10/27/08

Cozy wine bar

by lola2727

This wine bar has the most amazing menus...you have to check them out! The descriptions are like reading a great fiction novel. The ambiance is fabulous too. It is very sharp, artsy and modern.

09/03/07

Chill atmosphere, tasty eats

by blkestin

We've been to Nectar 3 times now and always enjoy ourselves. We've had the pre-set flights and designed our own - some wines have been big winners, others we could have done without - but that is the beauty of being able to order tastes rather than having to order whole glasses (this is still a new concept for us - recent SF transplants from NYC!). This weekend we had the food at Nectar for the first time - made a 6pm reservation on Sunday (Labor Day weekend), and spent a couple of hours sampling various menu items and wines. It was a blast and we'll definitely do that again. What a great way to pass a Sunday afternoon/evening! By the way, we have never experienced poor service, despite several complaints of that nature by other posters. Maybe we have been lucky or maybe they have fixed those kinks?

• Pros: Great space, value for tastes and food potions, service
• Cons: Doesn't open until 5pm - even on Friday!

12/08/06

Sleek minimalism sets the stage for a striking young crowd enjoying uncommonly good wines.

by Contributor

The Scene
Solo sippers perch on stools in front of the under-lit glass bar; couples lounge in cubist chairs and banquettes accommodate groups. Modern art echoes the clean lines of the airy room, and the hardwood floors can make for a din as the libations keep pouring. Personable waitstaff graciously help both neophytes and connoisseurs find the best choices.

The Food
This stylish boite's focus is the surprisingly eccentric, well-priced wine list--patrons amuse themselves by reading the over-the-top descriptions aloud and amuse their palates with samplers like the Anything but Chard Flight or the Bad-Assed Red Flight. The changing menu is quirky, too, offering small plates paired with optional "nectars." "Nibbles" include grilled asparagus wrapped in extra-thick, smoky prosciutto with Parmesan and subtle Meyer lemon, while "bites" may offer two scallops aside a small mound of lusciously creamy mashed potatoes.

11/10/06

Got Wine?

by gggiiiaaa

Impressive wine list, staff highly educated and intrigues guests to try new wine - tailored to your own palate of course. Oh did I say Palate? The food is amazing! the menu changes monthly, if you want a light snack or dinner you will be delighted in your culinary experience. We had the lamb dish and the month prior kobe beef, it was unexpectedly delicious. The staff is gracious and makes you feel at home, the ambiance is warm & inviting. This is not the usual Marina 'Campus' spot, instead the crowd is extermely diverse, whether it be a business or casual meeting, hanging w/ friends and or solo... Nectar is groovy Monday through Sunday!

• Pros: Wine, Ambience, Service, Food

11/02/06

cool wine bar

by jgarch2007

we stopped in here after dinner next door at Bistro Aix--excellent french comfort food--to have a couple of glasses of wine. Great feel to the space on a chill monday night, just enough people to have a buzz, but relatively quiet and romantic. The food looked great, and smelled fantastic, even though we were too full to order anything, but we'll definitely try one of the pizzetas the next time we're back as a snack. they were really big for small pizzas. We got to talk at length with the bartender/owner of the place, and he seemed to know a lot about wine but also seemed really humble about it and really funny at the same time. He also poured us a taste of Cristal! So never mind we got to drink what p daddy drinks, but it was a really cool time. I'd like to see the scene on the weekend, but liked that one on one time we got on Monday.

• Pros: great wine, cool owners

10/27/06

killer wine, amazing ambiance

by fdelano

I'm not sure how anyone can possibly complain about the wine selection: over 50 by the glass (including some amazing sake!) and an enormous cellar of pretty well priced wines from all over the place. Aside from the obvious candidates (Michael Mina, Dankos, etc), I'd say some of the most interesting wines to be found around town are here (at much better prices to boot).

This is not your sad, beat up corner winebar, but one that throbs with energy--yep that means it's loud on a friday night at 10 pm, but I've found it to be wonderfully private on weeknights when you can snuggle in a quiet corner with a glass or two of wine, some pretty tasty food, and, with luck, someone special. The servers here know their stuff (one of the guys told me that they are all studying for the someleir class), and they can be really friendly and generous (they let me taste a bunch of things before deciding on a glass) if you're nice to them.

The food is upscale bistro/trattoria type food--pretty and actually nice and hearty and goes really well with the wine. I'd say try the wine pair that they suggest with the food--it doesn't seem to always work perfectly, but it seems to bring out interesting things with both.

• Pros: amazing wine, service great
• Cons: can get very busy on weekends, parking in marina is difficult at night

09/08/06

Worst Service and so-so wine selection

by ceriddle

I have been here several times and each time have my fingers crossed that the service will get better...it doesn't...and I hear the same complaint from everyone! The wine bar itself is a really cute space, nicely lit, but when it takes 25+ minutes from the time you order to actually receive your wine, there is somethine definitely amiss. The servers are aloof (more accurately 'spacey') and so slow! I have taken to the wine bar around the corner, which doesn't quite have the same atmosphere, but has great service and a nicer selection of wines.

• Pros: Ambience
• Cons: Bad, slow service

08/22/06

Not impressed

by ssb07

While the atmosphere is very nice and it seems to be a popular place, the wine list was very limited and not particularly impressive or interesting. The food menu seemed more tempting, but the portions were very small and our food took ages to reach us. The staff were not very attentive or interested in helping us, and it actually got quite loud, making it very difficult to have a conversation. I'm not planning on going back- there are far better wine bars (or regular bars) and restaurants in this city.

• Pros: Pretty decor, interesting art
• Cons: Poor service, mediocre wine list

07/23/06

Do you like to watch your friends eat ....then go here

by chickcdn

We were so excited to go there after reading the rave reviews. We were sadly dissappointed though. We were very impressed with the knowledge our waitress had of the wines but when it came to the menu total dissapointment. There was 9 of us in our group after 1 hour only 5 people had been served their food. The rest of us had to ask over and over again for our meals. The plate are small plates and you need 2 for a small meal. Not reccomended for a group over 4 unless you like to watch others eat.

06/15/06

Top Notch Wine Bar

by sbgirl

I've been here several times with various friends and it's always a hit!! The staff is knowledgable, friendly & helpful when choosing wines. Great wine selection, & yummy food menu. Both are ever changing so it never gets boring. The service is great, even given that they get packed sometimes.

• Pros: Wine selection, staff, food
• Cons: can get busy