Zest Wine Bistro

Erika S

What a gem this place is! I stopped in for a Thursday happy hour and it was wonderful! Had a couple glasses of the $5 sommelier's choice happy hour wines and the $8 HH cheese plate. The wine was great and the cheese plate was really substantial for a happy hour plate! I was able to plug in my laptop and work at the bar, though there was no wifi. The two folks working were very friendly and happy to answer my questions. I'm really looking forward to returning!

Andre Eusebio

I was very surprised at this stop. My girlfriend mentioned it, so we decided to get a bite to eat and sample some wine. It was great! Very pleasant area to get a drink of wine. The ambiance was excellent. And our waitress Heather was an expert! She showed me proper technique on wine tasting and sampling. And the food menu was great. We had pizza. Highly recommend. You would think that this was a small little spot, but pleasantly enjoyed the experience. Kudos to Heather (our waitress). Thanks!

Michael Nazarinia

This place is a hidden treasure for fine wine & food aficionados, and ask for Roberto he is wonderful, he put us through a course of 5 wines to taste with our food. We ate the delicious sesame crusted ahi tuna along with the prosciutto wrapped dates. Then we had the truffle burratta cheese with fresh tomato slices and basi. Finally we topped it off with a delcious shrimp and pancetta pizza from the sister restaurant next door Giardino. The experience here was fabulous it’s a must go to place give yourself two hours go early around 5pm sit outside they have fans. The young premed lady was preparing our food came out to check on us & we told her how wonderful everything turned out. She & Roberto were wonderful in their presentation of each plate it was 10 stars! We finished with the most amazing slice of dark chocolate cake at the end. Must come here often!

Hannah Cheadle

Amazing menu, food, wine and ambiance!! The chef (the-cooking-penguin on Instagram) is incredible. He shared his story of being very sick from diabetes and hence his inspiration to cook healthier, lower glycemic foods. The wine selection is also amazing. We had two wine flights of 4 wines each for $20 each, as well as the jumbo shrimp cocktail, salmon carpaccio, a charcuterie board, and limoncello cake for dessert. Everything was devine! A great date night place or girls night out. Owned by the same owners as the cantina next door. If you want a bit more of a formal dinner seeing, go to the cantina. If you want more tapas and slightly more casual atmosphere, go to Zest. Both have similar menu offerings and both are incredible!

Sarah

We recently had my husbands birthday dinner on the patio here, it was perfect for a group event! They were so nice and let me come in the morning to decorate the tables and put up balloons. We had about 20 people and I chose charcuterie boards, flatbreads and had lots of wine. Parking in the back made it easy for everyone. If you're celebrating something and want a private patio outdoor area or event space, I highly recommend checking out this place!

Danielle M

Zesty hour is great (4-5pm)! $5 glasses of select wines and bites. I really liked the prosciutto wrapped dates and mini cheese plate.

Nara Cox

I've been here several times already since I was introduced to it during restaurant week. The food is consistently great, they've just lost their chef though and are instead temporarily offering select items from the sister restaurant next door. The wine selection is broad and interesting and the service is impeccable! Temporary happy hour menu attached. Side note: I often stop by with a friend who has dietary restrictions and they are always very gracious and accommodating.

Heidi Pigeon

We are so excited and lucky to have Zest in our neighborhood! Beautiful designed and decorated. The wine selection is thoughtfully chosen and the menu is fresh and delicious! We are working our way down the menu and have loved everything we’ve ordered; beet salad, seafood tostada, shrimp cocktail, ahi tuna, cold cuts panino, and the wrapped dates!

Darryl Gordon

Neighborhood wine bar with small plates of delicious food. The outdoor patio area is very cute.

CnD Map

Been waiting for this to open! Great neighborhood restaurant (Giardino’s) has a wine bar! Great list of cool and different wines. Tasty bites too!

We made a reservation here for restaurant week and it was fantastic! The set menu included three glasses of wine, an appetizer, and an entree. The wine was of great quality and obviously chosen with care, we had the prosciutto wrapped dates and the truffle burratta appetizers and they were delicious. The short rib and octopus entrees were perfectly portioned and just so, so good. We will definitely be back.

We had a wonderful experience here. Roberto and Michelle were wonderful hosts, very knowledgeable about the wine they were serving, and made great recommendations on wines to try. The food was very good as well. We tried the lobster roll, which was delicious. We will definitely return.

Wonderful place. We got some flights which were designed by sommelier/chef Nick based on a description of the flavor profile we were looking for and he did a great job. We received a lot of personal attention, discovered some great new wines and had a few of their food options that tasted fresh and delicious. We'll come back to this hidden gem.

This happy hour deal is insanity! Every day they’re open they have the best deals from 4-5pm. Like $5 for a glass of wine, $5-8 per shareable plate w great portione. Owner is super friendly & it’s cute & homey inside

Absolutely love this place! My book club met here a couple months ago and the service was wonderful. The atmosphere was pleasant, the wine was tasty and the food was delicious. They even allowed us to order some dishes from next door. It was such a great experience! We will definitely be back!

We are so excited about the new wine bar in our neighborhood! They have over 30 different wines by the glass and wine flights with light bites and desserts. This is what east county was missing for a long time. Go support them! It's a sister restaurant of Giardino.

My partner and I visited this wine bar for a romantic date night, and it exceeded our expectations. The service was attentive, and the wine recommendations were spot-on. While the wine quality was excellent, I felt the prices were a bit on the higher side. However, the cozy ambiance and the overall experience made it worth it. It's a perfect place for a special evening.

My wife and I had an incredible experience at Zest. The cozy vibe, outstanding wine selection, and Heather’s exceptional service made the night unforgettable. She was friendly, knowledgeable, and gave us great recommendations. We loved it so much that we joined their wine club and are proud to say we’re loyal customers now. If you’re looking for a relaxing spot with amazing wine and top-notch service, Zest is the place to be. We can’t wait to return!

A true gem in Southeast San Diego This place is easily one of my favorite spots in SD. Tucked away in Lemon Grove, it’s a refreshing change from the overpriced places in La Mesa. This place has the charm of a hidden gem with the warmth of a true neighborhood favorite. The wine selection is amazing. Heather, who’s always there when I visit, is incredibly friendly and knows her stuff. She’s recommended some of the best wines and really helped me discover my palette. She really takes the time to get to know what you like, and every time I leave, I’m already looking forward to coming back. The food comes from Giardino next door- delish, add wine, even more delish! The cherry in top is the dog friendly patio and just overall great vibes - hard to beat out here in east SD (and tbh non-east sd). If you’re looking for a cozy, welcoming place with great wine, great food, and great people this is your spot!

Christopher Brannan

atmosphere, service, food from next door Come try this place. It's so good.

Anastasia Santos

A true gem in Southeast San Diego This place is easily one of my favorite spots in SD. Tucked away in Lemon Grove, it’s a refreshing change from the overpriced places in La Mesa. This place has the charm of a hidden gem with the warmth of a true neighborhood favorite. The wine selection is amazing. Heather, who’s always there when I visit, is incredibly friendly and knows her stuff. She’s recommended some of the best wines and really helped me discover my palette. She really takes the time to get to know what you like, and every time I leave, I’m already looking forward to coming back. The food comes from Giardino next door- delish, add wine, even more delish! The cherry in top is the dog friendly patio and just overall great vibes - hard to beat out here in east SD (and tbh non-east sd). If you’re looking for a cozy, welcoming place with great wine, great food, and great people this is your spot!

Kai Shurman

My partner and I visited this wine bar for a romantic date night, and it exceeded our expectations. The service was attentive, and the wine recommendations were spot-on. While the wine quality was excellent, I felt the prices were a bit on the higher side. However, the cozy ambiance and the overall experience made it worth it. It's a perfect place for a special evening.

Matt

My wife and I had an incredible experience at Zest. The cozy vibe, outstanding wine selection, and Heather’s exceptional service made the night unforgettable. She was friendly, knowledgeable, and gave us great recommendations. We loved it so much that we joined their wine club and are proud to say we’re loyal customers now. If you’re looking for a relaxing spot with amazing wine and top-notch service, Zest is the place to be. We can’t wait to return!

Scarlett Coit

This happy hour deal is insanity! Every day they’re open they have the best deals from 4-5pm. Like $5 for a glass of wine, $5-8 per shareable plate w great portione. Owner is super friendly & it’s cute & homey inside

Erik Ideta

We had a wonderful experience here. Roberto and Michelle were wonderful hosts, very knowledgeable about the wine they were serving, and made great recommendations on wines to try. The food was very good as well. We tried the lobster roll, which was delicious. We will definitely return.

Rick Verduin

Wonderful place. We got some flights which were designed by sommelier/chef Nick based on a description of the flavor profile we were looking for and he did a great job. We received a lot of personal attention, discovered some great new wines and had a few of their food options that tasted fresh and delicious. We'll come back to this hidden gem.

Katrina Griffin

Absolutely love this place! My book club met here a couple months ago and the service was wonderful. The atmosphere was pleasant, the wine was tasty and the food was delicious. They even allowed us to order some dishes from next door. It was such a great experience! We will definitely be back!

Alisa Randolfi

We made a reservation here for restaurant week and it was fantastic! The set menu included three glasses of wine, an appetizer, and an entree. The wine was of great quality and obviously chosen with care, we had the prosciutto wrapped dates and the truffle burratta appetizers and they were delicious. The short rib and octopus entrees were perfectly portioned and just so, so good. We will definitely be back.

My wife and I just left after our Valentine's dinner date. Reservations at 6:30. Sat outside in the patio area. The ambience was nice and the place is cute. The service was seriously lacking. The server didn't come by at all after taking our order. We spent over an hour waiting for our food, with no communication whatsoever. Had to go get my own water for the table. Empty plates were left on the table for over 30 minutes. The calamari and crab cakes were good. Don't know how the entrees were because we left before we got them. Was charged $40 for the appetizers. Nothing offered but a "sorry".

michael trescott

My wife and I just left after our Valentine's dinner date. Reservations at 6:30. Sat outside in the patio area. The ambience was nice and the place is cute. The service was seriously lacking. The server didn't come by at all after taking our order. We spent over an hour waiting for our food, with no communication whatsoever. Had to go get my own water for the table. Empty plates were left on the table for over 30 minutes. The calamari and crab cakes were good. Don't know how the entrees were because we left before we got them. Was charged $40 for the appetizers. Nothing offered but a "sorry".