The Wine Cellar & Bistro

3.5 rating. Myself and 3 colleagues were walk ins for dinner. The restaurant was busy but we were seated quickly so that was great. Our drink order was taken shortly thereafter. I had a local cherry sour (beer) that was very nice. With my meal (cilantro Pesto stuffed local rainbow trout) l had a glass of the house Pinot noir.

The meal was very good from a taste perspective in regards to the sweet potatoes, the pesto, and the coconut curry sauce, with the trout taking a back seat. The fillets were very thin and due to this (I believe) were over cooked. The skin was nice and crispy though. I would return to try some of their other offerings for sure.

Thank you, Daniel, for a delicious and exquisite dinner! It was scrumptious from start to finish- bbq pork belly, cheese plate, beef tenderloin tips- whoa! Fresh savory salads, brisket parpadelle, beef tenderloin, halibut, scallops... just amazing! We all tasted a little off each other's plates. Lots of ooohs and ahhhs. Can I even describe the chocolate fondue with fresh fruit or the brownie infused with red wine reduction topped with fresh strawberries? Your wine selection is crazy good- Sauv Blanc and Pinot Noir were insanely good! Our servers were so attentive and did all they could to make our dinner extra special!
Graduation weekend was so memorable!Thank you for making it spectacular!
We will be back when we are in town!!!!

I never thought I would get perfectly fresh oysters in central Missouri, but Thursdays with raw oysters blew me away. I tried a grilled one for good measure and it was delicious also. The selection for wines by the glass is respectable with good variety and the perfect price range. They even have a Wine Spectator certificate for 2014.

The staff is always accommodating and takes the time to teach about varietals or regions that you might not know. The recommendations for pairing are spot on. My scallops were just barely overcooked, but the goat cheese salad and the burger have always been excellent. The sauces are impressive.

With great wine, lovely, local food, and fantastic live music, this is a lovely find in Columbia.

Excellent meal and service. We had a wonderful evening. Highlights of the meal: Potato kale pancakes and shrimp bisque for starters. Both flavorful, savory and delicious. Main course highlights: the gulf shrimp was a favorite of the table, the trout with cilantro pesto was delicious and the truffle fries were addictive.
Add to this, live piano and a cozy atmosphere and it was a fantastic meal.

My husband and I delighted in a chef choice 3 course meal here for our 31st wedding anniversary. Emilio was our server. He did a wonderful job. Kept a good pace with the courses but no rush. The food was wonderful and the wine exceptional. This was our first visit, and we will be back.

I have very mixed feelings about this place because I LOVE the ambiance and the fact they do actually offer a couple of plant based dishes. The prices are really high but I wouldn't mind paying it if I wasn't left hungry after an entree. And honestly, that's never once happened to me at a restaurant so it's not like I typically need a big portion. With that said, I've been craving that sweet potato curry dish non-stop! But I chose the restaurant because I was under the impression there were at least 4 plant based dishes on the menu and even a dairy free soup option but that wasn't really the case. The waiter said there wasn't any soup that night (not sure how often that happens). And although my dish was fantastic, it was the only real plant based option that was cooked (not cold and raw) and wasn't a side dish like brussels sprouts.

So to sum it up -- despite feeling hungry still after paying the highest price I've paid for a dish in Columbia, and despite being disappointed about the real lack of plant based entree choices, it's STILL possibly my favorite food in Columbia since the one dish was THAT good and because I absolutely loved the dim, tucked away, romantic ambiance.

In the future -- if they offer a vegan dessert other than bitter grapefruit sorbet (if I can make them, certainly this chef can), I'd go back all the time with a friend or a date just so we could enjoy the ambiance with some dessert and wine.

Our favorite in Columbia. Me and my wife are regulars and it's where we go for our anniversary or birthdays at cetera.

The happy hour is insane. Half price on a bunch of their drinks and quite a bit of the food including their salads and some of their sandwiches. What makes this restaurant so amazing is all the use of local food. This is easily the best farm-to-table restaurant in Columbia.

The goat cheese salad is probably my favorite salad of all time and the racy ginger ale is one of my favorite drinks of all time.

Yelp did not steer us wrong once again. This was a fabulous find with fabulous food. Coming through Columbia to St. Louis from Nebraska we were looking for something tasteful and relaxing . We had both with a great complement to dinner were the huge selections of wine. The owner and chef did an amazing presentations and job with such flavorful meals. We chose the scallops , a delightful salad and beef tenderloin that melted in your mouth !!!

An excellent dining experience. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, but also private enough. The staff was outstanding - very attentive. The food was superb. My only gripe was that I felt both the meal and the wine were substantially overpriced. This is the kind of restaurant I would crave and visit every other week or so, but because of the prices, it's more a once-or-twice-a-year kind of place.

The Wine selection was superb! The food was executed perfectly. The ambiance was great. One of the best restaurants in Columbia.