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The Wine Tap
- Nearest Transit:
-
E a St @ N Church St (1, 16)
E a St @ N Jackson St (1, 16)
N Charles St@ E Main St (1)
- Hours:
Wed 4 pm - 12 am
Thu-Sat 4 pm - 2 am
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- 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
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
14 reviews for The Wine Tap
14 reviews in English
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Review from Jo M.
Belleville, IL
1/25/2012
I had the Javier flatbread pizza, which has sazitza sausage and fresh jalapenos, along with a Rogue Dead Guy Ale. It was fantastic.
I wouldn't stop by for a meal with a group- the place is fairly small, but stop here for a drink and a flatbread pizza like I did, and you will be pleased. -
Review from Patt C.
12/18/2011
What a great place! A group of 12 gathered here to greet a long-time friend while she's in town from Santa Fe for the holidays!
We had great accommodations in the bar with a 5 p.m. reservation. Allison, with whom I'd emailed to make our arrangements, came by to introduce herself, and she was available throughout the evening and checking to see how we were doing. Pat was our fabulous server. Incredible wine and beer selections, including a full bar. And the bartender was serving our group, as well.
I only saw the bar area: a beautiful horseshoe shaped bar with maybe 10 stools and about seven four-seat round bar tables. Exposed brick, lots of woorwork, rustic and casual. Warm and inviting. Holiday-decorated!
We all shared:
Baked Brie ($11.95) -- French brie baked in a puff pastry stuffed with cranberries, orange blossom honey and brown sugar with sea salted pita rounds
Chorizo Sausage Flatbread ($9.95) -- Schubert's chorizo sausage, whole-milk mozzarella cheese, tomato-basil pizza sauce and grated Parmesan
Chicken-Spinach-Feta Flatbread ($10.95) -- Grilled chicken, alfredo sauce, baby spinach, feta, sun-dried tomatoes and grated Parmesan
Mushroom Bruschetta ($8.95) -- Baked artisanal French baguette topped with whipped ricotta and seasonal wild mushrooms sautéed with red wine, and then drizzled with white truffle oil
This food was amazing! The Brie may sound rather goofy, but the sweet with the pucker-making cranberries blended so well!
They took an imprint of everybody's credit card at the beginning, then just kept separate tabs for all. It worked beautifully! Thanks, Allison and The Wine Tap, for making our evening unique, exciting and very special! -
Review from Roger K.
Belleville, IL
5/26/2011
I visit The Wine Tap at least once a week. That should tell you something about what I think about this establishment!
The atmosphere is wonderful. Owners Dave and Allison put a lot of love and work into the building, and it shows. It's by far the most comfortable bar in Belleville.
Dave and Allison also have a strong knowledge of wine and beer, and it shows in the selection. If your beer tastes go beyond Bud Light and Stag, this is your place!
The primary bartenders, Chelsea and Denise, share that knowledge and know how to steer people in the right direction. Both are classy people who are a real asset to The Wine Tap.
I really enjoy the food -- the flatbread pizzas and appetizers in particular. They go beyond the obvious -- at least by Belleville standards. I've had one instance where the pizza was a bit undercooked, but that was an isolated incident and the staff makes an effort to correct mistakes.
The owners are very accommodating to groups. I happen to work an evening shift at a downtown Belleville business, and they'll work with you if we have a late-night celebration where people want pizza.
There are other good bars in downtown Belleville, but I like this place the best. -
Review from Karen R.
O'Fallon, IL
9/21/2011 9 Check-ins Here
Let's be honest, the Metro East doesn't have a ton of options for restaurants and bars. Thank goodness for The Wine Tap! It's a place you can take your parents/clients/friends and not be embarrassed. The wine list is good, the tap beer list is good, and most of the food is good. Go with a flat bread pizza, the pear and Gorgonzola bites or the hummus. We have been unimpressed with the cheese plate. It can get loud, so go early or late for the best opportunity to chat. And if it's not too crowded, sit out back in their cozy patio.
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Review from Cherie O.
11/8/2010
Boyfriend: So I think we're going to the Wine Tap with the group this Friday.
Me: Really? Isn't that kind of too frou-frou for you?
Boyfriend: I'll deal. I'm not sure it's frou-frou enough for you!
So the boyfriend and I have an ongoing kind of inside joke going regarding pretension as one can see from the above conversation. It's also always been kind of an inside joke because he has been to The Wine Tap several times with our friends and I've always had to work those days. And I mean, an establishment calling itself The Wine Tap, advertising itself as a wine/cheese/high-end pizza place, in Belleville?? Seriously? How fake can you get?
I take it all back. It was fabulous. Sure, it was almost impossible to find parking and it was super crowded as the night wore on, and yes, it was packed with people who wanted to see and be seen, and because that was so, it was super loud, but the place itself was fabulous.
Service was attentive. I was greeted no less than three times as I wound my way back to the heated patio where my friends were. Our waitress was spot-on with recommendations and wine suggestions.
We ended up drinking a bottle of the Sagelands Riesling (which was yummy) and a bottle of Nivasco Brachetto Vinchio Vaglio bubbly red wine (which was pretty good too). The guys had beer, including the Delirium Tremens.
Appetizers that ended up being a hit included the baked brie. The pear and gorganzola cheese bites were okay. Unique, but I wouldn't order it again.
We all ordered a bunch of flatbreads (pizza). I wouldn't order the chorizo sausage one again, but I definitely would order the Marguerite and the Alsatian ones again.
It was a great night just for relaxing and eating. The Wine Tap may bill itself on that wine/cheese image...but you know what? They do it well...without any ounce of pretension. -
Review from Nowell G.
1/18/2010
A friend and I took a trip to downtown Belleville via Metrolink and decided to walk up and down B-Town's suburbanly clean, mostly-closed main drag.
After finding that Circa (the store my friend completely loves) was closed, we walked back towards the Metrolink, and found this place along the way.
First off, this is definitely not my scene... But having worked in a Cougar bar for a few years, I have to say that this is the creme de la creme of Cougar Dens! Yes. This is Illinois. Yes. People tend to conform in the most evil ways possible the more county/suburban IL you get. But come on!
I'm no Cassanova, and don't take compliments very well, let alone get hit on very often (or maybe I'm just dense?)... But there's something powerfully Voodoo about the come-hither, pleasantly predatory looks I was getting from Ms. Cheetah Jacket. Pan to the right, Ms. Zebra Coat gave me the same look that my cat does when she wants me to pet her belly...
A pinch from my friend snapped me back to reality.
The establishment itself was very nice, in that hip, Crate & Barrel "We Play Jazz Because We're Cultured" kind of way. It was cozy... Especially for a Saturday night, where we sat in a corner of the bar room. The hostess (owner?) stated that their patio was jam-packed. I'm not one for patios in the cold weather, anyway. Even heated patios. So that was pretty cool of her to sit us in the people-watching section.
I can't really comment on the service for two reasons: sitting in the bar area doesn't necessarily mean you get served by a server. The rules apply from establishment to establishment and one should never comment on service based on that situation. It was also VERY busy. By the time we left, there was a line out of the door, co mingling with the mass of smokers forced outside to get their fix.
If I could venture into the service, I'd say it was prompt. Getting on in age, I appreciate getting carded, and given menu suggestions by our skilled, but busy bartender. I ordered a barley wine (something heavy to get over Cougars' floral perfumes... reminds me of 8th grade English class for some reason) and my friend ordered a pomegranate martini (which was expertly made and very pretty to look at!).
As for the food... Well... I have a pizza stone at home, and keep a nice bit of naan bread and tomato sauce around for pizzas. So their menu of flatbreads (call them pizzas, dammit. it's still Illinois!) did not excite me.
However, the "Savory Cakes" did.... I've made a savory cheesecake before. It was with roasted garlic, parmesean, and some chives... Sliced thin and served with some shrimp.... That's my idea of a savory CHEESEcake... But there was no "cheese" prefix to this "cake". So I thought that they might be making something really cool, with a savory confection... Maybe biscuit-esque? Hopefully biscuit-esque?
No. It's a cheesecake. Sans sugar, plus savory stuff....
And served with crackers.
I hate it when restaurants serve crackers. It suggests that someone back there is incredibly lazy/unimaginative/both. Serve it with some mixed greens with huge croutons! Serve a savory cheesecake with crusty, local bread! Be bold and serve the savory cheesecake alone, with some sort of tasty sauce drizzled over it!
But don't treat it like a mutant cheeseball (you know, the ones covered in almond slices you see people inhaling at the wineries). Celebrate your creation! They really didn't here. It was, however, a good price (we tried both the savory herb, and smoked salmon-- get creative with some ingredients, people-- The Bread Co next door has similar-tasting cream cheese spreads)
We didn't stay for dessert, and I guess we'll stop back whenever we're back in Belleville for a drink, since your only other nightlife options nearby include soulless Landing-style bro bars, focused on quantity over quality-- a trait I failed to emphasize in this critique.
It is bold in the fact that it caters to both the local, and global wine snob in a very subtle way. They don't segregate the local wines from all the others, and lump them in by category, and not by region. That makes those decide on their wine based on the description over the region... Golf claps to the owners of The Wine Tap. And I will stop by for a tasting flight ($12!! So cheap!) when I'm in the mood for some vino.
Ultimately, however, I don't think this place is my scene for food, drink, or atmosphere (rawr!) but it's well worth the try for some people-watching. The prices are great. The service is spectacular for a place that insanely busy (tempers calm, noses to the grindstone). I suggest bringing a group of friends here. Just call ahead for reservations.Comment from Allison B. of The Wine Tap 5/23/2011
Thank you so much for the review! FYI, we have changed the… More » -
Review from Shan C.
Boston, MA
6/21/2009
I was back in the St. Louis area visiting family and a very good friend took me to this place. Let me say. WOW- I was very impressed by this place, the place looks amazing. Friendly fast service and the Alsatian - Vermont Crème Fraiche, Smoked Bacon, Caramelized Onions & Dante Cheese wood oven pizza was really amazingly delectable.
If and when I ever come back to BelleVegas--- I must dine here. -
Review from Courtney R.
Fairview Heights, IL
7/24/2010
I went there last night and it was amazing. Our waiter Mike was great. The wine was great and we set outside in July and it was hot but they had enough fans so that it was comfortable.
We sat by this brick oven and we saw them making the pizza and it looked amazing. I can't wait to go back and actually order some of it.
Their chocolate cake was amazingly sweet but just make sure to read the fine print. I don't think it said that there were almonds....and there'll were almonds in the cake and I'm allergic to almonds..but thankfully no allergic reaction. -
Review from Kathy C.
Belleville, IL
8/29/2009
Great little hidden secret in IL!! Nice atmosphere, outdoor patio to sit and drink wine with your friends or someone special. The patio has a bricked off wall in the back so you're not looking at or hearing the alley, it's great! Great place for a quiet date. Patio is a covered and heated tent in the rain or winter so you can still sit outside all year long.
The back of the restaurant opens to a really cool brick oven on the patio side and you can sit and watch the pizza coming out hot and made to order.
Pretty decent wine and import beer selection. We've been here a number of times and have always had great wait service and fabulous food. Never had a bad wine or food recommendation. It is kinda disappointing when you pay $40 for a $15 bottle of wine though. I prefer going to Racks of Wine in FH for more intimate atmosphere and better prices! -
Review from George O.
Saint Louis, MO
8/31/2010
Wow, yet another wine/food establishment with no discernible identity. We were all but ignored to the point that we walked out and had to assume that this place is for the local Bel-Vegas glitterati wanna Be's. I guess we should be grateful for Smokey Bones
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Review from Nix G.
Belleville, IL
3/16/2010
SO different from the rest that Belleville has to offer. Love the pizzas. Good wine selection too.
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Review from Edward T.
Swansea, IL
5/2/2010
First trip to the Wine Tap.
Good service, very friendly. I liked their import list, lots of good Belgium and Canadian beers. -
Review from Mark L.
Belleville, IL
8/27/2009
Excellent place to go in Belleville to relax with friends or just as a couple. Great appetizers and beer / wine choices. Recommend the pizza. Very very good!!! Atmosphere is excellent with the outside seating the place to hang out on nice evenings. Hard to top this place if in Bellvegas. Definitely worth the trip.
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Review from David J.
Fairview Heights, IL
6/26/2010
This place is noisy, noisy, noisy. In trying to compensate for the lack of a comfortable environment, they have put industrial fans out on their patio that create such a din it is impossible to have an intimate conversation, not to mention the volume of the music - I assume they are trying to mask the din of the fans. While it might be comfortable in the fall their patio is a complete flop in the summer heat and humidity and indoor seating is virtually nonexistent. Did not care for the pizza either as the crust was undercooked. Prices on the wine are a bit inflated as well. I don't mind paying a premium for a night out but this place is all hype with no substance. Do yourself a favor and head over to St. Louis for a night out.
