The Wine Shop is not the bar or one of those places where everybody knows your name, which is a good thing. So it is a place currently under the radar that persons can go for dinner and not only shop for wine. They are open until 11pm from Monday to Saturday, closed on Sundays and have both indoor and outdoor seating.
Their menu has a wide range of items and appetizers that go well with wines, for instance, Hummus and dip, Bruschetta, Smoked Marlin plates, Jerk Sausage, Lamb chops and Penne Pasta bowls with different choices of sauce and meat.
The service was good, not great. The Hummus and dip arrived in a reasonable period of time. The dip’s taste was quite basic. The entrees took too long to arrive, more than half an hour for 2 Pasta dishes and Jerk Sausage. The serving sizes were big so quite filling to make up for that wait if hungry, but the quality was mediocre. The Jerk sausage was decent, but slightly overcooked. The Shrimp Penne Pasta bowl with Cream sauce was salty and the Grilled Chicken Penne Pasta bowl with Cream sauce was bland. I was disappointed that they did not have Basil Walnut Pesto sauce for the Pasta bowl, maybe that would have been good.
In terms of the wine, they have a wide range available to choose from for groups or couples buying by the bottle or buying for the home, but for rum drinkers that just need to buy a glass with dinner before they hit a real rum bar, the choices were way too limited. Literally, a restriction to 3 or 4 types of wine, not even a Riesling?! Unacceptable.
So quite a cosy, inexpensive little spot, but though a wine shop, no pun intended, the quality of food can be improved upon.
Hummus – $450JMD +tx
Jerk sausage (with Lyonnais potatoes) – $950JMD +tx
Shrimp Penne Pasta bowl with Cream sauce – $1150JMD +tx
Grilled Chicken Penne Pasta bowl with Cream sauce – $1550JMD +tx
*Pop Up Gourmet Card accepted (10% discount)
The Wine ShopÂ
Ph#: 876.620.5098
Address: Shop 7B, Southdale Plaza, South Avenue
Date of Visit: 5/9/14
NB. Ratings fill 5 stars maximum
Parking: ★★★★★
Ambience: ★★★☆☆
Decor: ★★★★☆
Comfort: ★★★★★
Service: ★★★★☆
Speed: ★★★☆☆
Food quality: ★★★☆☆
Serving amount: ★★★★★
Plating: ★★★☆☆
Value for $: ★★★☆☆
SuGa Endorsement: ★★★☆☆