Palm Court Grill & Bar
Pretty Room, Punishing Markups, Forgettable List
Downtown Spokane · Spokane · American
Reviewed April 24, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The room is genuinely beautiful — an elegant hotel grill with river views that practically beg you to order a bottle. Then you open the list and realize you're paying for the view as much as the wine. Kendall-Jackson and Kim Crawford at these prices feel like a bad joke with a nice backdrop.
Selection Deep Dive
Eighty labels sounds promising until you realize it's largely California grocery-store staples and a handful of New Zealand crowd-pleasers, with Washington State representation that should be the obvious strength of any Spokane wine list but reads more like an afterthought. There's no real depth here — no small producers, no interesting sub-appellations, nothing that would make a wine-curious diner lean forward in their chair. The Pacific Northwest sits right outside the door, with incredible Walla Walla Syrahs and Columbia Valley Cabernets waiting to be championed, and Palm Court mostly ignores them in favor of brands you can grab at Safeway. It's a 80-bottle list that drinks like a 20-bottle list.
By the Glass
Ten options by the glass in the $9–$16 range, which is fair enough on its face — until you consider that the wines themselves are mass-market bottles that retail for $12–$18. The rotation appears static rather than seasonal, and there's no sign of anyone curating these pours with any real intention. If you're drinking by the glass here, stick to the lower end of the price range and keep expectations modest.
Columbia Crest Merlot 2020 — $38
Still a steep markup at 217% over retail, but Columbia Crest at least makes a genuinely drinkable Merlot, and it's the most locally relevant bottle on the list. On a Wednesday half-price night it drops to $19 and suddenly becomes an actual deal worth ordering.
Columbia Crest Merlot 2020
Most people at a place like this reach for the Chardonnay or the Sauvignon Blanc. The Columbia Crest Merlot is the one bottle with actual regional soul — soft, food-friendly, and the closest thing to a sense of place this list offers. It's not exciting, but it's the right call.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc 2022
A $15 retail bottle priced at $42 is a 180% markup on a wine that's as ubiquitous as tap water. You've had this wine. You know exactly what it tastes like. There is no reason to pay $42 for that memory.
Sterling Vineyards Merlot + Prime Rib
Sterling's Merlot is soft-fruited and medium-bodied enough to not fight the rich, beefy weight of a prime rib, and it's one of the more food-friendly bottles on an otherwise crowd-pleasing list. Not a transcendent pairing, but a competent one.
Wednesday — Half-price bottles of wine $50 and under all night — the only reason to think seriously about ordering a bottle here.
❌ The Bottom Line
Palm Court is a lovely room with a wine list that treats its guests like a captive audience — and on most nights, that's exactly what you are. Come on a Wednesday, grab the Columbia Crest, and spend your saved money on dessert.
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Small but Thoughtful
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