Daytona's Quiet Secret Has a Cork in It
· Daytona Beach · Wine Bar / Small Plates · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed September 9, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed 35 Bistro & Wine Bar’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into 35 Bistro on Main Street feels like stumbling onto a European wine bar that took a wrong turn and ended up in Daytona Beach — and we mean that as a compliment. The intimate room, candlelit and carefully put together, signals that someone here actually cares. For a city better known for spring break and NASCAR, this place is a genuine outlier.
The list leans old-world with a clear affection for France — Provence, Bordeaux — while making room for domestic options from Sonoma, Oregon, and Mendocino. It's not a long list, but it reads like it was assembled with intention rather than just pulled from a distributor catalog. The European lean suits the bistro format well, matching the lobster bisque and beef tartare energy on the food side. Gaps exist — this isn't a cellar you'll get lost in — but what's here generally earns its place.
We don't have a confirmed by-the-glass count, but a wine bar at this price point and concept typically rotates a curated short list rather than offering 20 pours. Expect the glass options to mirror the bottle list's French and West Coast tendencies. If the pours match the room's ambition, there's real potential here — though we'd want to see more rotation to confirm it.
The Bottom Line
35 Bistro is doing something genuinely unexpected in Daytona Beach, and the wine program — while not without blind spots — backs up the room's ambition. Send a friend here if they think Daytona can't do grown-up dinner. They'll owe you one.
· Daytona Beach · Wine bar / charcuterie
Madeline's delivers exactly what it promises: a deep, accessible Cabernet-forward list with fair pricing at the entry and mid levels, and a by-the-glass program that lets you explore without committing to a full bottle. It's not going to surprise the adventurous drinker, but for Daytona Beach, this is a legitimate wine destination — especially if you go for the Garnacha or the Susumaninello instead of the crowd-pleasing Cab.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Daytona Beach · Cafe / Wine Bar
Third Wave calls itself a wine bar, but eight labels — mostly accessible California brands — isn't a wine program, it's a placeholder. If wine is your reason for going out, this list won't reward the effort. Stick to whatever coffee or cocktail program they run better.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Ormond Beach · Daytona Beach · Bistro
Vine Bistro has the bones of a great neighborhood wine spot — a relaxed, romantic room, food that's built for sharing and sipping, and a reputation that keeps locals coming back. We'd love to give you a tighter breakdown of the list, but our sourcing came up short on specifics. Worth a visit in person: go for the charcuterie, ask what's pouring by the glass, and report back.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Daytona Beach · Wine Bar / Restaurant
Rogue Wave is a small, honest list with a surprising BC backbone that earns it more credit than the bottle count suggests. If you're in Daytona and want wine without drama or sticker shock, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Daytona Beach Shores · Daytona Beach · Wine-focused California-leaning grille
SoNapa Grille is a genuine wild card — a wine-focused concept in a market that didn't ask for one, and that's exactly why it's worth your attention. Get in early, see if the list earns the concept, and hope the glass pours are priced like they want repeat customers.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Daytona Beach · Wine Bar
Wine Not? isn't trying to be a destination wine bar — it's trying to be your relaxed neighborhood pour, and it pulls that off without overcomplicating things. If you live nearby, this is a perfectly decent spot to work through a few glasses; just don't show up expecting to geek out.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Roanoke · Wine Bar / Small Plates
Stave & Cork earns a Wild Card for being a genuinely unpretentious wine bar in a part of Virginia that doesn't have many of them, with a smart regional lean toward Virginia producers and a room that makes you want to stay for one more glass. We'd love to come back with a full menu and list in hand — until then, go in open-minded, ask the staff what's pouring, and start with the charcuterie board.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Santa Barbara · Wine Bar / Small Plates
Villa Wine Bar runs a focused, well-priced list built around Santa Barbara County producers who actually deserve the spotlight — Beckmen, Babcock, Storm, and Alma Rosa are all doing real work. The by-the-glass program is nearly comprehensive, the bottle prices are fair, and the regional identity is clear. If you're in Santa Barbara and want to drink local without getting gouged, this is a reliable call.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Biloxi · Wine Bar / Small Plates
Sea Grapes Wine Café has a name that promises more than it delivers — if you're here for wine, the Minuty rosé or the Taittinger are your only real reasons to engage with the list. Otherwise, order a cocktail and let the list be someone else's problem.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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