Live Music, Serious Wine, Bellevue Doesn't Miss
Downtown Bellevue · Bellevue · Bistro/Live Music · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 1, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Bake's Place Bar & Bistro’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You walk into what looks like a live music bar and get handed a 62-label wine list with Barolo Riserva and Barbaresco on it — that's a genuine surprise. Bake's Place doesn't announce itself as a wine destination, but the list punches well above what the room suggests. The range from Washington State and Italy alone is enough to make you look twice.
The list leans hard on Washington State and Italy, which is exactly the right call for a Bellevue crowd that wants to drink local and still feel worldly. DeLille Cellars Chaleur Blanc and Force Majeure Red Mountain Estate Cab represent the Pacific Northwest with real credibility — these aren't token local picks. The Italian section is the quiet star: La Spinetta Barbaresco, Viberti Barolo Riserva, Rocca di Montegrossi Chianti Classico, and a Tenuta Santa Maria Amarone give you a proper tour of northern and central Italy. California shows up with the usual suspects — Caymus, Silver Oak, Sea Smoke — which reads more as crowd-pleasing than inspired, but they're executed well enough.
Thirteen pours by the glass at $12–$19 is a respectable spread for a bistro, and the range covers enough ground that you're not stuck choosing between a generic Pinot Grigio and a grocery-store Cab. We'd love to see more rotation and a tighter spotlight on the Washington State options that make this list interesting — if DeLille is available by the glass, order it immediately and don't think twice.
Rocca di Montegrossi Chianti Classico 2019 — $60
Rocca di Montegrossi is a serious Gaiole producer making Chianti Classico that retails around $30–$35 — so the markup here is real, but at $60 it's still the most honest bottle on the list. In a sea of $145 Silver Oaks and $170 Caymus, this is where your money goes furthest.
Tenuta Santa Maria Amarone 2017
Most tables at Bake's are ordering Caymus on autopilot. Meanwhile, the Tenuta Santa Maria Amarone 2017 is sitting at $110 — a big, structured Valpolicella-zone red that most people in this room will walk right past. At that price point for a 2017 Amarone, it's the most interesting thing on the Italian side of the list and nobody's ordering it.
Caymus Vineyards Napa Valley Cab Sauv 2021
At $170, you're paying heavy restaurant markup on a wine that retails around $80–$90 and has been coasting on its reputation for years. There are better bottles on this very list for the same money or less. Skip it.
DeLille Cellars Chaleur Blanc 2023 + Pan-seared salmon
Chaleur Blanc is a Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc blend from one of Washington's benchmark producers — textured, citrus-driven, with enough weight to stand up to a rich pan-seared salmon without bulldozing it. It's also the most interesting white on the list and one of the better arguments for drinking local.
The Bottom Line
Bake's Place is a live music bar wearing a surprisingly respectable wine list — the Italian depth and Washington State selections are genuinely worth your attention, even if the markups on the California crowd-pleasers sting. If you order smart, you'll drink well; if you default to the Caymus, that's on you.
Old Bellevue · Bellevue · Wine Bar
Valentina's is a genuinely pleasant neighborhood wine bar that earns its place in Old Bellevue — it's not breaking ground, but it's doing the basics with intention. Send a friend here for a date night glass; just don't expect a rabbit hole of discovery.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bellevue · American
13 Coins Bellevue earns its Wild Card badge by being a late-night diner that actually cares enough about wine to stock a geographically diverse list — not groundbreaking, but genuinely unexpected for the format. If Sunday happy hour is your move, this place becomes a legitimately fun spot to drink Washington wine over a Caesar salad at 11pm, which is a sentence we didn't think we'd be writing.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Downtown Bellevue · Bellevue · Hotel Lounge
BBellevue is the rare hotel bar that makes a real effort with wine, and it shows in the curation — Pacific Northwest producers, an orange pét-nat, and a Nebbiolo that shouldn't be this affordable. Markups are steep in places and the list won't change your life, but for a lobby bar in Bellevue, this is genuinely worth a stop.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bellevue · Brazilian Steakhouse
Novilhos isn't a wine destination, but it's a fair, functional list that respects your wallet and doesn't embarrass itself next to the meat. Order the Rioja, finish with Port, and let the churrasco do the heavy lifting.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bellevue · Steakhouse
STK Bellevue is a reliable place to drink wine you already know at prices you'd rather not think about. If you're entertaining clients or celebrating something and need a list that won't confuse anyone, it gets the job done — just don't come here looking for discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Bellevue · Bellevue · Italian / Pizza
Mercato Stellina is a pizza spot that accidentally built a wine list worth talking about — the Italian backbone is legit, the Washington State picks are well-chosen, and the pricing is honest. If you're expecting a deep white or sparkling program you'll be disappointed, but for a Nebbiolo or a Syrah with your Neapolitan, this place delivers.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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