Vinifera Wine Bar & Bistro

I wish we’d stayed for dinner. We stopped by here for appetizers and drinks before a couples dinner date, but we were so impressed by our waitress I had to leave a review. It’s strange to rave about a place in a hotel, but it really is worth checking out. Great wine selection, fabulous charcuterie options, great appetizers and if the rest of their staff are like our waitress I’m sure everyone is impressed. She was knowledgeable about wine, had tried everything on the menu and gave good recommendations, and brought our check early to make sure we made our dinner reservation on time without us even asking.

It’s a hidden treasure in Reston! They have a nice dining room, great selections of wine, great service and the fine food. There is a best bread and butter I’ve ever tried. How do they make such a sweet creamy butter? Sommelier is always knowledgeable and really listens to the clients preferences. They have a cozy couches for a relaxed glass of wine, and nice tables by the window with a garden view, for a romantic dinner. No Reston Town Center restaurants can beat Vinifera.

Vinifera is a somewhat well-​kept secret in Reston. It is hidden in the Westin Hotel off of Sunrise Valley. The food is fantastic and the waitstaff is attentive and knowledgeable. We have gone there for special occasions, sitting outdoors when nice, and inside. The happy hour is a real deal. The food and drink specials are actually good and you get quality, not reheated frozen appetizers and bud light.
The atmosphere is welcoming and not very loud like at Mortons in RTC, though it is also good. The only crowded area is at the bar, which is normal. The menu changes throughout the year and the chef will introduce new items unannounced, such as appetizers cooked up for Taste of Reston. Go treat yourself to something nice.

We’ve been here a few times and the food is pretty good. My only complaint is that it’s mostly seafood. If you don’t eat seafood, you’re limited to salad and cheese plates and one chicken dish. I wish they had more options for people who don’t eat seafood. However, the atmosphere is super chill and nice, and they have an outdoor patio with seating. There is a fire pit with seating for the fall too, we will definitely be back to enjoy that!

Always amazing food here! It’s surprising as a hotel restaurant but Vinifera really operates on its own. With hundreds of wines to choose from, delicious food, and consistently great service it’s hard not to come back time and time again as a local.
If you don’t want to have the full courses, their small plates ranging from lobster rolls to ahi tuna tacos to risotto balls to mini crab cakes are delicious. They also make their own ice cream for dessert! They will point out the fresh herbs and veggies growing out on the patio they use in their cooking. Must try for anyone!

We were looking for some place quiet to have a glass of wine and Unilocal helped us find this excellent wine bar/​restaurant. We were greeted with «are you here for the half price bottles» and answered «of course»! Mel, our waitress, was very knowledgeable and helped us pick out a great bottle of wine. We also enjoyed the cheese and meat plates (very well put together) and the roasted red pepper hummus was great. Gluten smart and friendly also. There was a peach jam that was included in the cheese platter that was absolutely amazing. We will definitely be back while staying in the area. Thank you!

Prices are reasonable, but I ordered the duck and it came out tough and burnt. Service is slow. Totally disappointing — I could see why the venue was empty, even on a weekend. Skip it

I was staying in the Westin, so Vinifera was right downstairs, and thus, super convenient. I came here for dinner, and I had there Garganelli Pasta (/​Wild Mushroom /​French Beans /​Tomato /​Spinach /​White Wine /​Parmesan /​Lemon). The pasta was good, and I liked that everything here is freshly made. The waitress highly recommended it, and she even said they took some of the ingredients from the trees near us. I wouldn’t say the pasta is the best I’ve ever had, but it’s still very good!
For breakfast, I had the egg white, broccoli and cheddar omelette (comes with a side hasbrown and toast). The omelette was great — the cheese was freshly melted and the omelette had a great consistency)! However, the morning I was here, the wait staff forgot to give me my order, and then they gave me the wrong check (even though it wasn’t very crowded). However, the waitstaff was great a couple of days before, so i’m sure there was just some confusion/​misunderstanding in the morning.
During summer, I would recommend eating outside. The table and lounge area is very nice and they even have a fire pit going, which creates a very nice atmosphere. The inside is great as well, but tends to get noisy since there are both families and business conversation around. Overall, this a very nice and classy hotel restaurant, and I recommend it, especially if you’re staying at the Westin!

We’re guests in the Westin and tried today the breakfast. My wife and I were disappointed by the food. The food is just tasteless and it takes for ever do get it. We’ll not going to have another breakfast here.

I’ve been going to Vinifera for quite a while and this place is great.
My first question when someone invited me here was «Why are we going to a place in a hotel?». I mean seriously — how often do you go out of your way to eat in a hotel where you live?
They even have nice lounge seating outside where you can enjoy food and wine while putting your feet up. It can be hard to get one of these areas, but well worth it in the summer.
If you love wine and great food, then this is a must visit restaurant.

Awesome Martini’s and the tuna tacos are awesome. Friendly wait staff and great atmosphere. Highly recommend it after a tough day of travel.

We decided to try Vinifera based on ‘best of’ lists for NoVa found on the internet. Otherwise we’d probably have never known it was there, tucked under the Westin in an odd cluster of buildings with strange parking and few other attractions. As others have mentioned, the place was completely empty when we arrived just after 5, and the employees were huddled in conversation. When the next party arrived, 6 with 3 small children, they sat them immediately next to us in an empty restaurant so our conversations competed. It was nice to see the staff make accommadations for the children by cooking fries and chicken tenders not on the menu, along with providing starbucks coffee cups with lids and straws as improvised child-​safe drinkware. There was a TV over the bar with the volume too loud for the atmosphere and no patrons. The employees did occasionally watch, but also had prolonged conversations at a certain spot too near to us. With that said, we were pleased with our server. As others have mentioned, the food does take a bit longer than expected to arrive, even in an empty restaurant, but it did not feel exceedingly long.
We ordered a 4oz flight of wines along with squash soup, scallop sandwich and lobster gnocchi small plates, two complete sets of the pintxos (bites), and the sea bass entrée. The flight comes with printed paper slips to remind you what is in each glass. The soup was creamy and good, though simple. The small plates had more complex flavour profiles, but perhaps the least value. The scallop sandwich for example was a single, relatively small sea scallop. The pintxos were also simple, even bland or drab, but felt like more of a value and provided variety. The entrée however was a disappointment. The Chilean sea bass was seemingly undercooked, with a greasy wetness and slimy texture. Ironically, the manager walked by and asked ‘How was the sea bass? Was it great?’ and I stated that unfortunately no, it was not great, and he simply walked away frowning without any question or comment. When we passed him on the way out, having been there quite a while and only 1 additional couple having arrived and seated at the bar, he still said nothing about it and frowned again while thanking us for coming.
Overall, the experience was simply underwhelming, at any price. While the menu includes delicacies and enticing ingredients, the flavor profiles were unremarkable or even ‘off’, and the entrée unenjoyable as prepared. I have to say: in service, atmosphere, and food, it unfortunately felt like a ‘hotel restaurant’ to me.

All foods we tried are delicious. We ordered plenty and they are really good, from wine, small plates, to main courses. However, the portions are skimpy, glad we ordered plenty beforehand, otherwise, we had to order again I guess. My daughter particularly likes the small plates. Some reviewers commented their small plates are like tapa. Indeed, but there are only a few kinds.
However, the waitress is below par. She upon our arrival at the table immediately took away the wine glasses right in front of me, keeping only the one for my husband. Before I ever gave it a thought, she then only brought one wine menu to my husband, and only spoke to my husband about ordering wine. honestly I was offended. Once we started ordering, the waitress realized she made mistakes and did try to make up by patiently explaining to me many items in the wine menu. Well, I was really upset at the beginning but we managed to ignore it and we had a nice meal on a nice evening.
In term of quality, all foods we tried are good, made more delicate than those in a large crowded restaurant like coastal flat. But I think you get more bang for the buck at the Great American local chain. We’ll come back, but only for special occasions as they are quite pricy.

Wow, what a hidden gem. I arrived yesterday in the 6:00pm hour, used the Vinifera door (in the Westin), and immediately heard the lovely music, along with calming chatter in the dim-​lit mood lighting dining room. I made myself comfortable at the bar (also mood lighting), and sat in a comfortable stool. Within seconds someone came over to drop off a dinner and wine menu. My bartender, Andrew, a well-​informed friendly team player was guiding light for the evening. I sipped on three different reds before making the choice to having the Bran Caia Tre. This wine is aged 12 months in French barrels, BRAN CAIA TRE is a medium bodied blend of 80% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Well structured, the oak aging presents oak spice on the nose, red cherry and raspberry. You will be rewarded with easily detectable flavors of chocolate and berries, hints of liquorice and smoke.
I started off with the Falafel Balls w/​Cucumber, Dill Yogurt, Crispy Goat Cheese in Parsley Oil, and Loaded Baked Potato Nuggets in Fresh Herb Sour Cream, Bacon Bread Crumbs.
As the evening went on, many out of town folks poured in, golfing gals and guys, and a few couples. I then walked around to see what this place had to offer, already making up my mind to return and maybe sit at one of the fire pits. The outside sitting area was open, lovely, quiet, with a good number of fire pits to sit in front of. Space for gathering or parties along the side of the restaurant as well.
Parking is easy – anywhere out front, and getting to the Westin is just as easy. Happy sipping!

My girlfriend and I went to Vinifera for our anniversary dinner on Friday, and the wait staff treated us as if it were our wedding dinner! They brought us each a glass of champaigne, and then a cocktail for us to try. They also printed our names on the menus and gave us a secluded outdoor table by a firpit, which was the perfect romantic setting for our dinner.
The food and drinks were all fantastic. We tried several of the small plates, including the lobster cohibas, diver sea scallop «sandwiches», vennison, and seared chilean seabass for the main course. I would call out the cocktails we tried, but I can’t remember their names and it will suffice to say they were terrific!
Vinifera is an amazing place to celebrate a special occasion, and I’ve also been to their bar several times for happy hour events… The outcome is always the same, a great experience!

***4 Stars for the Sommelier***
I was here for a Unilocal event and the staff (including the chef) at Vinifera were wonderful. If you had a question, they were willing to help. The pairings for each course worked out really well. The wines were: Foris Muscat, Uva Mira Chardonnay, Brezo Mencia,
and Shinas The Verdict Cabernet. The food: shrimp étouffée a la cous cous, potato croquette, crab cake, Cohiba Lobster (Muscat), Beef (Cabernet), Duck (Mencia), Halibut (Chardonnay). There was also shrimp and
house made sausage, baked golden potatoes, asparagus, sweet potato purée, and grilled onions. Dessert was a banana ice cream cone (bite sized), and a pear ravioli in phyllo.
I like cous cous and shrimp, but thought the croquette and crab cake were much better. The croquette was crispy on the outside and soft and hot on the inside, as was the crab cake. The Cohiba Lobster is like a crab rangoon but with lobster and in the shape of a cigar. The cream cheese was a little herb-​y and came with a spicy sweet/​sour sauce. I’m not a big fan of lobster, so this app went unappreciated by me. The sauce that came with the beef was really good and complemented the meat, but I thought the beef was chewy. The duck was my favorite. It was encrusted in fennel seed. I strongly dislike fennel, so I was super surprised that I loved this dish. The duck looked overcooked, but it was tender and delicious. The shrimp was a little overcooked and the texture of the sausage was soft and not what I expected. I had a bit piece of the halibut and tried to add extra sauce to it, but my serving was very bland. The vegetables were good, simply made. I love banana type desserts, but this one was ok. I liked the pear ravioli more — it was almost like a bite sized pear pie, but in phyllo dough, shaped like a ravioli.
The Muscat, Mencia, and Cabernet were my favorite wines and the duck my favorite dish. Since this was a Unilocal event, I can not describe what regular service would be like at Vinifera, but if it’s anything like we received for a private event, you won’t be disappointed.

I attended a private Unilocal wine tasting event in the back room. They offer over 200 wines and over 20 by the glass. Walking through the restaurant I was surprised to see the elegance of both the place and people out here in Reston. I could have been downtown on DC. We sat in a back room that was nearly all windows with views of the tomato plants, pepper plants and figs growing outside.
Our party of over 20 started with a sweet muscat and 3 appetizers: an awesome crabcake with hunks of crab served with a horseradish mustard seed sauce, a delicious potato croquette with a sour cream dip, and a shrimp ettoffee dish served in a sauce with pasta pearls– very very good but not so New Orleans authentic.
Next we had a Chardonnay which was served with an appetizer called the Lobster Cohiba (lobster and cream cheese wrapped in a wonton and fried) served on a sweet chili sauce. I loved the dramatic presentation in a small wine glass.
For the main entrees, we had a Halibut which was in a delicious sauce although a tad cooked more than I prefer, an awesome Duck (the best dish) and steak which was cooked to perfection but a little cold. Side dishes were smooth all carrot purée, fennel and asparagus and small buttery while potatoes. We were also served a a light red wine and a Cabernet.
We ended with a frozen banana pudding cone and a pear ravioli made with phyllo. Yummy!

I actually ate here a while ago, but the experience was so bad that I have been putting off writing about it for a long time. Vinifera is located inside a Westin hotel near Reston. I decided to head out there for some wine and tapas before picking my husband up at the airport, and it ended up being a huge mistake.
I sat out on the patio, which was totally gorgeous, but it took 20 minutes before I could flag down a waiter to take my order. I put in an order for a whole bunch of tapas at once, and also some wine. The wine arrived pretty quickly, but the food didn’t even start arriving until 40 minutes later. 40 minutes!!! And then it was only the little one bite skewers; the rest of the food took even longer. That is totally unacceptable. And the food wasn’t even that good. Less than average, I would say, and I tried a whole range of things. I won’t even break down for you what I ordered, because it was all so forgettable. The $ 1 – 2 «pintxos» seemed like a great bargain, but they are literally tiny toothpick bites like you would find passed around at a party. Tiny, not that good, not worth $ 1 – 2 each, and definitely not worth a 40 minute wait.
I would maybe, MAYBE, say that it would be a nice place to grab a glass of wine on the patio, but not if you are on any kind of a timeline.

Walked in and saw only two tables with no one at the front, nor a server. Was alittle worried that we’ll be disappointed. Finally the only server came out to seat us. Love the décor. A table for 2 and here’s what we ordered:
Risotto Balls. Not as good as I hoped for.
Wild Mushroom Soup. Not bad.
Sea Bass. REALLY good.
Paella. Some of my rice grains weren’t cooked thoroughly.
Ice Cream/​Sorbet sampler. Love the ice cream.
Crème Brulee sampler. Couldn’t tell the difference between the regular or the pumpkin flavor.
Will go back again, if am around the area.

My girlfriends and I came for Restaurant Week. I had my heart set on the red snapper option on the Restaurant Week menu, but they were out (surprising since the restaurant was pretty empty when we came, maybe the ran out from the night before???) so I decided to go with their brunch offering, the jack pancakes, instead.
I sampled my friend’s sea bass (also not part of the Restaurant Week lineup), and it was very good, crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The tarragon butter sauce was perfect. My pancakes were fluffy and not overly sweet. They came with bacon or sausage, but I of course opted out. I got a mound of fresh berries on top instead. Berries and all, thirteen bucks felt a bit steep despite the above-​average breakfast meal. Then again, the luxurious setting combined with the reputation of its executive chef might have made the price easily justifiable in their eyes. The plating is gorgeous, as can be expected from a Culinary Institute of America graduate.
The setting is elegant, sleek, modern. I was reminded of Chef Geoff, the Tysons Corner location, when I stepped inside. Perhaps it had to do with the layout, the arrangement of the tables, and the colors utilized (darker wood, as I recall and lots of more abstract patterns). It’s pretty luxe (fitting since it’s housed inside a ritzy Westin).
Classy as Vinefera is, we did notice a few things that need attention. My friends saw some stains on their water glasses, including a lipstick stain, which may have detracted from their experience a bit. It happens, but I’m sure other customers may not be as dismissive about the whole situation. Service was very polite but a bit on the slower side. It took a while for us to get our orders despite the fact that the majority ordered from the breakfast/​brunch menu. Maybe my friend’s sea bass took a while and they were waiting to bring everything out at once…
Overall, it was still a nice little outing with friends and the environment is tranquil enough to help you have great conservations without shouting to one another and to eat without feeling hurried. This restaurant has more of a business lunch/​dinner vibe, though, so it’s probably not the greatest location for romance, though the outdoor seating might provide a different experience.