1. Vino Strada

Vino Strada, 1 Rue du Temple Neuf, 67000 Strasbourg, France

In the heart of the center city, Vino Strada offers a warm, casual atmosphere and an encouraging variety of wines by the glass. Tables and seats around the bar are packed rather tightly, so around happy hour the energy is lively and and the place is packed.

There are several good quality Alsace regional wines by the glass beyond the generic – including Grand Crus and an intriguing cuvée. Any wine list with these heavy hitters is sure to attract some excitement: Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg by Martin Schaetzel, Riesling Grand Cru Sommerberg by Albert Boxler, Pinot Gris Grand Cru Eichberg by Kientzler, and a Riesling Grand Cru Rangen de Thann Clos Saint Urbain from Zind Humbrecht. (an exceptional wine at an understandable €12.90 for a 6cl glass).

There are about ten other wines by the glass for whites, samplings from the Loire, the Mâcon, and IGP from Gascogne, a refreshing and lively Clos Canericcia from Corsica, and a Montagny 1er Cru “Les Truffières” from Lorenzon. Of course, no gaurantees that these wines will be on the list when you go!

By the bottle you have many more mouth watering options, and some big names from all the across the star studded map of France. The list is represented substantially by a number of premium Rhone appellations, north and south, as well as a few Burgundies.

I will say with some caution that I have been to Vino Strada twice now, and each time the glass I ordered was oxidized – smelled like a wet cardboard box, with the fruit muted and dull. And each time, I informed them and they replaced with a glass from a new bottle. I think for a proper wine bar this should really not happen, and employing at least a coravin system would go a long way to reducing this problem. A real wine bar should know better! But still, they have a decent selection, excellent food options, with an A+ atmosphere.

2. Black & Wine

Black & Wine, 9 Rue Hannong, 67000 Strasbourg, France

Black and Wine is a swanky spot tucked in a little side street in center city Strasbourg. You’ll cross the threshold from the opaque and business-like exterior facade into a warm and dark bar area followed by a open lounge of tall ceilings with a slightly formal, and minimal, sense of design.

This place seems to have two personalities: the dark and cozy bar that you first enter, and the spacious and brighter salon with small, low tables surrounded by comfortable seating. The former carries an air of seduction, the latter, well, feel free to bring your laptop.

Unlike most other wine lists in town – whether at a casual winstub or a swanky bar – Black & Wine doesn’t lead off with just the regional white favorites. The list here throws together an encouraging, if somewhat random, collection of wines from around the world.

What I like about Black & Wine is the relaxed seating area with very enjoyable selections by the glass. We had a very lively and aromatic white from Corsica (Ile de Beauté 2017, Domaine Vetriccie); as well as the Chassagne-Montrachet 2015 from Maltroye, very delightful. You’ll feel elegant for sure as you sip that fine nector of the gods…

3. Le XX

Le XX, 3 Rue des Planches, 67000 Strasbourg, France

Le XX is a great little spot. They carry a modest but enjoyable variety of good quality wines by the glass, along with a casual and unpretentious atmosphere with exposed wood, upright chairs mixed with comfy sofas, and a tasty snacking menu of regional favorites.

We visited Le XX several months ago on a mild Tuesday afternoon. Unfortunately I did not get enough photos, of the wine list or the atmosphere. I’m kind of new at the “5 Best…” type of blog posts, so I’ll be better prepared next time. But this place is definitely worth a visit. We sat outside in a group of sidewalk tables and had a very pleasant snack of Terrine d’Alsace, foie gras, cornichons and crusty bread, and a few moderately serious whites of the region.

On the snacking menu you’ll find a variety of cheese, tartinades, croq sandwiches, and crudité. Everything to go along perfectly as you contemplate your wines. The wine list is again kept at a number of choices, not too few or too many, and is made up of a number of other wines from around France.

This is the wine bar you hit with a few friends on the early side of the evening when the energy is high and the vibe is casual. What’s more, it’s located just outside the city center, so it any hint of tourist clientele is absent. It’s still only a ten minute from the cathedral (everything in Strasbourg is so very walkable!)

4. Terre à Vins

Terre à Vins, 1 Rue du Miroir, 67000 Strasbourg, France

Come to think of it, none of the wine bars in Strasbourg fall into any tourist traps. Even among the throngs of tourists in city center carting around cameras and water bottles, most Strasbourg wine bars remain mellow affairs.

Terre à Vins, located just a few steps from the bustling cathedral, is tucked into a small courtyard of a generic building, and thus is basically hidden away from any foot traffic. You have to know about, locate, and seek out this place. And unfortunately they don’t even have a functioning website. This place falls into that category of owner who doesn’t really care to stay on top of things and really help this place reach it’s potential. 

Also, it’s much less a “wine bar” than a cave that sells an outrageous assortment of offbeat, even bizarre gems that you’ll never find anywhere else. With a very limited wine selection by the glass, the cave downstairs is where Terre à Vins really shines. It is here you will discover some very interesting bottles – such as a variety of Trimbach and Zind-Humbrecht late harvest wines from vintages decades ago, a broad variety of random Vin de France bottles with stylish and artsy labels, vertical flights of single vineyard Burgundies, and interesting Italian gems. This is what is so fun about a wine store, browsing and discovering a number of unusual wines you’ll never find elsewhere!

So, Terre à Vins: come for the “wine bar,” stay for the cave downstairs!

5. Matt’ou Bar à Vin

Matt’ou Bar à Vin, 3 Place du Schluthfeld, 67100 Strasbourg, France

Matt’ou Bar à Vin is located a couple stops on the tram outside of the main city center. The wine list was limited, though they have a nice menu of bites to eat, small plates, all with a loosely Mediterranean theme. The whites were chilled and presented nicely, though with only two or three choices by the glass. So I hesitate to categorize this as a fully satisfying “wine bar” experience, though it appears to be a neighborhood favorite. 

The establishment was completely closed all Saturday, and limited to a few evening hours the rest of the week. Honestly the atmosphere was rather gloomy, and the wine list limited to only a few basic choices: a white Rhone, a Cote de Gascogne, and a few other everyday wines from around France. To be fair my Côtes du Rhône was perfectly chilled and refreshing, my girlfriend had a Loire Sauvignon Blanc. Both so different to make an obvious and fun tasting comparison. The menu was a chalkboard that the owner moved about the room.  They do have a variety of appealing snacking plates and tapas, and perhaps this is one of it’s strengths.

Service was typically slow and along with a dark atmosphere overall I would say you can skip this place and not miss a whole lot…