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A Perfect Finish
- Hours:
Tue-Thu 4 pm - 12 am
Fri 4 pm - 2 am
Sat 6 pm - 2 am
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Classy, Upscale, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
195 reviews for A Perfect Finish
Review Highlights
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"And don't forget the live music." In 18 reviews -
"I will go back for whiskey and panna cotta any day." In 7 reviews -
"...kicking back with friends and listening to the jazz band." In 8 reviews
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195 reviews in English
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Review from Ryan T.
Mountain View, CA
5/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
I was introduced to this venue via a cocktail evening event with a group of friends. What struck me was the variety of wine and liquor stocked. Very convenient location if you happen to be bar hopping downtown. The availability of tables for larger groups was very helpful for our event; couches also to one side for a more kick-back experience.
What really impressed many of my group at the end was the wait staff running out after us after we had stepped out of the establishment, as one of my friends had very accidentally left his laptop bag at the table. Now such service--definitely a perfect finish in my book. -
Review from Nicole W.
Mountain View, CA
3/28/2012
A perfect experience!
Went on a Friday with 2 girlfriends and a http://Restaurant.com coupon. Arrived at 9pm and sat at one of the two couch arrangements. Soft lighting, warm decor, live music (Aggressively lounge-y versions of popular and not popular songs), comfy sofa chairs, and BUBBLY!
I only saw a Flight of Bubbly and basically ignored the rest of the menu, aside from a delectable chocolate mousse cake with paired port. Everything was enjoyed.
The vanilla sidecar (I think?? It's a vanilla cocktail) was yummy, and the bartender as our waiter recommended it. He was attentive and friendly even with our extensive indecision.
My requirements for the evening were:
Not make me feel too old
I want to feel fabulous
I know there are various levels of fabulousness, and some ladies may require something waay more upscale, but this worked for a nice evening out with friends to chat and relax, not pretentious or loud or any of the other things that aren't good ingredients for a lounge. -
Review from Mike And Theresa C.
San Jose, CA
3/21/2012
So recently I found myself back here after a long time. Compared to what else downtown has to offer, this place has gone up in the ranks.
Pros: Great wine selection. Like that you have options for all wines by the glass - taste, half glass, full glass. Lets me taste a lot without risking too much. Fair priced wine and beer. They do live music or karaoke sometimes.
Cons: Service leaves much to be desired. Can be hit or miss sometimes, but usually I get not-so-great service here. But really, I'd rather have good wine at fair prices than get hung up on the "quirky" staff.
So despite the service aspect, compared to someplace else that claims to have less attitude (but crappy wine), this place is still a good bet if you care about quality wine and beer. -
Review from Peggy S.
2/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
While I've had some good times here (so good that I can't remember much...), this is not a place that jumps into my mind when friends suggest, "let's go to a wine bar!"
The wine bar is nested in downtown San Jose, which could turn really crazy late at night, and parking is a pain. However, the good part about A Perfect Finish is that if you want to hang out in a closer, more intimate environment, they have a cozy corner for those who wish to carry out a meaningful conversation. They also have an open area with tables and chairs for larger gatherings and private events.
They have a large selection of wine, and the price is reasonable for a wine bar. They have different tasting flights for different palates, and I heard they have great tapas here, but I have never tried any to say if they are good. Maybe next time, if I can remember! -
Review from D B.
San Jose, CA
2/29/2012
Classy and fun Jazz bands on weekend nights. It's pricy, but its a great place to try out wine and liquor flights to discover your tastes. The food seems a bit expensive, but it has not disappointed me.
Its also really easy to get to by light rail, so give it a try. -
Review from Susan T.
San Jose, CA
2/20/2012
A friend and I passed this place while walking towards another wine bar at 11pm on a Saturday night. It was packed and we thought why not give it a try since the other wine bar we were planning to go to was a farther walk. GOOD, SPONTANEOUS DECISION!
Pros:
- Waiters were attentive and friendly
- Live music
- Flight prices weren't too bad
- Awesome environment/atmosphere!
Cons:
- Bread/crackers didn't come with the Taste of Italy Cheese and Antipasti plate. =/
- Food prices were a tad expensive
Overall, I'd come back! ^_^ -
Review from Hayne P.
1/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Very nice. I came here with a friend to have a couple drinks. Bartender is friendly, attentive, and I had an excellent martini and Tom Collins. I don't remember what gin I had in there. Two drinks made me feel really good, and I enjoyed them. *hint: try a Bols Genever Tom Collins. The Bols is savory and really balances well with the normally sweet Tom Collins*
Kind of expensive, but the tradeoff is that you won't see any rowdy college kids in here. The crowd tends to be older, a little more upscale, and everything is more mellow. Nice place to just chill, although the people watching is kind of blah. You're facing Temple, and that crowd is mostly non existent.
The staff is really nice and engaging.
Pros:
- upscale, but laid back
- won't see noisy annoying young college kids
- better drinks
- older, smaller crowd
- bartender is attentive
Cons:
- Expensive
- older, smaller crowd
- not too good if you're in a mood to dance
- you see Temple across the streetListed in: Nighttime Fun
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Review from M C.
Santa Clara, CA
4/2/2012
Great spot for a nice glass of wine and some live music. The atmosphere is low key and relaxing. I do NOT recommend eating here though. The appetizers were far from average.
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Review from Sondra f.
San Jose, CA
3/29/2012
I love this place. When I think a special night out on the town, this is where I want to go. The wine options are delightful. The customer service has always been impeccable. I gladly let me friends and family know this is the place to go and relax while trying something new!!
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Review from Yvonne C.
Divine creme brulee, tasty wine, relaxed atmosphere. What's not to love?
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Review from Lauren C.
San Francisco, CA
11/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
OK, let me do the breakdown.
Atmosphere: 5 stars
Service: 2 stars
Food & Wine: 2-3 stars
We walked into here after meandering downtown San Jose, because it was a cold day and the inside looked very inviting. We walked in, and were immediately sat down in leather chairs, in front of a faux fireplace. How inviting! It reminded me of my grandfather's cabin, luxury style. Also, there was a live cover band.
My mistake was that I came in STARVING, no FAMISHED. And they don't actually have real food. It tricked me, because their prices are appropriate for a real meal, but honestly it's all appetizers to go with the wine.
So, if you come, come to snack and drink the wine and relax on the couch. Yes, it's overpriced, but I think you are really paying for the atmosphere. -
Review from P C.
Santa Clara, CA
10/9/2011
As wine bars go, not the best. Staff is absent, inattentive or inept. Yet, when they are around it is like they are god's gifts to wine. Lighten up. It's fermented grape juice. Puuuuuh-leeeez.
It's nice to have another late night option, but I like VIno Vino much better. -
Review from Kathy D.
8/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came here last night as a little break to "wine" down from the busy schedule my bf and I had the past months.
We had the http://restaurant.com coupon which we had to order $35 minimum in order to get the $25 put to use. In the end, I ended up having to pay $18 because 18% gratuity was automatically included into the bill so POO YOU!
I must admit that they have good late night hours everyday, which is practical for those who work late hours. Also, they have a very wide selections of wines, beers, and spirits, which accomodates any type of person's alcoholic choide. Appetizers and desserts are available at reasonable prices. Perfect for a late night dessert and wine spot if you are looking into something different.
I ordered some wine flights, where the Cab Premium and Ultimate, was enjoyable. I love their wine dispensers! I want one in my house now!
CON: Service was at first very friendly but it turned very slow! I guess the bartenders had their friends come over and so they were just on one side with them the whole time, making it hard for us to order more or even pay the bill!!! We had to keep waiting around and towards the end I had to chase after someone. This is where I can see everyone else complaining about their service... Do they bring their FRIENDS that often?!?! That was just annoying!
Not bad of a place but not sure if I want to come back again but since they are open late and if I am ever in the area, why not! There are better wine bars out there though! -
Review from Lauren K.
San Jose, CA
Updated - 8/26/2011
Alright, I had a fine experience here when the night I was taken here on a date, but when I broughyt my co workers in for happy hour...
The waitstaff seemed kind of annoyed with us. They didn't necessarily do anything wrong. They seemed to be very on top of our needs, but they just didn't smile or anything.
The restaurant don't have a lot of options for appetizers, but they were good... we were all just hungry :)
All in all, I still enjoy the selection of wine and drinks and the quiet atmosphere when I'm feeling sophisticated and want a good conversation.... but whats a girl gotta do to get a smile around this place?1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/17/2011
I really love this place.
I think it's sort of a well kept secret. I don't understand how people were… Read more »
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Review from Ellie F.
9/30/2011
We totally dug it. Jazz band, quieter atmosphere so you can actually converse, fancy drinks. What's not to like?
The creepy waiter.
OK, but other than that? It was really fun.
The drinks are pricey, so beware of that. If you're willing to splurge though, they have some pretty cool offerings - once we paired truffles with the alcohol used to make them! I feel so grown up!
We also saw a woman come in wearing leopard print leggings. It does not get better than that in downtown San Jose. -
Review from Marshall M.
East Bay, CA
8/17/2011
Great decor, great atmosphere and great service.
This fine establishment serves real, I repeat, real Kolsch beer from
Koln, Germany. I was very impressed with this offering and its exquisite taste. This is the first bar outside of Germany in which I have been able to find real Kolsch beer from Germany. -
Review from Marcos B.
San Jose, CA
1/28/2012
Ok I'm a wine lover and these guys have a great selection of wine, but good lord the pretentiousness was too much for me to handle. Really?!? A Perfect Finish, its bad enough I have to deal with that crap when I visit Napa but to be in downtown San Jose and be talked down to when we order two flights of wine. Alas I'm a sucker and I'll try to go back to you guys one more time to make sure it wasn't just a bad day for the guy serving but burn me twice and "YOU'RE DEAD TO ME".
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Review from Doreen J.
San Jose, CA
3/28/2011
So as a business, when does customer service become important?
I've been to this establishment few times with friends. I never really paid that much attention to their service as I'm too busy mingling with friends and having a drink or two.
On Saturday about 11 p.m., I was headed towards my car and realized that my 8 month prego belly won't let me make it to my car without the use of a restroom.
Knowing that I have been a customer of A Perfect Finish multiple times before, I can run in there and use theirs real quick. I guess when you see a lady waddling in the front door with a prego belly, you ASSume that she is not there to order a drink and immediately, the manager who was behind the counter literally comes running to cross my path and ask me, "How can I help you?'" I stated that I really need to use the restroom.
He told me that "this is a private establishment and the restroom cannot be used by me". He didn't even say it was for customers. I would have just bought a damn glass of wine to use the restroom bc there was no way I was going to be able to walk down to the public restroom he so impolitely pointed me to.
I told him that I will not be able to make it to the public restroom and that if could give me a break, "I'm 8 months pregnant", and he said NO. I guess I can understand from a business stand point that they can't allow just anyone into their facility but does it look like I was there to vandalize their property?
I walked out of their crying because I could not believe that common courtesy for another human being is diminished in this business. I will NEVER come back here nor suggest any of my friends to go here either.
There is simply no excuse for bad behavior and bad customer service. -
Review from Naomi H.
Santa Clara, CA
12/26/2011
I have never given a restaurant two stars but this place deserves it.
Ambience: Warm, inviting and cozy
Service: Horrible! We came in on a Friday night before an Improv comedy show. The bar tender gave us the wine list and menu, completely ignored us after that. He was too busy chatting up his friends at the bar. We ordered a decent cab, which was good.
Food: we ordered the pot stickers and cheese plate. It took quite awhile for the food to come out, even though the place was empty! Should've been our clue. When the pot stickers arrived, they are charred, literally black underneath. Of course they tasted bitter. We ask the waiter/bartender to come over and show him. He responds with "Do you want us to remake them?" uuuuh Yeah....
The re-fire is delivered to our table by a guy wearing a t-shirt and jeans who plops it down on the table, never apologizing or acknowledging the issue. At this point I am aggravated so I ask to speak to the manager. Guess what?? That guy who just dropped of the food is the OWNER!!!!!!
Leadership/Service starts from the top down so it instantly explained the horrible service.
When I spoke to him he said that pot stickers are supposed to be burned!! That is why they are called pot stickers, they stick to the bottom of the pan and burn?? WHAT!?!?!?
From there we just finished the wine and as we are sitting there, we see the owner acting as the bar back replacing glasses, cleaning utensils etc...
Well with this level of service and food quality, I can see why he can't afford to have other staff.
For the price we paid for a bottle of wine and two apps ($80) I will take our business elsewhere! -
Review from Lily F.
Sacramento, CA
11/14/2011
I'm giving it one star because it won't let me give ZERO stars.
Saturday night-
I walked in with a group of 5 people, they all sat down at the bar, as I made my way to the restroom the manager ran out from behind the bar and stopped me "Restrooms are only for customers". I pointed out that my friends were all sitting at the bar ordering, and my boyfriend was ordering my drink, he didn't let me enter the restroom until I showed the bartender my ID and said I COULDN'T use the restroom until I PERSONALLY ordered my own drink, I then showed the bartender my ID, ordered my drink and walked into the restroom.
Quite a few minutes later, the bartender had not brought my drink over and let me just say he wasn't busy because he was just standing around taking shots behind the bar. I reminded him of my drink... 10 minutes later he shows up with something i DIDN'T order, I asked him to remake it and he snapped at me. We asked to speak to the manager, all I wanted was to get my drink made properly,
ANDRE- the owner came out to speak with us. We tried explaining that all we wanted was a correction in drinks. He said we couldn't order another drink until I PAID for the drink that I DIDN'T order. He treated us as if we were inept, and literally told us to F*** off.
Needless to say, we all got up and left.
long story short, WORST customer service I have ever experienced. The staff is RUDE. I highly recommend you save your time and money and pick somewhere else Downtown. -
Review from Mikey U.
2/10/2011 5 Check-ins Here
Wine, I likes. 4 Stars.
Inequitable service, no like. 3 Stars.
That being said, A Perfect Finish has a wine list that represents a good cross section of California vintners as well as some int'l selections. The tasting flights are my preferred way to sample the menu, though the difference in price between tiers (particularly from Premium to Ultimate) feels inflated. In the same vein of thought, I suspect the "per glass" price is meant to encourage purchasing wine by the bottle, which we've done a few times after discovering a stand out vintage.
The Small Plates and Dessert menu provide some tasty accompaniments for exploring a flight or three of wine. Rich and contrasting flavors of sharp cheeses and cured meats do well to highlight tones of many of the wines that we'd selected. Though the platings seem small(er) than expected, the slow and deliberate pace of the experience ends up being rather satisfying.
At the end of an evening, what was originally going to be a precursor drink and snack before dinner proper, Sarah and I had enjoyed a flight each, a plethora of delectable treats both savory and sweet, and then a glass each of our choice vintages. It was a fantastic time.
And I'd normally be very enthused to retrace our steps and do it again...
Unfortunately, my affinity for this establishment has started to slip.
Actually, no.
I still appreciate the comfortable and lush environment much, it being one of only a handful of notable wine bars south of San Francisco, but I do grow weary of the condescending and dismissive attitude I/we've started to notice.
On more than one occasion I've come in from off the street, enticed by a pleasant premiere experience and a burgeoning appreciation of wine and the like. On more than one occasion (beyond that first evening), I've encountered an air of... disdain(?)... from one of the staff. Granted, I don't look accomplished nor affluent, I'm not soft voiced or sophisticatedly mannered.
I'm a slouch'd posture and knuckle-drag away from being a Neanderthal, sure, and I look like "Hooligan #2" in any given Asian crime film, but I do like learning about the nuances of wine beyond a primal "this gets me crunk'd" response.
I'm civil, if a little rambunctious, and I'm resourceful, if not wealthy. And in a valley where every third CEO is a slipper and shorts wearing tree-hugger, my Nikes and tilted brim shouldn't really take credence should it?
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Disclaimer: This review takes into consideration events that happened long before 3 dozen of us walked in tipsy from another barcrawl. Yeah, you know who you are. -
Review from Nicole A.
Newark, CA
12/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Very nice place, the name fits the mood perfectly. Good band, mature crowd, nice place to hang at the end of the night.
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Review from Eric P.
Sunnyvale, CA
8/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is pretty awesome. Really mellow and very attentive and knowledgable waitstaff. The waiter that helped us out had some tips for us for wine and food pairings as well as a deep knowledge of the different flights they were serving. I was really impressed, which doesn't happen often. It's not super busy, which is nice and they play some good, down-tempo music.
My suggestion, try to snag the leather chairs in the back on the right side. Super comfortable, super quiet and more private than the rest of the restaurant.
The ONLY thing that kept it from getting 5 stars was the pricing. I understand that winebars are supposed to be pricy, but paying double the price of picking up a bottle at the local supermarket for a single glass isn't really up my ally.
Otherwise... dig it :) -
Review from Monica F.
3/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Really intimidating looking leather seats never felt so comfortable....
This place is really chill and exhibits the perfect atmosphere for a good and personal conversation and is also a great wonderland for wine enthusiasts.
We were chilling here last night, while people-watching ladies across the street at Temple, almost limping in their stilettos and freezing in their crotch length, tight fit dresses... aaaah. felt good to be in shorts and gladiator sandals, ultra comfortable on the lounge seat, with my glass of chardonnay.
The servers are friendly, except for one who...stopped us after taking a breather outside...who said "excuse me, the restrooms are only for customers"... if he were a little more attentive...we were by the fireplace,..he would have seen us..with so many orders of wine and whiskey and more stuff. so buddy. pay attention next time. -
Review from Patrick S.
San Jose, CA
3/10/2011
This place could be a powerhouse with a real hands-on owner, a more descriptive menu, and a friendlier, more attentive and helpful waitstaff.
Let's pretend you're planning a vacation to Canada, and you've never been. You go to the Canada tourist booth (I say that as if it existed) and ask: "I want to go to Canada, where should I go? What can I do there?" then the mid-20's counter-person tosses you a map and list of cities and businesses within those cities then says to you: "Let me know when you've made your decision, and I'll help you out."
It was kinda like that.
They have an extensive wine selection. But that does no good without tasting notes and no one willing to explain what is offered. When asked, we got short, curt answers from the server and made up our minds on our own. Our drinks weren't really satisfying as a result.
My wife and I came here to try something new (which is kind of the point of a wine bar with a huge wine selection), but ended up leaving after one drink. Trying to get the bill was like trying to land a plane (or stop someone from backing up into a pole with their car), what with all the waving and such.
The price wasn't bad, but given the shit service and lack of explanation of the menu, it wasn't worth the time or the expense.
They get 2 stars for having a clean and relaxing atmosphere, and a decent jazz band. -
Review from Lucinda R.
San Jose, CA
12/26/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Always the best selection of wine! Quiet and empty though.
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Review from snoog s.
San Jose, CA
2/1/2011
*****My poor rating is based purely on the service******
We were very exited to find perfect finish on line after searching for organic restaurant, which now after going to it I am not sure why they even have them in that category.
We went there very hungry and looking forward for the organic menu, when we saw the extremely small menu we were very disappointed but since they had a big verity of drinks we decided to stay there and have our appetizers and couple drinks before going somewhere else for dinner.
Our server, seamed so annoyed every time we asked a question, and gave us the look of , how come you don't know all that? I can easy say he was being very rude and COLD, with no personality what so ever. If it wasn't for that we were going to order more appetizers and drinks and just stay there after all since they were going to have music. but his cold attitude was really getting annoying, I felt like he really hates his job and he is really miserable there which is not costumers fault. Other then that we really like the atmosphere, and the verity of wine and drinks. we really hope they can make some changes in staff's attitude with costumers. -
Review from Apple C.
Oakland, CA
This is a nerd bar. Not surprising since it's San Jose, and my friend who brought me he is a big nerd who discovered it with her nerd friends.
It was really funny because when we walked in around 6PM, it was scattered with nothing but nerdy men watching the Sharks game on the TV. Except a single female at the bar.
My friend, her mom and I situated ourselves in the back near the fireplace and comfy couches. I got the toasted almond creame cake and paired it with amaretto like they suggested. Despite being full of nerds, the bar really knows their drinks. I had a great time just hanging out and drinking.
Sure, the crowd picked up and diversified (read: more females showed up) around 9. But it still seemed like a nerd bar.
Being a nerd myself, I'll probably end up coming back. -
Review from Amadeo D.
San Jose, CA
12/12/2010
I would name this wine bar, 'A Perfect Waste'.
It's located on the corner of First and Post. Large glass windows reveal the posh atmosphere inside. Plush leather sofas and over-sized chairs stretch along the window facing Post St, tables with chairs line the other window facing First. Whenever I walk by, the place is pretty empty. On the Friday night at 10pm when we stopped in, it was as full as I've ever seen it, with patrons sitting at 3 tables, ours included. On the weekends, they have small jazz combos set up in the evening.
The Lodi Zin I ordered was unremarkable, but the service was unacceptable. We sat our selves and waited several minutes for the server to finish his conversation with a co-worker before he presented us with menus. After he finally got around to taking our order, he screwed up by bringing out the wrong wine, yet didn't make a move to correct his mistake. He muttered a barely audible 'sorry' under his breath as he left. Never came back to check on us.
The general consensus of our party was that the wine and food was acceptable, although not stellar, (friends ordered a chocolate cake dessert that looked delicious, but I didn't try it.) However none of us would return after the service we experienced. There are just too many other choices in this world, and too little precious time to risk returning for a repeat let down. -
Review from Chris D.
Newark, CA
11/7/2010
A Perfect Finish is far from it. Save yourself the trouble and go somewhere else.
The wine & drink selection was okay. The venue was decent. The live jazz singer was pleasant. The management/service was ridiculously horrendous.
-Saturday night with a party, not even 50% filled to capacity
-Our party of 15+ was made to order directly from the bar!
-30 min. wait to order
-30 min. wait time to receive order
-Had to ask the manager for a fork since they forgot and the bar was too busy ignoring customers.
-Surprise 18% gratuity included even though we weren't waited on.
-We asked for justification of the included 18% gratuity, and the manager replied that we should just leave..?
This was my first visit to A Perfect Finish, and it was definitely my last. I wouldn't be surprised if this place isn't around next year. -
Review from Perla A.
San Jose, CA
6/16/2011
A friend and I went there yesterday (6/15/11) after work as we waited for the movie night on Post St. featuring "Grease." I've known this place exists for awhile and have always wanted to visit, but I never made the effort. Since we had plenty of time to kill, we stopped in for a few drinks.
We arrived at the perfect time, since it was happy hour until 7:00 PM. HH is basically 20% off anything from the menu. We each ordered two drinks and thoroughly enjoyed them. I thought this place was just a wine bar, but apparently it is a full bar including bottled beers, liquor, cheese plates, and desserts. The menu is very extensive! Unfortunately, they don't serve beer on draft. Fortunately, they have a unique and awesome variety of bottled beers rather than your typical boring and not so tasty beers.
When you walk in, it looks pretty upscale yet cozy. But the staff was far from snobby or pretentious. We sat at the bar, although there's plenty of tables and few comfy looking couches. Our bartender, Michael, was fun, friendly, and helpful. I initially planned to order wine, but a regular at the bar suggested the beer. I love Amber types of beer, so he and the bartender both suggested Fischer Tradition Amber (from France). It was a 22 oz. neat looking bottle that turned out to be such a great discovery! I loved it so much, I ordered a second one!
My friend decided to drink a mixed drink with Vodka. But rather than let her settle for a typical drink she's used to, I asked Michael to make something good for her. After asking her what her preference in taste was, he made her a deliciously pink cocktail. For her second drink, he concocted some other delicious drink.
We were so pleased with the service and drinks, we plan to return. Shoot, we even returned a bit later since the movie hadn't started. I definitely want to try the white wine flights they offer.
Oh yeah, not only did we get good drinks, Michael was awesome enough to give my friend a taste of the Honey Jack Daniel's, since I mentioned how much she loves JD. It smelled yummy, but I'm not a JD kind of girl so of course I didn't like the taste. -
Review from Susan C.
9/22/2010
Amazing selection of wines and hard alcohol.
Really friendly and knowledgeable staff. Very capable of handling a large tipsy crowd.
Most amazing panna cotta w/ berry compote dessert EVER. No seriously, I could have eaten a bucket of it.
Loved the acoustic duo that played guitar and bass and sang fun tunes like "hotel california" and other pop/rock classics in a fun and harmonious way. They were enthused at our "sing along" approach to their performance. They even sang happy birthday for our birthday girl in the party. Super fun and laid back! It was surreal having such a genuinely good time and watching the club goers outside peacock around; trying to be important.
There are also some killer discounts available out there, like $50 off a purchase of $100! Our large party ate and drank lavishly for only around $13 a person!
I will go back for whiskey and panna cotta any day! -
Review from Michelle C.
San Jose, CA
12/28/2010 1 Check-in Here
I want to like this place more than just 3 stars, but alas, I cannot.
It's downtown SJ (bleh) - and while there's a parking lot RIGHT next door, it doesn't validate.
I enjoy wine and have a decent knowledge of vineyards - but I recognized very few labels. So deciding between the Cab Premium flight and the Cab Ultimate flight was made easy because of the $15 difference in price. $8 or $23 for 3 glasses of 1oz pours. And I swear those were measured out precisely. Whet my mouth already. My tongue is good, but not that good. Now, don't get me wrong, I'll drop coin if something is good, I'm not a cheapskate by any means, however
I also had an italian plate which was alright. 1 piece of serrano ham, some toast points, some sort of sliced hard cheese ( I don't remember what kind), 1 olive, 1 marinated mozarella ball, and some dijon. Interesting, right? Thanks for the garnish guys. That was $11. At least I wasn't slided w/ the toast points.
There are some comfy couches and chairs - but should you have a larger party, don't expect to be able to move the bigger chairs from the wall. Apparently they're just for decoration.
On the upside, (or perhaps more poignantly a response to the above mentioned) the place was pretty empty on a Friday night so we had the place to ourselves. The guy serving us was pretty good about coming around to collect the empty glasses.
It'd be ideal if you came here with a small group (under 4). -
Review from Thomas N.
4/20/2011
I have always enjoyed my visits to A Perfect Finish. I go here very often when I want a chill night or want to try some new wines (I am a borderline Wino).
The wine selection is very large and you can try a lot of different wines in a variety of sizes to suit all: 1 oz taster, 3 oz half glass and 6 oz full glass. You can also try the wine flights selected by the great staff.
On top of the selection, the staff is very nice and friendly. I have never had an issue with the servers here and they are always helpful and courteous.
Also, having the BEST dessert in San Jose does not hurt either. The Panna Cotta is amazing. You must try it to believe. -
Review from crystal h.
Milpitas, CA
10/4/2010 1 photo
Finally had the chance to visit this place. A kind of romantic atmosphere. Nice place to take your date or SO. It was like 1 or 2 am in the morning and they were still open. We stayed till closing time like 3am.
Prosecco ($7/8)- nice and bubbly.
Artisan cheese plate ($14)- nicely designed platter of cheese, nuts, fresh apples and raspberry, dried fruits, and 2-3 different kinds of crackers. Nice selection of cheeses.
Service- drinks and food came in a nice timing. One of the bartenders came to warn us that they were closing soon and that we needed to finish our drinks, but we could take our time on the cheese plate.
I'm already dreaming of the cheese plate and prosecco....Listed in: Best romantic dinner…
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Review from Joshua R.
San Jose, CA
10/14/2010
Pretentious douche bags who delight in not serving you well and overcharging for bad food. Only silver lining when I visited was that they forgot to charge me for some of my order.
It's not a good sign when a wine bar looks at you with a combination of hatred and derision when you try to order a flight of wine. -
Review from Jessica J.
Redwood City, CA
12/6/2010 1 Check-in Here
After hearing how gorgeous an atmosphere it was from friends... and JUST before we moved away.... Zak & I decided to try this place out.
We got there on a Friday night and it was not yet filled with the evening crowd. NICE!
We got to choose our perfect place to enjoy the night - out of the way on the cozy loveseat towards the back.
The bartender introduced himself after awhile & talked to us about options.
We decided to order a few small plates of olives, breads, & cheeses, as well as the Man-O-War potstickers, and the Toasted Naan with Caramel & Bacon. YUMMY! I HIGHLY suggest you order these things! Esp the Naan!
We started our adventure in the Scotch section. Zak is a fan of Scotch and I thought I'd be a sport and sip Scotch too! YOWZA WOWZA was I WRONG! haha
He had the Macallan Cask and I thought the GlenLivet 12 yr would be my best friend. Oh, Glen... You are not the man for me! haha
It was wild! My eyes watered and my chest was on FIYA! LOL
It just so happened that while I was laughing and trying to figure out what I could do to stop the raging fire in my belly... The marketing guy walked over and sparked up conversation with us. Zak took over things with GlenLivet while I completely abandoned the Scotch and began a new adventure of tasting with the marketing guy. I can't remember his name, but we really enjoyed learning and tasting so many fun wines with him. He walked us through a few regions and tastes we weren't familiar with. It was great!
We ended up spending WAY more than we had been prepared for... but all in all we enjoyed ourselves and I do think if you are curious about this place? You should check it out! Live Music is great too!
What a quaint little high class lounge in the middle of the hustle & bustle of the light rail and the crazy in downtown San Jose! -
Review from Belen A.
Milpitas, CA
2/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came here for dessert with two friends. The establishment looked really nice, and even had a live jazz band playing. We were seated at a raised table. I ordered the chocolate mousse cake. The presentation was very nice, but the cake itself tasted like it was either in the fridge for a while, or the fridge temperature was set too cold. I expected it to be a little bit more airy. Nothing too fancy, but it was still good.
The real problem was with their customer service. My friend ordered a glass of their Ice Wine. It tasted way too warm and vinegary, like it had been opened for some time. Our server was a bit rude, but didn't talk back to us or anything, and he promptly got the manager when my friend asked for him. The manager apologized for the wine, even went back to taste it (out of our view), and said that "that is how the wine is supposed to taste." Offered no compensation, even though my friend returned the full wine glass, less the 3 sips we took to taste. He also defended the server and his poor customer service.
All in all, decent place if you've got a sweet tooth going on late in the evening, but don't expect much on service. -
Review from Jennifer Z.
San Francisco, CA
12/7/2010
A modern and spacious wine bar in the not so contemporary downtown San Jose. Something I liked, and thought was absolutely random, was the leg lamp that was near the entrance. It was the same one from A Christmas Story (one of my favorite movies- all year round). Unfortunately, I didn't have my phone or camera on me so I have no images to share.
The staff members were great and chopped it up with us for a bit and recommended a really good black grape wine (too bad I don't remember the winery). You can either order off the menu or purchase a card to put money on and use the card for the wine dispensers. I didn't really care for the dispenser machines, but it could be fun for others. -
Review from Tetsu N.
Dublin, CA
12/14/2008 1 Check-in Here
I was so sure that this was not a good location for an SBC Yelper UYE. But it really wasn't bad. Luckily, as moods changed, Yelpers could jump around to Temple or Koji's to offer some variety and that most certainly helped. So, good times all around.
A Perfect Finish is a nicely decored live jazz wine bar, with good fun tunes by the trio jazz group, tons and tons of wine, and some deep sofa seating near the rear. There's about seating for 40 or 50 or so, but with the standing room open space, many more could easily fit without being a fire hazard.
Speaking of the deep leather sofa seating, it's in the rear of the place, surrounding a gel based fireplace which is a great place to just relax and enjoy some good conversation as if you were in a living room at someone's house.
Before joining Yelp, A Perfect Finish was a de facto hangout for me to bring customers from Japan who wanted a slightly more chic experience. With just the bare minimum of whiskeys but an endless variety of wines, and as many Japanese have a strange desire to live the image of the sophisticated wine loving Californian. Live jazz just adds to that allure, so A Perfect Finish, with diversely priced wines, and free live jazz, was a perfect fit, every time.
The staff is a bit snobbish, but depending on how you look at it, it's either part of the charm, or part of the arrogance.
This place is A-OK, but not for every day (^-^)
