Swirl Wine Bar

Swirl is a nice little place with huge potential. It’s stumbled at times, but on average you can get a nice glass of wine, a small bite to eat, and meet some wonderful neighbors. The place is for sale and assuming it doesn’t get turned into another nail salon (please don’t do that!) if a new owner hits the ground running, this could become a destination for Magnolia and our neighbors in QA, Fremont, and Ballard.

For a local joint, they REALLY… DESPERATELY need to improve on their customer service! I honestly felt like I was bothering the owner by ordering a glass of wine and I’ve heard this from many others. If you are going to own a store in a small «town» at least pretend to want to be there!

Cougar bar.

This place is cute! Super local folks enjoying their post work day drinks. I usually feel super young when I go anywhere in Magnolia and this place is no exception.
The food is simple and compliments the wine. Try to find out when a free wine tasting is there and live it up.
The atmosphere is dark and calm. Enjoy.

I’m bumping them up to 5. We were in here again a while ago and had a fab night. Food is mostly nibbles, but super tasty. People are so nice, and the wine is great. Definitely not cheap, but it’s a great night out if you want to feel a little bit fancy but still friendly and down to earth.

Great local spot for us in the Village! I love popping by and talking to the owners — they are always so fun and have great recommendations! It is awesome to walk in and buy a couple of bottles to take home too! They have a great selection and I have never been disappointed with the wines we’ve tried. And the TRUFFLE POPCORN!!! YUM! I love that stuff and what a great combo with a glass of Vino! Thank you Swirl for being in the hood! Cin Cin!

Staff was rude. It’s too bad some business owners don’t know how to treat customers. We have been to swirl before and it has been ok. Today we went there for a wine tasting class. The website said that the class was $ 25 with a $ 10 wine credit. We went there with a group of four and when we each went to purchase a bottle of wine we were told that THEY made a mistake and that the website should have said $ 10 credit per party. The owner then said it was their mistake and that they would give the $ 10 credit to each person in our party. After giving the credit to the first two people they changed their mind and would not give the remaining two people each the $ 10 credit on a wine purchase. Not only that she acted like we were the ones who were in the wrong in wanting what they advertised. Basically they lie. If you go there the price they quote might not be what you actually pay. Rude service, We always try to support local businesses whenever we can but we will never go back to Swirl. There is a great wine bar in Ballard called Portalis, go there instead. If we could give it zero stars we would have. Seems I am not the only one look at Rebecca L review of this place. Wish I had before I went.

Wow. After going to about 3 – 4 places on my journey to visit the best of Unilocal I felt compelled to write my first Unilocal review on Swirl Wine Bar. This was my first visit to Magnolia (yes it’s pretty deep if you don’t live in Seattle haha) and I came from Tacoma area and my friend came from Lynnwood… In spite of the long journey I was pleasantly surprised.
Being a neophyte to wine and cheese one of the owners (I forget her name I think it was Rochelle?) was so helpful giving us samples of the wines and cheeses before we committed to one. Usually we goto Purple Café and it’s a lot bigger and more busy there so you don’t get that personal connection as often. She helped us pick two cheeses: the thin sliced Gouda and a Parmesan. Not only did she pick excellent choices, she arranged them in a manner that tickled my fancy. Haha I have minor OCD and she arranged them: cheese, nut, fruit, and grain mirrored by grain, fruit, nut, and cheese! Also the mini cleaver that shows up on the platter is awesome in it’s own right.
I would definitely recommend going here if you have the chance or don’t mind going to Magnolia. Top notch service and a fun neighborhood joint feel. Also the chocolate dessert is amazing… The warm and sweet chocolate mixed with the cold and tart flavor of the raspberries melting in your mouth washed down with a glass of wine! OM NOM NOM NOM!

Met a couple of friends the other night at Swirl, and I am a fan. I don’t know much about wines, but the owner was helpful and the meats and cheeses selections were wonderful. It had a nice, welcoming atmosphere and was quiet enough that you could have nice conversations without feeling like you were shouting over music or other tables. I’ll definitely go back.

Still coming here. Still love it.

The first time I went to Swirl wine bar, it was the same evening that they just re-​opened. I always like a nice wine bar… bonus points if they offer happy hour! Just recently, I noticed that Swirl was hosting a wine-​tasting with the winemaker from Nota Bene Cellars. I can’t resist a wine-​tasting so I dragged my boyfriend up there. We were really impressed with the way the owners updated the décor and lay-​out. And the owners themselves were very friendly and helpful, despite being absolutely slammed with a busy night. We went back a couple of nights later when the winemaker from Adams Bench was offering tastes from their winery. We shared a cheese plate that night and have been back a few times to enjoy a glass of wine and try the other delicious small bites on their menu. The owners are always pleasant to talk to and the wine selection is tasty and affordable.

Swirl is so much more than a wine bar. I just got home from an evening at Swirl. It was a great night. We started with a glass of wine and the meet and cheese platter. We asked them to decide what type of cheese and it was perfect. The right tastes with the wine and a good mix between the cheese and meat. After that we had a couple salads. Both of us thought they were delicious. and then to finish the evening we shared (well he ordered and I had a Couple bites :)) the Crème Brulee. It was the Best I have ever had. The owners were really nice and talked to us about the restaurant and wines. It wasn’t up tight at all. They had a large selections of wine to try and some truffle popcorn to die for. I will be back for sure!
On mondays the one of the owners works the bar which was great because we got to talk to him…

Cool wine drinking hangout spot in downtown magnolia. Swirl has a varying wine selection enabling the wine fancier in you to try different wine from around the world. Great Pacific Northwest wine selection too.
The prices on the wine vary so if you are feeling flush you can go for the pricier items, not so flush you will still have a great selection of «good bang for the buck» wines to try.

Great neighborhood stop-​in. Fabulous, plentiful assortment of wines from around the globe. Lovely décor, great ambiance, fun assortment of music. The menu is ample with offerings from charcuterie/​cheese plate, great paninis, soup du jour and yummy truffle popcorn! The husband/​wife owners are on-​site to warmly greet their clientele. Don’t miss it!

If you are looking for good wine, great cheese, a welcoming neighborhood atmosphere and friendly staff/​owners I highly recommend checking out Swirl.
I usually don’t like wine bars because I know nothing about wine other than the fact that I like drinking it. At Swirl, they definitely know their stuff and have a great selection of wines but they don’t force anything on you and they don’t look at you like you’re crazy if you just pick the cheapest white on the menu.
The owners are fantastic. They are kind and generous and excited about their business. I strong suggest giving it a try.

A wonderful wine bar with personality in the heart of Magnolia. Who would have thought such a great little place would be located here. They are definitely adventurous for trying to create some nightlife in Magnolia. And I think they achieve it.
The exterior is small and charming. The décor inside fits with the theme. The seating is limited but you aren’t catering to the Belltown crowd, so you really don’t feel overcrowded. They have nice outdoor seating and the bar is comfortable. Also there is enough room to enjoy this place with a small group.
They have a great variety of wines and will set up a flight for you that is amazing. I really was impressed that they could pick such a great variety of wines for me to try based a few simple adjectives. That skill makes this place stand out from other wine bars. They also serve a few beers for those not interested in the wine.
The food here is also all quite tasty. Their platters have a great variety of cheese, meat and fruit. Their desserts look decadent, I just didn’t have the room to try any. And I simply adore their truffle popcorn. I would come here just to indulge in this popcorn, its incredible.
The service was also quick and courteous. While I am far from the wine bar loving type, I think Swirl may have changed my mind.

Wine bar in Magnolia, are you serious? A different twist from other spots in Magnolia. Went there after dinner last week to check it out. It was quiet for a Saturday night, but also their first week open. We wanted to support the owners, Jay and Jackie, since they are friends of ours.
I drink wine on ocassion and prefer Cabs and Pinor Noir. Sampled a couple, which were good. Not being a wine buff, I thought the prices were spendy. Maybe I can learn to appreciate wines more from them.
Couldnt wait to get home, into the sweats, and watch football stretched out on the couch.

Swirl is in the old McGraw Street Café space. The couple who owned McGraw street tried to have both a wine bar and a coffee shop in the same space for a while, but they just didn’t work well together. So a few months ago they papered up the windows and redecorated.
Two days ago they reopened as Swirl. They are in a test flight at the moment, the official grand opening is in a few weeks. It’s open every day from 4pm to 10 pm though.
It’s going to be a sweet little place. They have some nice small plates, the Charcuterie plate was tasty. The wine list is varied and unpretentious. Not overladen with any one location, all continents and regions, dry sodas, and a nice flight of bruts and champagnes.
Check it out!