Kork Wine & Cheese

Stopped by after work with a couple of friends. This place is a great addition to Miami’s downtown. The wine is great, and more importantly, very reasonably priced. The charcuterie plate was outstanding (order the manchego. to… die…for…). We met the owner and he was very sweet and genuinely enthused we were there.
I’ll be back. A LOT.

Kork Wine & Cheese is CLOSED, out of business so the One Star is because there isn’t any Kork business that can be reviewed.
However, the location is now home of a new business, Le Chat Noir which is basically very similar.

I REALLY wanted to like this place. Even though the setting is beautiful and unique, the wine list was not anything special, especially considering prices. I went there a while ago, so hopefully will give this place a try again soon.

I visited Kork Wine & Cheese with a collegue during a recent trip to Miami for a business trip. The place was a short Metromover ride from the Intercontinental Hotel and we were in the mood for some good wine and cheese.
The vibe in the place is a bit quirky — the upstairs wasn’t open on the weeknight we visited so they were serving in the cellar downstairs. Consistent with other reviews, the place did have a very musty smell but it wasn’t overpowering enough to make us want to leave. The décor was reminiscent of an antique shop with obviously used furniture and eclectic chairs and sofas scattered about. The wine «menu» is actually the bins along the walls on the perimeter of the room. We asked for a pinot noir and to our complete surprise they were out — what kind of respectable wine bar is OUT OF PINOT NOIR??? The server was very accommodating though and allowed us to taste a Petite Syrah and a Malbec and we landed on the Syrah (it was Bogle — a fairly common lable but very good anyway).
We ordered four cheeses from their extensive selection along with an olive tapenade (which they were also out of and was replaced with an olive assortment). Everything we tasted was delicious and served with fresh baquette rounds and a balsamic glaze and a spicey mustard. We particularly enjoyed the Laura Chanel — Tome (Sonoma, Ca) and the Roaring Forties Blue (King Island Dairy).
We didn’t stay long enough to hear the live music they were setting up for when we left but would make it a point to come back to Kork next time we’re in Miami.

Four of us were seated downstairs. We were the only ones in the place. The ambiance was pretty cool, it definitely felt like were in a 20s speakeasy. I really enjoyed the jazz music once the singer started. She was amazing and reminded us of Norah Jones.
We ordered a bottle of wine and a bunch of cheeses and accoutrements. We waited … and waited… and waited. And then they brought food to people who came in about an hour after us. So we asked why, and WOW did we get all the juicy gossip on the place. I found that to be highly unprofessional.
Apparently the place next door shares the kitchen and that place was packed. And also, someone quit the night before… and our server normally doesn’t work the area where we were seated. Blah, blah, blah… things you should NEVER tell your guests. Just say you are sorry and rectify the situation! I should mention that the staff looked about 18, were all very nice, but they just seemed frustrated and confused the entire time we were there.
They did comp us for all the wine we ordered. AND I should mention that the cheese and wine were excellent. ;)

Half of the reviews here are fake or friends if the owner. Just wanted to point that out before I start. Spam and fake reviews written by employees and the owner really get on my nerves.
Ok so on with my review. I went to eat a couple of weeks ago. *Paid $ 20 to park.*I had a ham sandwich and a cheese plate. Sandwich came on a huge, dry piece of chiabatta bread that cut my gums and roof of my mouth because the meat and cheese ratio was un proportionate to the bread amount. Where was the greens on my sandwich? Probably in the salad that was just lettuce on my plate. Was that it? Hmm I don’t know… The hard chips do nothing to help the cuts on my mouth So I waited for maybe a glass of wine and I waited and waited and waited and I guess you get it… I waited. No wine list, poorly educated staff, dark dreary ambiance and wait for it… a green spot? On a piece of cheese I already nibbled off of? What you can’t see that? The green on the obviously white background? The white film around the green. Nobody saw that. It was nicely placed face down so I didn’t notice it. I guess because I always look at my food to get visually full before I eat that this was a suprise! Canned figs? The glass of wine I had was a bit sour. Like they have bottles of wine that say its a nice fine wine but inside the bottle it’s mixed with Boones Farm, Thunderbird and cranberry juice. I was very disappointed. I don’t want any kind of reimbursement or pity email. I also didn’t want to get charged for Valet when I parked in the $ 20 parking deck or charged corking fees for glasses of wine… I thought parking and corking were free anyway. Oh and if I am wrong about free parking what about the $ 10 for live music that you said was free that ended up on my bill! I guess I was wrong. The owners attitude really stands out in the awfulness of this place. I only starred it to write the review. What a joke.

Class, Staff, I think I’ll Pass! :o (
I was really looking to lolly gag my way around a former bomb shelter, Sip wine, and eat exotic cheese. What I like about Kork is the fact you have to know where it is, or your not going to find it. And, once inside the ambiance will carry you to another city, definitely not Miami. You’ll feel very cosmopolitain, dark wood tones, I expect to walk outside and see snow, the cambridge tower, or a back alley of the Italian district in Boston.
They have a great selection of wines, and it’s as far as the eye can see. The charcuterie board is amazing, I want another one. If Kork could actually hire people, then this would be a five star establishment. I don’t mind the prices, I love the crowds, but Kork is disastrously understaffed, I painfully waited for my order, and even more painfully waited longer when I wanted another glass of there tasty Caymus.
It’s had to say weather I’ll come back, I like the crowds, I just wasn’t particularly happy with the service.

GIMME SHELTER after a long day downtown. And a glass of wine, and a laid back vibe, maybe some live music, a nibble of cheese and crackers, a comfy seat. Ahhhhh, there! That’s much better.
Kork is an absolutely perfect place for a glass of wine after a hard day at work. It is the antithesis of the glitzy, noisy, adolescent Brickell bar scene. Kork is for grown ups. The ground floor has a beautiful wood bar and a «speakeasy» feel to it. Downstairs is the bomb shelter turned wine cellar with space for groups in the form of couches in the corner or a long table for tastings.
It’s a bit tricky to find because it doesn’t look like much from the street, but it’s easy to get to from either the Miami Ave or Third Street Metromover stops. It’s also walking distance to great dinner spots like Little Lotus or Soya e Pomodoro.

I have been wanting to check this wine bar out for the longest time and I chose the right night to check it out: Friday night for live jazz! The space is sexy and sophisticated I felt like I was in the West Village in NY downstairs. The live jazz was awesome. I would definitely recommend this place for dates or just to listen to live music.
The service was OK. We wanted a glass of wine and they had no wine list at all which was shocking considering they are a full wine bar and I would think they would want to show off their selections. So I recommend you know what type of grape you are interested in sipping on for the evening. The have no wine flights and no wine menu.
However, I would go back. This location is a hidden gem.

I admit, I really love this Venue. I have had great times there!
So this is what it ‘isn’t”
* Foodies, this is a very basic cheese and a few meats. They have a cool ultra mini, but food there is best with wine, chees/​meat plates. If you are hungry, eat before.
But what it IS… is why I go.
1. Relaxing. I love the Old Style Wooden Bar, the Very Unique Wine Selection, the great Waiters (Tran, Guy) who always made my nights there. I bring my groups there because downstairs in the Wine room, I can ensure we all relax, comfy chairs and that Old World Old Boy club feel. It is like my Private Wine room.
Throw in Jazz, a few great Charity Events and you get even Better.
I still have this as one of my ‘Go To’ Date Places as it is Romantic and fun to relax in.
If you haven’t gone, go, it isn’t crowded, it is fun and where else can you sip a fine Glass of Merlot in a converted Bomb Shelter from the 1950’s scare from the Cuban Missle Crisis. If that isn’t history, I don’t know what is !
Kelly

Kork Wine and Cheese used to be a bomb shelter! Now, just this tidbit of information ups their «cool factor». There is nothing better than knowing you’re experiencing a bit of history… with its dimly lit medieval décor, downstairs cellar, and live jazz I was in the epitome of utopia!
Don’t let its sketchy downtown Miami location fool you… this place is a hidden gem! So hidden in fact, that my GPS couldn’t find it.
We went on a Saturday night, got a table downstairs in the cellar, and ordered a bottle of wine and cheese and meat platter. The live jazz started at 8:30pm… the music was also fabulous. The server was very helpful with our bottle selection. We told him exactly what we liked and he knew exactly what to give us. We were very impressed with this wine connoisseur!
We ended up having their Spanish «Turn me Sweet» wine: it’s a fruity, red, sweeter-​styled Tempranillo with flavors of berries, dark sweet cherries and a hint of vanilla. It’s very mild and smooth finish and has a fruity and juicy aftertaste. Amazing!
The date couldn’t have been better: great company, service, music, food, and wine. I wish all my nights were as flawless and wonderful as this one!

The fact that this is within walking distance of my apartment is very dangerous. I absolutely love the ambiance. The decore is sophisticated and sexy (just like the patrons you’ll be sharing the bar with) and the happy hour specials are fantastic. Apparently there’s also live music in the basement wine cellar on the weekends that completes the scenester experience. In short: a Miami must.

OMG!
I have found my new favorite spot! Came across this place as a pre-​drinking spot before Art Official’s concert at Bayfront. I loved the basement/​wine cellar where you can buy the wine bottle to drink. I immediately thought that this was the place for my birthday this year! The manager/​bartender was amazing! He was extremely nice and worked with us so we can pick a wine to our suiting. Since by chance we were there for happy hour, NO CORKING FEE! We also got some great pricing on a cheese platter (hello truffle cheese!) and overall enjoyed our experience. Everyone who works there know their stuff so that is always great. You need people like that if you want to work in wine.

This one-​of-​a-​kind wine and cheese bar is tucked away in the burgeoning area of Downtown Miami. With its Medieval charm and dim lighting I felt like I was at a tavern somewhere in Seville.
You can buy wine by the glass, but if you’re interested in a bottle you must check out the cellar downstairs. The whole experience of going down to the basement (a rare activity in Miami) and choosing a bottle was half the fun of my visit to Kork. The downstairs area is equipped with large communal tables, small tables, and leather sofas for more intimate gatherings.
I came with a friend and once we selected our bottle in the cellar we headed back upstairs to have our wine served. We then headed over to the cheese counter where we decided on a cheese platter. The lady that prepared our cheeses was very helpful and made her suggestions for our wine selection. We ordered manchego with quince paste, gouda, and gruyère. Our cheese platter was accompanied with olives, cracker toasts, and bread. You can’t really go wrong with good cheese and wine.
You can have wine and cheese at a lot of places, including your own home, but the ambience at Kork is the main reason for any visit. It’s truly charming and romantic enough for a date, but at the same time a place where a group of friends and co-​workers could all hang out and have a chill time.
If I could complain about one thing is that it closes way too early for Miami standards – a 10 pm closing time is not acceptable in my book.

I’ve now been to Kork twice, once for brunch with my girlfriends and another on a Friday night date with my hubby. Kork on Saturday mornings is extremely hard to find parking here, I ended up parking two blocks away in another building’s valet. Make sure to plan ahead with comfortable shoes if you’re looking to save money on parking — street parking is hard to come by and you may end up having to park on US-​1 and walking. Garages during the day are $ 20 – 25 flat rate, a little too high for me when the meal is less than that (although I did it since I was in 6-​inch heels).
The interior of Kork is nice, a little sparse up top, but the cellar is the main attraction. It feels as though you’ve been transported back in time to a 1920s speakeasy on the nights they have live jazz — certainly a nice date night location.
Although I like wine, I am nothing close to an aficionado and usually trust the judgment of my server/​bartender. I asked for a dry fruity white wine and that’s what I got. I’d love to learn more about wines, but this isn’t the place to do it. They will allow you to try one or two, but they don’t seem extremely helpful in telling about the wine itself nor in doing a proper tasting. The wine selection does appear to be rather sparse for a wine bar and they do charge a corkage fee for any full bottle you purchase through them. I ordered my wine by the glass and was happy enough, prices were $ 7 – 8 per glass.
The food options are limited to cheese plates, salads and sandwiches. Their salads are the best option, with delicious combinations of fruits like figs, nuts and cheeses. I haven’t tried their sandwiches, however my better half did and he wasn’t impressed. He says they actually cooked the Serrano ham in his sandwich and he likes Cheese Course’s sandwiches much better.
Overall, it’s a good place for a cute date or a wine brunch with friends. I’m not completely blown away by it, but I’m hoping they continue to improve. I heard somewhere that they were looking into getting valet service to fix the parking situation, so hopefully they pull through with that.

Okay this was a pleasant surprise. Kork wine and cheese was not your usual Miami hang out spot and that translates to be a good thing! Entering this wine bar felt like entering a wine bar somewhere in New Orleans. This place had a cozy bluesy atmosphere which makes you want let your hair down and chill with some friends, and that’s just what I did.
One thing though, that I would suggest is that they work on their cheese options. The choices for the cheese platters where lacking in variety in my opinion. Maybe they could learn a lesson or two from The cheese course in Midtown. All in all, I will definitely be back for their great happy hour deals for the ladies!

5 Stars because there was no one thing where I could say, «That can be improved.»
A beautiful retro watering hole in the heart of Downtown. Parking on Flagler is free with 24 hour security. Located beneath the Miami Avenue Metromover Station, this place was like stepping onto the set of a movie, the iron bars on the front door give you a moment to feel the transition. The Main bar is a saloon style space suitable for an afternoon bite. Kork offers a wide variety of cheese platters, sandwiches, & sweets.
But the thing about Kork is The Cellar…
You will never hear these directions in any other business in Miami, «Check out the
downstairs.» Built into a underground vault/​bomb-​shelter, there is no true competition for the best wine bar in town anymore. Two walls full of choices a nice bar and plenty of room, make your choice and have a seat. The sommelier comes to your table uncorks your bottle, provides a taste, & serves your party.
Have a great time, because you are going to end up going there.

It is completely unforgivable that I have forgotten to review Kork & Wine! A place this good doesn’t slip the mind but never the less let me get to it.
Kork and wine is dark and mysterious… total speak easy flashback! The kinda place Nucky Thompson would enjoy some Irish Whiskey while making a few deals!!! LOVE IT!!! Upstairs is a long bar, a few tables and in the back corner a deli counter. Downstairs is the wine cellar, two full walls stacked with wine bottles and two mini bars where you can order by the glass if you choose. To the right there are some couches and chairs and in the center of the room there are two long tables for larger parties and a few small tables.
So naturally the downside is this place gets packed. Upside the happy hour!!! They have bottles from $ 12 up and during happy hour there’s no corkage fee.
4 adults + 3 bottles + a tray of meats and cheeses = $ 90
That’s four very happy customers!!!

Walking into this place made me feel like I was part of some secret society. The place is absolutely amazing. The décor is dark and mysterious. It’s like walking into the 1920’s.
Here’s how it works, you get their during happy hour and they do not charge you a corkage fee. You go downstairs to their wine selction. The left side has the reds, the right side the whites. You pick your bottle and take it to the bartender to open and serve it for you. Upstairs is the cheese, which you get to sample before you purchase. Perfection.
The downsides are the seating arrangements and parking. You have to wait around until someone gets up so that you can snatch a table from other guests that are also waiting for a table. Make sure you try to find a parking meter or a cheap parking garage because the one across the street costs $ 20.00!
Even with these 2 little glithces I have to give this place a 5 star review.

I went into Kork last week after work, and I was so impressed. They weren’t officially open, but they really had their act together for a new place.
First of all, before even heading to the bar, make your way down to the basement. It screams private party, and the walls are lined with bottles of wine to choose from. Many of the wines I looked at were $ 10 – 20 per bottle, and from 4 – 6 pm they have a happy hour with no corkage fee when you buy a bottle! They have a big selection downstairs, so if you know you’ll be going and want something chilled, give them a call before you come and they’ll have it ready for you when you arrive.
We made our way back upstairs and drank some wine, enjoyed a platter of a few different types of cheese, and enjoyed the cozy, dimly lit atmosphere and great conversation with the bartender. They also have some unique beers on tap and a cider that I got to take a little taste of. It was out of this world. The smell alone had me sold.
I can see Kork becoming a great place for happy hour in downtown Miami, and I can’t wait to go back once they really hit the ground running.