Vela at Paloma Blanca

Oh Vela, Vela, Vela… don’t you know the ol’ addage? If it’s not broke… leave it eff alone!
This place used to be the go-​to when meeting girlfriends for HH or for the way to begin an awesome night out. I’m so sad to say that I probably won’t come here again…
Vela used to be a separate wine bar — separate menu with *awesome* flat breads, cheese plates and other great appetizers, separate wine and drink menu with great specials during HH and ALL DAY LONG SUNDAY HAPPY HOUR!
Now? It’s an offshoot of the (granted, fabulous) Paloma Blanca. Buh-​bye ALL DAY LONG SUNDAY HAPPY HOUR. Buh-​bye flatbreads and cheese plates. Buh-​bye Vela Wine List. It’s all Paloma now.
The problem? If I wanted to go to Paloma, I’d go to Paloma. But I don’t always want to go to Paloma… I want to go to a cute wine bar and sit on the fab deck. I don’t know if there are separate servers for the Vela side but our service has been super spotty and once even downright awful since the switch.
I don’t know what the reason for the switch was, but I’m really disappointed in it. Bad move.
Guess you can now find us at 20Nine or Zinc!

Vela used to have a separate and unique menu but at some point in the last six months, they’ve converted to be just part of Paloma Blanca. This serves zero purpose as the menu is the same, but the service is slower since everything comes out of the Paloma Blanca kitchen. You can’t even get chips and queso from your server at Vela, they have to wait for someone next door to bring it.
The happy hour deal was good ($ 5 for wine, $ 3.50 for sangria or margarita and $ 2.00 beers) but honestly, I would never actually have dinner here again. Why not just go next door and get faster and better service?
During our visit, my husband left his credit card. I called Vela and they said they couldn’t help us, I had to call Paloma Blanca at another number. I called, sat on hold three times for three different people finally got a manager who had to walk over to Vela’s to unlock the register to get the card.
This set-​up is just ridiculous! Why call is something else when it’s clearly just a patio for Paloma Blanca??? Save yourself the trouble and just go to Paloma Blanca to begin with!

I wanted to go twice to this place before reviewing. I went once during happy hour and the crowd was a lot of twentysomethings, mostly chilling on the patio very casually. I was topping off a previous meal, so just wanted some fries to nosh on. The service was slow, but good, and the cocktails well-​mixed. Definitely had some good deals for HH, with several of the apps being $ 5 (including a cheese plate, hummus, French fries, and the margherita flatbread). I figured I would be back for those prices for sure, but really only at those prices – the fries were a little limp, but decent enough, and nothing to travel out of your way for.
I returned on a night that wasn’t an HH, and surprisingly, I felt like I’d gone to a different wine bar. The clientele got a lot more upscale (like a Spurs assistant coach was there, along with a «ladies who lunch» type group), and service speed improved significantly. The French fries were much better, although someone really needs to let them know that the chipotle tartar sauce is not the best idea to replace aioli. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the mushroom flatbread was really crispy and not oily like a lot of places we’ve been, making it a big hit. The olive plate featured things I know I can get at Central Market, all presented in oil, which is not my favorite, but very much pleased the bf.
All-​in-​all, not a bad place, but the overall lack of an above average wine selection list makes me think of it as a bar featuring some decent wine more than a wine bar.

Hmmm. I can’t tell if I was just one of the rare few to have good service while I was here, or if I was too busy talking to realize how bad the service was. Either way, I really enjoyed my visit here; this is a great place for a date or catching up with a friend. The ambiance is sleek and stylish, and you can dress up to go here without feeling out of place. We had the cheese tray and the olive tray, both standard but enjoyable, and enjoyed the wine recommended by the server. I plan to go back for Champagne Wednesday (half off champagne!) with some friends.

Had a good bottle of cabernet sauvignon. The atmosphere is what really sells this place. Its ideal for a small to medium sized group since its not very big. The tapas leave much to be desired but if you stick to wine you wont be disappointed.
I highly recommend this to all people who are past their clubbing days and enjoy quiet walks on the beach holding hands and whatnot with their significant other. Very low key place but still a jewel in a city like San Antonio.
The place around is really dark so please bring your tazers and pepper sprays. I’m just saying…

A neat little spot in the heart of Alamo Heights. Best time to go is during happy hour. They have some great deals on drinks and food. Unfortunately the food misses the mark along with the mixed drinks. Stick to the wine and you will leave feeling fine!

Well, I’m going to have to agree with what others have said about the poor service. I went with my husband on a Friday night and was seated right away. Then… we waited… and waited… for about fifteen minutes before someone finally came and asked for our order.
Now, normally I would flag someone down, give them the stare, etc, but this is where it got weird. There were two waitresses. One, I saw about two or three times serving tables on the other side of the room and then she would disappear. The other one, «our waitress», was sitting at a table next to us. Yes, that’s right. A few minutes after bringing us water she plopped down at the table next to us and starting drinking a glass of wine. This confused me. Was she off her shift? On a break? I guess I could have asked her this but she was fully engaged in a conversation with about six other people!
Well, finally she did get up at which time she glanced over and questioned if she had ‘forgotten about us”. She did feel bad and gave us free wine and appetizers, so I have to give her that. Still, the whole experience was weird. I definitely expected more from my beloved Paloma Blanca.

The reasons I like this place: cute (really nice setting with electric (not real) candles hanging from the ceiling), nice patio, close to my home, convenient to go to after eating at paloma blanca. Dislikes: I never receive very good service here. The waiters don’t really seem to know what they are talking about, It feels pretty cramped (although, I loved it when my bf and I snagged the extra large couch area that was meant for large parties). I just have trouble going somewhere where they don’t wait on me properly and the wine is just okay when I have good wine sitting at my house. However, like I said LOCATION.

In my opinion, 2 stars for a wine bar is not good when you specialize in the one thing your supposed to be good at, wine. Went here with the GF one night and was a little disappointed, the waitress was not that great, and the selection of wines is pretty pathetic and short for a wine bar, and the 2 wines we selected off the menu they were all out of. I definitely expected more from a place in Alamo Heights, but this place is all show. Maybe we went on a bad night, but I would rather make the trip to Zinc Wine Bar downtown where they actually have a larger selection of wines. The only reason this place gets 2 stars and not 1 is because it does have a good ambiance to it. Avoid this place if possible…

Had a wonderful bottle of sauvignon blanc here — the atmosphere was relaxing and comfortable. They remembered the wine chiller for the wine, and when my date mentioned he wasn’t a huge fan of the glass of red he had, the waitress immediately took it back and replaced it with a new one.
I will definitely be back to try the food.

Love the environment! Friendly staff and good selection of wine and appetizers!

Seems like a cool, uppityy spot in Alamo Heights. Had some Salmon Nachos as an App, not too shabby. From what I heard from people that I was with, the food is not as good since they moved to the new spot. So can;t tell you about that, but what I can tell you is this would be a great Summer Daytime spot to have some apps and drinks. Thats why I will be back.
peace out

Loved Vela!:) let me break it down:
*These people know their wine!
* Vela has no real candles as chandeliers but never ending, great lighting, electric candles– how cool is that!
*My sangria was amazing!- just no fruit;(
* Service was amazing!

We went to Vela for the first time last night. We decided to go after our wonderful dinner at Paesano’s. The ambience is amazing. The sink in the bathroom was full of rose petals, which was a nice touch for Valentine’s Weekend. I have to disagree with the previous reviews in regards to service. Our server was very attentive. I had a Pink Kiss cocktail, which was so wonderful, I decided on another. It was not that crowded, so it made for a perfect after-​dinner experience. I cannot wait to go back!

First, I’ll preface this review with the assurance that I did have a wonderful time with my HH companion, she certainly made our visit to Vela a super fun experience no matter what. Good friends can have a blast staring at a brick wall… but on to the review.
I really wanted to like Vela, really. However, the service was completely dissapointing and that right there is the difference between having some wine in the comfort of your own home or going out for ambiance and an experience.
We sat on the front patio. 6pm on a Wed. night. Our server approached us and presented us with the menu. No mention of HH specials, which I had looked up online — ½ off bottles of champagne and different food menu specials as well. We needed a few moments and she let’s us be.
She returns with waters and asks for our order. We have to ask about additional HH offerings. We go for the HH Cabernet. It was delish.
However, throughout the night, I should not, not ever, have an empty wine glass at a wine bar — and I did. Our server did not sufficiently check in on us. Having been a server through college, one of the best tips I can give is to treat your section like one large table, dropping in on each table one after the other so that your trips to the computer or to the back are kept to a minimum. Basically, sitting there with an empty wine glass — while my server checks in with the table next to us and then walks away, makes me feel as if it «is not yet my turn». At one point, my girfriend actually uttered the words — «I think she forgot about my wine» as she was sitting with an empty wine glass as well at that point. I mean, you have got to be kidding me.
We ordered a flat bread pizza that was on HH special for $ 5. We did have to inquire about the HH food offerings though as opposed to our waitress being hospitable and asking if we were hungry or if we would like to hear about the food specials. I felt as if we had to promt her for every last thing. It was very good, crisp, warm and cheesy with tasty «just cooked enough» tomatoes on top. We also split the hummus.
3 glasses on wine each and the two apps put our bill at $ 50, $ 25 per person without tip. I think that this is a nice HH deal considering the setting and as the wine and food were quite good — and the apps really were dinner for each of us. I just was dissapointed by the lack of service.
I’ll give Vela another shot, but I have been to 20Nine, Copa and other SA wine bars where I have had better service.
If you wish, sign up for their email list. I had brought with me a 20% off coupon for a bottle of wine that I recieved but we did not end up using it as there was nothing that we saw that we were interested in that was also in our preferred HH price range.

Talk about setting the mood. Vela’s décor makes you feel like you’ve stepped inside a trendy lounge without having to get past the bouncer and velvet rope. It truly is a classy joint with modern furniture, a cozy bar, and faux candle lighting that rocks.
On a recent Saturday evening, a couple of friends and I really enjoyed Vela. At night, the setting is romantic and nothing (music, ambiance, inebriated guests) was too loud to the point that a normal conversation could not be had. The staff was welcoming and very friendly.
The only knock on Vela was the wine list itself. Granted, it is not a large place but it’s not as if a larger cellar could not be arranged for especially since it is operated by the folks of Paloma Blanca fanfare. Perhaps I am just picky but there were not many unique choices found on the short list.
Check this place out if you want to impress a date or if you’re just in the neighborhood. The patio is fantastic but seating limited.
Pros: Really neat interior.
Less Pro: Depth of wine list.