All-day French bistro with a serious wine soul
Capitol Hill · Seattle · French · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 12, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Cafe Presse’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Cafe Presse is unapologetically French — no California Cab, no New Zealand Sauvignon, no apologies. It's a tight, focused list that matches the room: zinc-topped bar, French newspapers on the walls, and the smell of a proper croque monsieur coming out of the kitchen. You're not here for breadth; you're here because someone actually thought about this.
Thirty to fifty bottles, every single one from France — this is either a flex or a love letter, and we think it's both. You've got the expected anchor regions covered: Côtes du Rhône for the house-wine crowd, Muscadet and Sancerre for the minerally-inclined, and Beaujolais for people who actually understand Beaujolais. The gaps are real — no Alsace, no Loire reds that we can confirm, limited depth in Burgundy — but what's here is chosen with intention, not filler. For a neighborhood bistro, that focus counts for a lot.
Ten to sixteen options by the glass is generous for a room this casual, and the French-only mandate means every pour is doing conceptual work. Rotating through classics like Côtes du Rhône and Muscadet, the glass list gives you a low-commitment way to drink well without committing to a bottle. We'd love more rotation transparency, but the range covers white, red, and presumably a sparkling or two without breaking the bank.
Côtes du Rhône — $9
During the Vin ExPresse happy hour (Mon–Thu 4–6pm), bottles drop to to-go prices in the $8–$14 range — making a solid Côtes du Rhône one of the best deals in Seattle for casual French drinking. Show up early, order one with your croque monsieur, and feel like you're getting away with something.
Muscadet
Muscadet gets ignored because people think it's thin and boring — but a good one, especially a Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur lie, is one of the most food-friendly whites in France. Here, with moules frites on the table, it's a no-brainer that most people will walk right past on their way to ordering Sancerre.
Sancerre
Sancerre is always the safe order, which means it's always the most marked-up order. At a bistro-priced restaurant, you're likely paying a premium for the name recognition when the Muscadet two lines up on the list does the same job for less money.
Beaujolais + Steak Frites
A bright, low-tannin Beaujolais — think Morgon or Fleurie if they've got one — cuts right through the butter on the frites and complements the char on the steak without overwhelming it. It's the kind of pairing that makes you feel like you've been eating in Paris your whole life.
Monday–Thursday — Vin ExPresse: Mon–Thu 4–6pm, bottles available at to-go prices ($8–$14). Similar deal runs during Restaurant Week, Sun–Thu 4–6pm at $9–$15 per bottle.
The Bottom Line
Cafe Presse is a Wild Card because it doesn't look like a wine destination but absolutely drinks like one — if you let it. Come during Vin ExPresse, order a bottle of Beaujolais, and stop overthinking it.
Downtown · Seattle · Brazilian Churrascaria
The real headline here is the half-price South American bottles — available Monday through Thursday, all day, on bottles under $150 — which turns a polished steakhouse into a legitimately reasonable wine night. The list won't excite anyone who came for the wine, but if you came for the meat and want a solid regional bottle at a fair price, this deal is worth planning around.
Plays It Safe
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Ballard · Seattle · Italian
A short, Italian-leaning list with most of its bottles in the Old World red section. Order the $11 Montepulciano by the glass, or the $69 Travaglini Gattinara if you want to splurge a little, and confirm prices on the day. This unrated guide covers the posted wine menus, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown · Seattle · Pacific Northwest / New American
A hotel wine list with a Pacific Northwest page up front, Champagne, Bordeaux and Italian sections behind it, and a separate glass list on the drink menu. Start with the $12 Treveri Blanc de Blancs at happy hour or the Mark Ryan 'Goldfinch Tavern Red Blend', and check the current list before you go, since the restaurant says menus are subject to change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list and drink menu, not service, storage or markups.
Lake Union · Seattle · Steakhouse
A long, Northwest-first steakhouse list with plenty of bottles under $100 as well as a $300-to-$550 tier of Leonetti and Quilceda Creek Cabernets. Start with the $20 Five Star Cellars “Prime” Cabernet by the glass, or the same wine at $55 on the bottle pages, and confirm prices because the list says vintages and availability change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Capitol Hill · Seattle · Italian
An all-Italian list that is easy to navigate: 11 wines by the glass from $13 to $30, a bottle list sorted by region, and $8 house wine during Apericena. Order the Soave at $13 or the $17 Kerner by the glass, or the Villa Venti Sangiovese with the tagliatelle al ragu, and confirm prices because the page says they are subject to change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Central District · Seattle · Seafood
A mostly natural, mostly French bottle list that stretches from $60 Muscadet to a $455 Champagne, with a deep run of Jura, Savoie and Loire bottles. Start with the $60 Hautplanty Muscadet or the $72 Laurent Herlin Cabernet Franc, and ask about the list’s ◆ and ◉ key if you want help choosing between classic and wild. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks selection, not service, storage or markups.
River Market · Kansas City · French
A French-led list with 25 two-price wines up front and a long run of Burgundy, Bordeaux and Rhône bottles behind them. Start with the Chinon Le Garenne at 42 or the Cornas 'Granit 60' at 88, ask which number is the glass price, and confirm prices, since the page is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Union Square · San Francisco · French
A 66-page list that starts with a 20-pour glass page and moves quickly into Burgundy, Rhône and Bordeaux bottles priced in the hundreds and thousands, so decide early whether you are drinking by the glass or committing to a bottle. Start with the $20 Chablis or the $23 Corsican red, and confirm today's list because it carries no print date. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Meatpacking District · New York · French
A French wine list with a wide price ladder: $16 glasses, $40 half bottles and $60 full bottles at the bottom, Pétrus and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti at the top. Start with the $16 Famille Coulon Rhône white by the glass, or spend $115 on the Marcel Deiss Alsace pinot noir, and check prices because the two PDFs show different bottle prices for Delos. This unrated guide covers the posted wine lists, not service, storage or markups.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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