Sonoma Wine Bar & Restaurant

I came across the Upper Kirby location of Sonoma Retail Wine Bar & Restaurant while attending a private event. It was truly love at first… sip? LOL! Everything from the event’s menu to the staff was handled with perfection. I knew I was going to return and now, I consider myself to be quite the regular.
First of all, the décor is really impressive with its dark wood interior. From looking at the outside, it’s more spacious than I thought it would be. There is bar seating along with various tables and booths and even seating near the fireplace. I would recommend Sonoma as a low-​key date spot (preferably after dinner to enjoy wine, dessert and conversation) or a girls night/​gathering. Some wine bars are appropriate for singles and solo missions, but this isn’t one of them, IMO. More often than not, you’ll have to bring someone with you to kind of liven up the atmosphere. The vibe is very intimate here. They do have outdoor seating, but honestly, I’m not that excited to look at traffic on Richmond Avenue.
As this is also restaurant, the menu options are more expansive than other wine bars. It includes tomato soup, salads, pasta and even cheeseburger sliders. They boast about using fresh produce and ingredients from local distributors, which is evident in the aroma and taste of their offerings. Can I tell you I love a good cheese plate? Personal favorites include the baked brie from the small plates menu ($ 12). It comes with drizzled honey, toasted almonds, fig preserves and Granny Smith apples (my favorite)! Yum! The baked artichoke dip is also good ($ 12). Sonoma’s version includes kale and fire-​roasted red peppers. Of the gourmet pizzas ($ 13-​$ 19), I like to keep things simple. The pepperoni ($ 13) and margherita ($ 16) pizzas are my go-​to options. If you have room for dessert, try the pineapple upside-​down cake or the strawberry cheesecake (both $ 7). The cheesecake is okay, but the pineapple upside-​down cake will change your life! Very moist with the right amount of sweet and tart. I don’t usually indulge in cakes, but here, it’s a must and the portion is just right to satisfy a craving.
There’s a daily happy hour menu that I love to take advantage of. From open until 6:30 p.m., they offer red wine sangria for $ 5 ($ 25 carafe) and one dollar off wines by the glass. Also, Monday through Saturday, select wine varieties are 20% off. Mondays are my favorite: Merlot and Malbac days — a great way to bring on the work week. Thursdays are Cabernet days (if you can’t tell, I’m more partial to red wines LOL). Coupled with 50% off their pizzas, this makes for a great evening.
Parking is free and plentiful — a bonus in my book. Add this place into your rotation.

My husband and I stopped in this spot for a glass of wine and a dessert. Two people recommended the pineapple upside down cake so we gave it a try. It was very tasty and moist. Pineapple gave it a sweet taste in top, but not over powering sweet. Cute intimate spot for a date night and their menu looks tasty for dinner too.

My pet peeve is waiters/​waitresses not writing down orders AND forgetting the things we order! That is exactly what happened at Sonoma, our waitress was barely ever around, did not write down our order and forgot everything that we requested thereafter. One of my friends was not of drinking age, so she asked for a cup of coffee which was never brought out. When we reminded our waitress, she finally came out and told us that they were out of K-​cups for their Keurig. Then, she offered hot tea, and forgot which tea was requested, so had to bring out all 3 types of tea they had. I ordered the baked brie, and I requested a few more crackers to finish off the dish, but they never came out either and I had to flag down another waiter to bring them out. We also had one of the pizzas and the duck egg rolls. The food is good, but expensive and not very filling if you’re looking for a hearty meal. They are definitely good shareable dishes to enjoy with whichever wine you choose, but don’t expect a tentative waitress/​server to make recommendations of wine or food to you and your party, regardless if you appear to be wine novices. I’ve had much better experiences at other wine bars and restaurants. Overall, I would not return based on my poor experience with the service here.

Thursday happy hour = the bomb dot com
Perfect place for a girls night with great happy hour bottle prices and half off pizzas. We ordered a cheese/​meat plate and one of each of their delicious pizzas and couldn’t pick a favorite if we tried! Great, friendly staff and plenty of parking (park next door when the lot gets full). On a nice night, sit outside and watch the poor souls sitting in Richmond traffic. while you are in food and wine heaven!

One of the hallmarks of a well-​run establishment is that the operations melt into the background. Not so here. Confused, inconsistent service, but worse, a constant chattering between the barkeeper and waiters, and between the waiters themselves destroys any illusion that one is in a cozy, romantic wine bar. The only one who seemed to know what he was doing, and should probably be running the place, was the Latino gentleman, who kept the bar orderly and effectively ran the bar when the other bartender disappeared, which was often.
Some nice wines. The duck eggroll was good, but seemed out of place here.

The worst service ever!!! 30 minutes waiting for appetizer cheese board and 1:20 hours waiting for pizza!!!
The cheese board selection was really good but we couldn’t enjoy it.

I’m going to keep this review short and sweet. I’m definitely calling this place my new hangout spot. I was showing my friend around who just moved to Houston, and we came across this place and I remember reading good reviews; so I thought why not try it out? And I was not disappointing. This place was amazing and their prices are great! Our waiter was super sweet. I will be coming here very often for sure!

Went to Sonoma this weekend based on the reviews and had a nice time. The food and the wine is way better than the atmosphere.
The area is kind of small and isn’t very lively. They don’t have any music or anything that’s visually stimulating. So for me, the atmosphere is the main reason I’m only giving Sonoma three stars.
The pizza I ordered was amazing. It was thin crust had very fresh ingredients. The jalapenos were delicious and all of the meats were freshly cut. I cant say enough good things about the pizza, it was spot on.
My date and I got a flight, so we could try a little of everything and it was a pretty good mix. No two glasses tasted the same, it was refreshing to have a flight selection where you can taste the difference in each glass.
All and all, I had a good time at Sonoma and I would go again. However, its not a place where would spend my entire night, its more of a very low key date spot…

This place is good for a girls night out! If you are looking for a place just to hang out with your girls and drink some wine this is it! Now, if you are hungry I honestly don’t recommend this place. Food is a bit expensive and not all that. Not to mention they don’t have a big selection to choose from. We had a Bordeaux pizza, and some salad (It was okay). After we were out the bar we had to make a quick stop by McDonald’s! We will definitely go back just to drink wine!

The place wasn’t packed yet service was still slow. I paid $ 15 for a glass of Bench Cabernet which I personally feel was too much. Not a favorite for me and don’t think I’ll be going back. Overall, the menu prices felt very inflated to me compared to other wine bars with better ambiance and better service.

I’ve been here on a few dates and have always had an excellent experience. The wine selection has something for everyone, and the flights are a great option if you’re wanting to try a few options out without getting too tipsy. I’ve had the baked brie and the caprese salad, both of which were delicious.
The atmosphere feels very intimate with small tables, booths, and several couches to choose between. The only set back was that on a less busy night, our waiter seemed a little distracted and took a while to check on us when we wanted to order food. This could be a plus for people who aren’t wanting to feel rushed, though, so I still count it as a 4 – 5 star experience.

This is actually a place I found by reading the reviews that were left on Unilocal.I was a bit skeptical because everyone was giving 4 & 5 stars. Sonoma definitely delivered. I loved this place and I will definitely be back. Luckily I made it just in time for happy hour which is from opening until 6:30p bi thought this was pretty cool that each day has it own special. Make sure you try the pineapple upside cake.

So I’ve got to say that wine bars typically aren’t my scene. I am typically dragged to them by my legs clawing at the ground! But about a week ago my fiancé took me Somona and this definitely opened my eyes! This place was definitely nice, but not the usual pretentious, douche-​palace that I was accustomed to, this place was actually awesome! Not only did they have a fine selection of wine, but beer as well! Needless to say I was happy and very glad I went.
On top of the drink selection, they have awesome meat and cheese plates as well. You got to check out that Brie! It’s the cheese if done right that will keep you coming back for more and more!
Awesome experience and we will definitely be back! This experience definitely changed my wine bar attitude! Great job Somona!

Ein Weinlokal, wie man es sich vorstellt. Eine schöné Weinkarte mit gute Auswahl und gemischten Preisen, eine Speisekarte mit kleinen Beilagen, Käse Schinken, guter Pizzaund anderen Leckereien. Man kann draußen sitzen und einen schönen Abend haben. Sehr zu empfehlen.

This place is everything! Especially if you’re a known wino like myself.
The good: the wine flights. Holy crap. So amazing. Me and my gf did the «Well Traveled» flight and each wine was amazing. We also had baked Brie that literally makes me salivate when I think about it andddd duck dumplings. After the flight and a extra glass we undertook an amazing veggie pizza, wish I knew the name. I took a pizza home for my BF and his meat eating self loved it. We sat out on the patio will check out inside when I go again!
The bad: Really nothing to say. I’m obsessed.

Very cute and quaint winebar… the setup is similar to a restaurant where there are more tables and less of a look of bottles of wine for sale… I had a few glasses of the NV Shebang, which is an absolutely delicious bold and fruity red blend… I love the free pour atmosphere, which as a wino makes me think I’m getting more wine even if I’m not… the waiter was very attentive, friendly and quick and the glasses range from $ 10 – 15 with flights around $ 25…I didn’t have any food but everything that came out looked great, besides it’s a great idea to have actual food available when people are drinking (they will spend more)
I will definitely return, loved the atmosphere and everything about this place

OK — how have I driven past this for years without knowing it was a restaurant (thought it was only a wine bar)?
Friends took us last night and we were impressed. Place was packed (on a Wednesday night) — mainly a young crowd of professionals.
Nice space. Not overly noisy so you can chat.
Friendly and quick service.
Good selection of wines ($ 30 — $ 50+/btl) and wines by the glass are pricey ($ 12 — $ 18) but from better producers.
Menu small but plenty of selections. A number of items to share. We had the Sonoma Board (Houston Dairymaid cheeses + «meats“0 — plenty to share for 4 (but do ask for crackers). Two orders of sliders (3 to an order) and a pizza. All food was quite good. And we were stuffed.
Damages with tip (we did get a $ 60 bottle of wine) was $ 210.
A nice spot for a casual dinner.

Sonoma is a very good wine bar. They have a solid selection and plenty of reasonably priced wines. They also let you try the wines, which I think is an excellent perk. The service was very attentive, and you can tell you know their wines, so as far as wine bars, this one is top-​notch. The atmosphere was also perfect for a wine bar, a little dark and not overly loud. Definitely a cool spot.
Now for the food…
Sonoma sliders (⁵⁄₅) — A little pricey in my book, but they were delicious. I wished the chips were a bit more original, but the sliders themselves were awesome.
Bruschetta (³⁄₅) — Now to be fair, I’m not a bruschetta fan typically. My boyfriend was doing the ordering, so he chose this. There were 4 reasonably sized pieces, but at over $ 10, I just didn’t really need it. Probably would skip this next time.
Sun Dried Tomato Pizza (³⁄₅) — The pizza was good. It was not great by any means, but it was satisfying. I would probably try another pizza next time. I liked the ingredients but it didn’t pop. I’ve enjoyed the pizza at other wine bars a lot more.
Overall, the food was closer to a high 3 and with the service and wine I’ll give Sonoma the 4. We may have just made some poor food choices, so I’ll update my review when we go back and try more. Our friends got the grilled cheese with tomato soup, which I’m excited to try for next time!

AH! How have I not been here until now?! Honestly, this place is the bee’s knees of wine bars in Houston. My best friend and I decided to meet up at Sonoma for happy hour on a Friday. We arrived a little early since we both got off work. The place doesn’t look as beautiful and intimate during the day time as it does at night. I love the outdoor patio area and lighting… perfect for a date night or even a drink with the girls!
Since it was a Friday (and Halloween!), we got the Friday Night Flight special. This special includes a sample of three different wines for an incredible price of $ 10. To go along with the Halloween theme, the flight was appropriately called Monster Reds Flight and featured three different red wines: Merlot, Tempranillo, and a Malbec. We also ordered the baked brie plate ($ 12) to go with our wine. Oh my gosh! You guys have to get the baked brie… Warm melted brie cheese drizzled with honey with crackers, sliced green apples, and fig preserve alongside. The baked brie is just soo incredibly yummy and with the honey! Oh perfection! It was the perfect bite to go with the wine. We also ordered the spinach and feta pizza ($ 14). The pizza is a great option if you want to split a meal for two. It was super flavorful with a nice thin crust.
It seemed like there was also a private Halloween party on the other section of the restaurant. So, I guess they do offer rooms as venues for private parties. This place would be an awesome location to host company parties or happy hours. The wait staff is amazing… always on top of things and very friendly and helpful. All in all, defnitely check this place out if you haven’t already done so.

Sonoma is a great place to meet up for happy hour! They have an overflow parking lot, and the staff was extremely polite and attentive.
For happy hour, they offer delicious glasses of house wine for $ 5 each, and you can also get a discount when buying bottles to-​go. They also offer a selection of appetizers and cheeses to accompany your wine. My friend and I ordered the baked brie and a goat milk-​based tartufo cheese. Everything was wonderful!
Overall, the atmosphere is quiet and clean, with your standard candles and good vibes. I’ll definitely be coming back again to hang out with my friends.

I love sonoma for happy hour! Great specials on their food and drinks. My favorite appetizer is the hot brie with honey, almonds, sliced green apples, and apricot jam. The sangria comes in mini mason jars and are okay. I would stick to their wine selections. Also, pizzas are delish too!
I recommend coming here for an intimate meal with a date or happy hour with the girls!

Obsessed with this place. Best wine bar i’ve been to in Houston, hands down.
This particular location has a pretty decent sized parking lot and it’s really spacious inside. There’s seating at the bar, tables scattered throughout different rooms, and even a couch next to the fireplace. It’s a really cozy place to come and catch up with friends over a glass of wine and a charcuterie plate.
My waitress suzy was an absolute delight and was able to recommend me different wines based on my tastes. I decided to go with the be sweet flight, a flight of 3 dessert wines. The portions of the flight were actually really sizeable and well curated. Suzy was really wonderful and attentive and she even remembered my wine preferences when I came by to visit a second time. I ordered the baked brie, sonoma sliders, a pizza, and the grilled cheese here so far, and can honestly say, they’ve all been cooked really well. It’s not your run of the mill bar food.
If you’re looking for a great happy hour spot look no further. Sonoma has a great wine selection, craft beers and even sells wine.