Neighborhood Bistro Playing It Safe on Wine
St. Petersburg · St. Petersburg · Bistro · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed February 22, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Lola's wine list reads like a bistro that knows it needs wine on the menu but hasn't made it a priority. The selection skews toward safe, recognizable labels that won't scare off the white zinfandel crowd. It's the kind of list you glance at, then immediately start wondering if the cocktails are better.
The focus is squarely on California and a handful of French crowd-pleasers—think Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay and La Crema Pinot Noir territory. There's probably a token Argentinian Malbec and maybe a Prosecco for brunch. No one's hunting down small producers or taking risks on natural wine. The list feels like it was built from a distributor's greatest hits catalog and hasn't evolved much since. Depth is minimal—maybe 20-30 bottles total, with predictable markups that suggest the restaurant views wine as a margin play rather than an experience enhancer.
The glass selection is likely limited to six or eight options: a house red, a house white, and a few mid-tier pours that rotate about as often as Florida gets snow. Expect the usual suspects—maybe a Decoy Cabernet, a Meiomi Pinot, a Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc. Nothing wrong with these wines in a vacuum, but at bistro markup, you're paying $12-15 for something that costs $15 retail.
French Rosé (Provence AOC) — $38
If they've got a basic Côtes de Provence on the list, it's your best bet—hard to mess up, refreshing, and relatively fair value in the bistro context
Albariño from Rías Baixas
If there's a Spanish white hiding on this list, it's likely underordered and could be a crisp alternative to the Sauvignon Blanc everyone defaults to
Meiomi Pinot Noir
Marked up to $55+ for a $20 bottle you can grab at Publix—save your money and order a beer
Sancerre + Pan-Seared Scallops
If they're doing any seafood apps, a Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc cuts through richness and brings out sweetness—assuming they stock one
✔️ The Bottom Line
Lola's is the kind of neighborhood spot where you go for the food and atmosphere, not the wine program. The list isn't offensive, just uninspired—order a glass if you need one, but don't expect any discoveries.
St. Petersburg · St. Petersburg · Mediterranean
Ceviche is the best Spanish wine list you're likely to find on the Gulf Coast of Florida, and it earns its Wine Spectator credential without feeling stuffy about it. If you're eating Iberian food and drinking anything other than Spanish wine here, you're doing it wrong.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
St. Petersburg · St. Petersburg · Seasonal, Steakhouse
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Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown St. Petersburg · St. Petersburg · American Steakhouse
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Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
St. Petersburg · St. Petersburg · Italian
Osteria 617 isn't going to blow your mind, but it won't let you down either. It's the kind of place where you can get a solid Italian red with your pasta and not overthink it—and sometimes that's exactly what you need.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Stemless Casual
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
St. Petersburg · St. Petersburg · Asian Fusion
Mandarin Hide isn't a wine destination, and it's not pretending to be. It's one of the best cocktail bars in St. Petersburg—a genuine craft bar with a spirits collection and cocktail program that most bars only dream about. If you're here reading this hoping for a wine deep-dive, you're missing the point. Go for the cocktails, stay for the atmosphere, and save your wine ambitions for the restaurant next door. Sometimes the wildest card in your night out is knowing exactly what a place does best and letting them do it.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Stemless Casual
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Red Mesa won't blow your mind with wine, but they're not actively sabotaging your meal either. Order something Spanish, keep expectations modest, and save room in the budget for that second round of guac.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Stemless Casual
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Compane Bistro is a dependable neighborhood spot where the wine list won't embarrass you, but it will charge you for the privilege of being dependable. Stick to the Truchard, avoid the impulse to order by the bottle on anything priced under $50 retail, and you'll have a fine night.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Spokane · Spokane · Bistro
This isn't a wine list — it's a winery that opened a really nice room in Spokane and brought its whole catalog with it. If you're good with that framing, and you should be, this is one of the more satisfying wine experiences in the city.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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Isa Bistro is a Wild Card in the best possible way — a warm, owner-run neighborhood room with a wine list that has no business being this interesting. If you're in the Old Port and you care about what's in your glass, this is where you go.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
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