A café that actually thought about wine
Clarendon · Arlington · Coffee shop and café with pastries and light café fare · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 27, 2026
Wingman Metrics
You walk in expecting espresso and a croissant, and then the menu casually mentions a Klee Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley and a Portuguese Alentejo red. For a neighborhood coffee shop, that's a genuine surprise. Nobody told Simona Café it wasn't allowed to try.
Six wines isn't a wine list — it's a wine edit, and the distinction matters. Rather than stocking the usual Malbec-Pinot Grigio-Cab trifecta, Simona pulls from Oregon, Portugal, Abruzzo, Rías Baixas, and Languedoc, which is more geographic range than some actual restaurants manage. The Klee Pinot Noir from Willamette and the 'Carta' by Fita Preta from Alentejo are genuinely interesting choices that suggest someone here was paying attention when they built this list. The unnamed Cabernet Sauvignon is the one placeholder that feels phoned in — no producer, no vintage, just vibes.
All six bottles are available by the glass, which means you're not locked into a bottle at a café lunch. At $13–$15 a pour, the pricing is honest and consistent with DC-area restaurant norms. No rotation program to speak of — what's on the list is what's on the list, full stop.
Pecorino, Terre di Chieti IGT, Abruzzo, Italy — $13/glass, $46/bottle
Pecorino is criminally underrated as a white — it's got texture and a savory edge that punches well above its price. Finding it at a café in Clarendon at $13 a glass is the kind of small win worth celebrating.
'Carta' by Fita Preta, Alentejo, Portugal 2020
Fita Preta is a legitimate Alentejo producer making structured, food-friendly reds that most people walk right past because they don't recognize the name. That's exactly why you should order it.
Unnamed Cabernet Sauvignon
No producer, no vintage, no region beyond 'probably domestic.' When a list won't tell you what's in the bottle, that's the list telling you something. Skip it and go back to the Alentejo red.
Albariño, Rías Baixas DO, Spain + NOVA smoked salmon focaccia
Albariño's brightness and saline edge are practically designed for smoked salmon. The acidity cuts through the richness of the fish while the coastal character in both the wine and the dish play off each other without either one overreaching.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Simona Café has no business having a wine list this thoughtful — and that's exactly the point. It's a coffee shop that earns a second visit once the sun goes down.
Shirlington · Arlington · American Brasserie
Carlyle won't change your relationship with wine, but it won't ruin it either — and on Tuesday, when everything on the bottle list is half off, it briefly becomes one of the better deals in Shirlington. Come for the prime rib, order the Jordan, and call it a good night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Westover · Arlington · Turkish and Mediterranean
Maya Bistro isn't a wine destination, but Monday half-price bottles and legitimately interesting Turkish pours make it a Wild Card worth knowing about. Come for the pide, stay for the Angora — just don't touch the Oyster Bay.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Ballston · Arlington · New England–inspired seafood & raw bar
Salt Line Ballston isn't trying to be a wine destination, but the list is smarter and more purposeful than most seafood spots in this price range. Send a friend here for oysters and Muscadet and they'll thank you.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
National Landing / Pentagon City · Arlington · Southern & Korean-influenced American
Succotash Prime's wine list is exactly what you'd expect from a polished upscale Southern spot in a hotel-adjacent dining corridor — safe, recognizable, and priced for expense accounts. We'd send a friend here for a reliable night out, not a wine destination.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
National Landing / Crystal City · Arlington · Modern Italian
Corso is a dependable Italian wine list in a neighborhood that could easily get away with doing much less — it doesn't dazzle, but it doesn't disappoint either. If the Wednesday half-price bottle rumor holds up when you call ahead, it might just tip into genuinely great value territory.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Clarendon · Arlington · Retail Wine & Takeout
Liberty To-Go is a genuine wild card — a tavern wine shop hybrid with a fortified wine section that would embarrass most dedicated wine bars, all priced without the usual Arlington markup. Come for the Barolo, stay for the Sherry flight you didn't know you needed.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.