended some great choices of white wine. read more

The Punchdown - Wine Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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Country music * blue grass * nice employees * and weird wine on broadway Takeaways: - love that it's off broadway - found street parking - kind staff - liked the grilled ham and cheese sandwich with Dijon mustard - specialize in selling orange wines which were interesting- a different variation of white with apricot undertones Major takeaways: - DID NOT LIKE THE WINE AT ALL!!! I tried the $26 Glou Glou Light red (Ganga, villains etc) which is supposed to be "safe." Most of the traditional red wines were too funky for me, kind of carbonated and gave me cider/beer vibes. Me no likey - the dissonance is real yo- the music was wow - avoid the $5 potato chips- literally from a bag and not house made read more

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Great variety of pet nats. If you're into natural wine this is definitely the spot in Oakland. The atmosphere was excellent for a double date with plenty of table space, cute live flower settings and candles lit. The tasting flights were really well curated. I particularly liked the orange wines and that the staff labeled each glass directly with markers to avoid any confusion as things were passed around the table. As a note unrelated to the bar itself: Would stead clear of anything with "earth/dirt" as an undertone in the future as a matter of personal taste. They really meant it. read more

The Punchdown - Orange Flight in foreground - Wine Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Great place! The staff are very nice and friendly. I love their house white during happy hour. They have burrata cheese with French bread. It's one of the best places to go for happy hour and also have some snacks which could be your dinner. Caitlyn is very nice and my go to person there. read more

Stopped in to get a bite and a drink before heading over to the fox theater and it was beyond surprised at how delicious the food was. Great service, and the ambience is both inviting and spacious. read more

The Punchdown - Perfect place for happy hour before heading over to the Fox theater - Wine Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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Very cute place to sit down and have a drink! Great wine selections and yummy charcuterie board. Service was great, I love the small business vibes it gives. read more

Four glasses of wine and a cheeseboard for $40? Um, yes please! The Punchdown's happy hour is where it's at if you wanna be bougie on a budget. 12-6 daily - $5 house wines. Shared with a friend so we could try the red, white, sangria, and rosé. While none of the house wines blew me away, they were all pretty good, and you can't beat that price. Cheese board was delicious. Featured bread to go with our three different cheeses, of which the triple cream was my favorite. Also came with some nuts and honey, which paired great with the wine and cheese. The ambiance in here is great too. It's simple and welcoming with driftwood on the walls and a bookshelf in the back corner. Definitely a great place to relax with a glass of wine after a hard day in the office. Located in Uptown right next to Bart and a bunch of buses, so no need to worry about driving home either. May as well enjoy a few glasses! read more

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We split a refreshing glass of soak king wine in a light snd pleasant atmosphere. The music was good and didn't intrude on conversation. Good place to meet for a first date. Service non existent with at least 4 people working. And no water offered. read more

Delicious and rare natural wines. Tried one of the orange wines and it was great! The food including a veggie pate was really yummy. I went yesterday when it was a bit quiet and sat at the bar. It has a pretty simple interior but the staff are friendly and if you are alone or with friends it's a chill place to hang out! read more

This place made me fall in love with natural wine and it is always a treat to go back when I'm in Oakland. This place is the perfect size for a lively, but relaxed night out. I also love that you can go into the cellar and pick your wine. We always keep the bottles because the labels are so unique. The olives are also 10/10 read more

The service was very nice! There is a nice selection of food, a beautiful variety of wine as well other drinks on the menu. We had garlic lemon muscles and a cheese plate. The atmosphere is nicely lit and romantic but it is also a great place to have dinner in large groups. I plan on returning in the nearby future. read more

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My first visit was with a coworker that I just started working with, we came for a glass of wine and a snack after work. From that moment on, I absolutely fell in love with the Punchdown. We sat at the bar, ordering a sampler set of wines to taste and enjoy with our appetizer. We ordered the Burrata, which is so damn good. So creamy and delicate, served with bread and crostini's. The Castelvetrano olives are always a must, as well. With my vegetarian friend, we also ordered the beet tapenade and savory white bean tapenade. Then back again with my carnivore friend, we added on the Bone Marrow and the Chicken Liver Mouse. It was my first bone marrow experience and thought it was delicious, like a meat butter. This place has something for everyone, small plates and lots of options. They have $5 house wine during Happy Hour, which starts early (starts at 12, ends at 6pm). White, Rose or Red - they are all delicious. This place has great service, prices, deals and delicious food. I can't wait to take more of my friends here to explore more of the food and drink menus. read more

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Cute place but with serious service issues. It was a long time for anyone noticed. So long I went to the bar to discover how to order. I was told ordering at the bar was best. Sadly my guest and I had to share the drink and food menus which makes it awkward. More waiting before we could put in drink orders. My guest tried to flag down the server who looked him dead in the eye and kept going. Rough The food was fine although uninspired. For example, the chicken liver was good but the sides were meh. The house sparkling wine was good but I probably won't return read more

While I can't speak to their usual offerings, I come pick up a CSA box from here every two weeks and the team is always so helpful and nice. Their setup is great for COVID and feels really safe, while they also accept back the physical box when picking up the next one, for reusability. It's been a hassle free, great experience! read more

Great spot for a wine and cheese plate kind of night! Get in before 6 pm on weekdays for happy hour and you can save a few bucks. Eats: Burrata w/ olive oil & bread 5/5 Burrata is super fresh and so is the bread crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside The "cheese plate" various cheeses including goat, brie, and a hard cheese. 5/5 Tasty and accompanied by nuts and jam. This spot has plenty of seating but be prepared for a full house, it gets busy!! Warm and cozy atmosphere with quaint decor for the holiday season. Will be back! read more

"You telling me that wine is better than Pepsi? Huh, no way wine is better than Pepsi." George Costanza, Seinfeld Note: Long overdue review left in draft from several weeks ago... they are of course closed for the Covid-19 situation. Godspeed, hope to be able to come in soon. Da Scene: 4:30pm on a Tuesday afternoon... been at work since 7:20am and need to get out. Punchdown is two blocks away and relief is 5 minutes away. Tables are open, but the bar is full, save one seat, so I slip in. It's buzzing and while I'm sipping the $6 house rose, it gets lit in there. Unpretentious, informed, informal, value. Da grub & libations: It's a wine bar... ya drank some wine. They have some very funky stuff, organic, natural, off the beaten path. The menu is your guide, the descriptions are dead on, the offerings vast, varied, playful. Noshing? oh yes. Lentil soup is hearty, although veggie/vegans will be disappointed as there are bit's of smoked ham in there. Chicken Liver Mousse, grilled Goat cheese sammie, and Acme bread all around... sweet! Da Service: Folks behind the bar are always quick when you're at the bar... table service can be slower when it's busy, but I'm almost never in a rush. The kitchen staff churn out quality stuff, always prepared with care. read more