Fine’s Cellar

Id say RIP but that would be way to kind!

NOTE: signs at the restaurant indicate they are only open for dinner right now.
Great, all-​round experience. Ducked in out of the rain and we were famished. The bistro’s carefully prepared food and fast, unobtrusive service did not disappoint. We were first brought some parmesan, chive and truffle-​oil garnished popcorn. We ordered an escargot starter (heavy on garlic, but we loved it), the butternut squash gnocchi (fresh gnocchi, though not a very pronounced squash flavor) and the excellent, cheap burger (fabulous complements with the caramelized onion and sun-​dried tomato). But I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the warm Affogato bread pudding with gelato we had for dessert. Probably one of the best desserts of my life.
Great lighting and use of space. The décor is warmly colored modern with an emphasis on the bottle storage covering every wall.
I’d love to check them out again, now that I know about some of their weeknight specials.

Fine’s Cellar deserves another star for tonight’s delicious food and wonderful service. Went back tonight for the Mon night 50% food promo. Had the Cobb salad, Duck Leg and Loup de Mer.
Cobb salad was a deconstructed version with various components (prosciutto, boiled egg, sundried tomato, roasted green onions, blue cheese, avocado and roasted golden beets) arranged neatly in rows on dressed greens. It looked beautiful and redeemed the lacklustre Caesar I had on my previous visit.
Duck leg was absolutely delicious — crispy skin, moist flavorful meat — on a bed of mushroom fricasee and silky mash. My only complaint is that there wasn’t more. I could probably have eaten four plates.
Loup de mer is a whole deboned roasted sea bass, stuffed, this time with polenta and spinach. The sauce was very tasty and made the dish. Wish I had known to ask for bread so that no sauce was wasted.
Our server this time was Cord and he was friendly and professional even though we sat down only ½ hour before closing. His service definitely elevated our dining experience and contributed an additional ½ star.

My husband and I watched Fine’s as it was being built, so we were stoked to finally have a chance to check it out. We happened in on a Monday night because that’s when we could get a babysitter. Turns out that’s 50% off night, which might seem like a good thing except we were told at the door that the patio (where we hoped to have a drink) was completely booked with reservations starting at 6.
I was ready to turn around and leave since the brisk way that was relayed to us seemed really annoying. But it turns out they have a lounge area for people like us who just pop by for a drink. Great! Except … the lounge area leaves a lot to be desired. We were separated from the rest of the patio and really couldn’t enjoy the ambiance we had been so excited to experience. I think the worst part was that when we left at 6:30, the patio had maybe four tables with actual people sitting at them. Perhaps they should just stop taking reservations — especially on 50% off Mondays. Had we been lucky enough to get a table, we likely would have stayed for dinner.
On the plus side, my wine flight was nice and our server was enthusiastic. The complimentary popcorn didn’t do it for me, though. And since this was actually my second trip to Fine’s — the first being with a girlfriend — and my second time being disappointed, I don’t expect to be back.

I’m reviewing the retail side of Fine’s Cellars since it’s out of my normal area of town and I have not eaten at its restaurant. Let me just say this about Michael Fine, he’s been in the retail end of the wine business for a long time (name a longer running wine store than Sportsmans) and he knows both a lot about wine and a lot about what wine sells. I recently visited FC for a saturday afternoon tasting. Now, all of the wine tasted was meant to be drunk NOW. This wasn’t a high-​end tasting but that’s exactly the point. We left the tasting with two cases of good wine, wine we’ll drink most evenings, and paid less than $ 9 a bottle. Good luck finding a better deal anywhere in town. Fine Cellars is serious about fair pricing on good, easy drinking wines. Care for something more up-​town? This is your place for once-​a-​year Turley allocations or any number of terrific bottles. Château Montelena, Schaffer, Freemark Abbey, they’re all here. Looking for something truly special? There’s a good selection of old world varietals and if you talk with Michael he’ll find something for you. This is not the largest wine retailer in town but you won’t be disappointed with the selection, prices or service.

Great wine with great food served in a great location… It’s all better then great… I’ll be back… (ok i’m from cali!, ya know… arnold.).

Dropped by for «Drop-​In Thursdays» weekly wine tasting and to try a few menu items. Sauvignon blanc was light and sweet, with very pronounced grapefruit notes. I liked Abundance Vineyards Abundantly Rich Red (Zinfandel and Carignane varietals) — fruity, not too sweet; This bottle sells retail at $ 14;, Fine’s at $ 12.66– Thursday’s special was $ 10… I should’ve bought two! I didn’t like the cabernet much. (Honestly, I kept tasting paint thinner… not good eats, er, drinks.) Alright, I was now ready to order some food!
My companion and I decided we’d try the Sweet potato fries, Housemade duck confit bratwurst, Escargot, and Fine’s wine burger (please see photos above). While I didn’t think much of the fries and the accompanying sauces (balsamic is slightly tangy; tomato is salty; and vanilla bean is just… sweet) at the beginning of the meal, I grew to enjoy them at the end– it was fun to experiment with the sauces to find good combinations! I’m sure the wine tastings and the $ 5 glass of Calina Reserva Carménère had something to do with this! The bratwurst was a winner, but at $ 11 for such a small portion (about a 2.5″ link), I’ll wait till ½ off Mondays to enjoy this one again. (I’ll have to ask the chef to swap something for the slaw, w/​c had good-​looking bacon or pancetta mixed in, along with allergens I don’t want.) I was hesitant to try the escargot, esp. after trying Tapino’s a few days ago, but I’m glad my friend ordered it, anyway. It was perfection on a plate! Buttery, but not greasy, and I adored the chunky bits of garlic there! I had thought of asking for more bread, but sometimes it’s better to be left wanting for more than to have too much. Merrill, our bartender, said that many people have opined that Fine’s wine burger was the best burger they’ve ever had. Perhaps! It certainly vies with the goodness of Quiessence’s Farm burger. It was beautiful to look at (cooked to medium rare), and equally tasty, with the caramelized onions the scene-​stealer in this dish! My friend was tickled by the battered pickles! Indubitably, they begged to be tasted, but I stood my ground.
Can’t wait for Mondays to roll around… Fine’s Cellar undeniably deserves an early beg-​off from work!

I must say my opinion has changed for the good since the first time, over a year ago, that I tried Fine’s. We had a little time to kill before an event we were attending, so we stopped in for a wine and it was on a Tuesday which they offer $ 5 glasses. Nice surprise and a good selection to choose from. Saving the money on the wine we decided to try their mussels. A fragrant steaming bowl of mussels was soon delivered with several pieces of grilled bread to mop up the wonderful broth. Didn’t care too much for the popcorn as we thought it was a little over the top, just the truffle oil and parmesan would have been less competitive for my taste buds. Service was excellent, made us feel welcome and wanted. Nice ambience, fixtures and plate ware. Glad they have worked out some of the kinks experienced before.

I feel like I am losing faith in the Unilocal community. Yes they do tell me about some great places but how could anyone give this place 5 stars??? Mike K. please tell me you had an accident as a child that left you without the ability to taste food. I’m not a hater but there menu needs allot of work. My girlfriend and I tried a few things and we were not impressed although the service was okay but overall kinda of hit or miss (one dish good the other one lackluster) overall didn’t feel I got what I paid for…

I had the pleasure of having lunch at Fine’s Cellar yesterday afternoon. I was starving after an art swap at Frenzy Stamper. We were just grabbing a quick bite and we ran into great service, wonderful paninis and a great atmosphere.
I had the mozzarella, tomato and basil panini which was just the right amount of food for lunch. It was served with a pickle and chips but I left the chips (plain old chips– not special) and enjoyed my meal. Our waiter was around the perfect amount of time, and willing to give us his suggestions. My partners in crime had the healthy breakfast burrito and the smoked turkey panini– both of which they said they would get again.
They have a $ 5 for a glass of wine special from something like 11−7pm which is a pretty decent deal. Also, the back patio had ample space and was very crisp and white. I look forward to visiting Fine’s again and enjoying a $ 5 glass of wine and different panini!

This place is very impressive. The wine list is great and they have a lot to chose from on the retail side too.
The first thing they give you when you get there is a bowl of popcorn, popped in bacon fat and drizzled in truffle oil and sprinkled with parmesan. Very tasty…
We got a bunch of small plates and shared, the mac and cheese 3 ways was excellent and so was the pig in a blanket.
We each got a different flight of reds, the guy behind the bar was extremely knowledgeable and very helpful in selecting wines we may like. The owner was also there and was talking about a master sommelier that was coming soon, sounded pretty cool.
They have nights with half price food and nights with half price glasses, I just can’t remember what they were…
I’ll definitely be back at some point!!!

After an absolutely horrifying lunchtime meal, I ran straight to Fine’s for a glass of wine, or a hundred, to cleanse my palette and hopefully get myself drunk enough to not remember that i ate at all.
As it was only 2PM Fine’s wasn’t busy… at all. heh, daytime drinking is apparently relegated only to the unemployed! Well that’s fine with me, i bellied up to the bar where Joshua and Merrill (hope I spelled it right) took excellent care of me. their «what would you like to drink?» was met with a «a bottle of wine, with a straw in it» so they went ahead and offered me a tasting flight of both white and red french wines.
All the while we talked about wine, they gave me some background about the SW wine growing region, and even let me sample one or two other wines they were offering another couple that came in.
I finished drowning my sorrows in a glass of sparkling wine from NM and Merrill presented me with an $ 11 dollar bill. Say WHAT?! Tuesdays in December are EXTRA Happy Hour days, because everything on their wine list (by the glass) is 50% off! So my flight was only $ 7 and my bubbly only $ 3.25. Amazing. Turns out that on Mondays the food is 50% off. And anyway, Fine’s offers daily happy hour from 11AM — 7PM where they have a list full of $ 5 wines. imagine coming in on Tuesday and getting wine for $ 2.50!
Make sure to say hi to me when you stop by, as I will be permantly installed at the bar…

I tried Fine’s Cellar on a helpful tip from Phoenix Magazine, and was very impressed.
First of all, I was pleased with the wine selection. They have a substantial list of wines available by the glass or by «flight», as well as a vast variety of retail bottles.
We ordered the Mac and Cheese 3 ways (you have to try it!), the bruschetta (we both declared it was the best bruschetta we’ve had), and split the burger (also very good, although I was too full at this point to really enjoy it!). All this was an excess of food, as it is all very rich and delicious. Don’t skip the mac and cheese!
We sat on the patio, which had a nice ambiance with nice weather. Our server was very friendly as well as helpful with the menu and wine.
Overall, excellent 1^st experience at Fine’s. We will definitely be going back for either another dinner or a pre-​/​post-​dinner stop for wine.

I wanted to love this place, really I did. I mean, how can you not love a place where the tag line is «Where wine is food»? But, it’s the food — or rather the size of the food — I have the biggest problem with.
My friend and I stopped in with the intention of splitting a dessert and enjoying a couple glasses of wine. Based on the glowing recommendation of our friendly server, we opted for the apple pie with carmel sauce, topped with a scoop of vanilla gelato.
Be prepared, especially if you are expecting a traditional slice of apple pie. What arrived at our table was a miniscule tartlet, about the size of a small cupcake, graced with a tiny scoop of vanilla gelato. For 8 bucks. I could have easily fit the entire thing in my mouth in one bite. Hardly suitable for splitting, which our server should have warned us about.
In its defense, the dessert certainly was tasty. The wine was wonderful. And the atmosphere is cozy. But, as others have said, the portions are TINY — at least in this case.
I’m not sure if it will stop me from visiting again, but next time, I’ll make sure to eat before I go!

I was apprehensive to try this place last night after remembering some pretty negative reviews — but it looked so nice from the outside that my friends and I decided to give it a try. We’re really glad we did!
From the moment we walked in the door, we were greeted, offered our choice of tables and given really friendly service. There was music, but it wasn’t so loud we couldn’t hear each other. And the wine list was amazing (much better than Kazmierz, frankly, where we had just been).
After hitting a complete dud at Kazmierz earlier in the night, I was hoping to finally get a good wine — and the malbec I had was fabulous. Really good wine.
My husband also decided to try the sweet potato fries and they were AMAZING. The best thing I’ve tasted in weeks, seriously. AMAZING.
I’ll definitely come back to Fine’s. Loved the laid-​back atmosphere and the menu.

UPDATE: Went again today with my mom for a belated Mother’s Day present. As usual, it was AWESOME! For the price of a crappy Applebee’s lunch, we had a meal and dessert.
The Macaroni and Cheese Three Ways was quite possibly the best thing I have eaten in Phoenix to date! It came in three bowls, each with a different flavor. The first one had blue cheese mixed in. The second had crispy bacon, sun dried tomato and peas. The third had luscious truffle oil. We literally ate all three bowls noodle by noodle, it was that good!
For dessert, we had the Banana Split Fritters. Heavenly! It was banana deep-​fat fried with a rich cherry mousse and chocolate/​caramel sauce. If I could have licked the plate, I would have.
As usual, the service was impeccable. If you’re looking for a cheap diner to guzzle wine, obviously this will not fit your taste. However, if you’re looking for a classy spot to have amazing food for great prices, Fine’s Cellar is one of the best.

If I had read the reviews on here before I decided to meet a friend for happy hour I might not have gone. I’m glad I went into it blind.
The first thing I noticed was the modern/​industrial store front and then walked in to find a cool/​dim interior. We decided to sit on the covered patio since we had both been cooped up in the office all day. It was a little too warm to be outside but that just prompted me to order a light white wine. The prices are steep but I assume that going into a trendy wine bar in Old Town Scottsdale. You are paying for the total experience. We decided to split the sweet potato fries and they were HEAVENLY!
Our server was incredibly attentive and even the hostess stopped by to chit chat. Apparently a bus boy ditched his shift so they were short staffed but I honestly didn’t notice. The entire staff seemed to be calm and working in a good flow.
Maybe Fine’s heard about all the bad reviews and have made a positive change? It was early in the evening and they weren’t super busy and I did not order dinner. Maybe that was the difference? All I know is that I will go back. The sweet potato fries will be calling my name again!

We were a party of six seated on the patio, which had nice ambience considering everyone there was on the patio, the inside was empty. We ordered 2 bottles of wine (moderate price), six starters and split 2 desserts. The food was average in taste, nothing spectacular, and the servings were minute. I glanced over at some of the entrees being served at an adjacent table and they were scant servings. Our bill was over $ 300. Mr. Fine, meanwhile, fawned over the people at the table next to us who were ordering $ 60 – 70 bottles of wine. I guess we weren’t high-​end enough for his attention.
Go here if you’re not hungry and have a lot of discretionary income. The servings are scant, which I guess is chic now, but the prices are not.

I have been here twice, once for a great cheese, nut and fruit platter (and glasses of wine, of course) and once for a very disappointing lunch. From my experience, I would suggest Fine’s as a pre-​dinner stop for apps and vino. Before trying the restaurant I had read about the menu and the chef. I was excited to hear that he has cooked at some of my favorite valley spots — Atlas Bistro and Gregory’s World Bistro (now closed). I have had some of my best meals at these restaurants! Maybe dinner is worth a try on my next visit.

Stumbled through here during an Art Festival that was out in the street. Went right for the adjoining espresso bar: YES! YES! YES!
They got it. Quality coffee, they care, the barista’s are into it.
They just needed one more person out infront on the counter keeping things clean and shiny and they’d have that 5^th star.