Most of the wine bars on the west side of Cleveland sit on or just off one road. Detroit Avenue runs from Hingetown through Gordon Square and across Lakewood, then continues as Detroit Road into Rocky River, and you are rarely far from a good glass anywhere along it.
This story follows that route from east to west, starting by the West Side Market in Ohio City and ending in Rocky River. For east side wine bars in Cleveland Heights, Moreland Hills and Chagrin Falls, plus shops that pour in Parma, open the full Cleveland wine bar guide.
East to west
Where to drink wine on the west side
Ohio City
Market Avenue Wine Bar
Best for: A glass and charcuterie by the West Side Market
Market Avenue Wine Bar sits across Market Avenue from the West Side Market in Ohio City and has been pouring since 1994. The list runs past 100 wines, so there is plenty to choose from by the glass.
Order a charcuterie board or the baked brie and take it out to the patio. It is the natural place to start or finish a trip to the market.
Ohio City
Rosy
Best for: Small plates and a glass on date night
Rosy is a wine and small plates restaurant on Church Avenue in Hingetown, a short walk from the market. It comes from the team behind Cordelia, cooks over a wood-fired grill and seats guests at communal tables.
Order a few small plates a la carte and build the evening around a glass or two. Monday nights bring a limited-run burger, which is worth knowing if you are planning an early week dinner.
Gordon Square
Flight
Best for: Themed flights with cheese
Flight on Detroit Avenue in Gordon Square is built around themed wine flights paired with cheese and snacks, which makes it an easy way to try several wines in one sitting.
If a bottle stands out, it is on the retail shelf and can go home with you. There is an outdoor patio, and the theaters of the Gordon Square Arts District are close by, so it works before a show.
Cleveland
Wyne Tasting & Cocktail Bar
Best for: Pouring your own tasting portions
Wyne Tasting & Cocktail Bar, farther west on Detroit Avenue in Gordon Square, is a self-pour wine bar. You pour your own tasting portions from a long lineup of wines, so you can try a sip of something before committing to a full glass.
Cocktails, canned drinks and light bites fill out the menu, which helps when someone in your group does not drink wine. It is well liked by the people who go.
Lakewood
Rozi's Wine House
Best for: A glass inside a longtime wine shop
Rozi’s Wine House on Detroit Avenue in Lakewood is a family-run wine and beer shop that has been in business for more than 80 years. There is a spot inside the store to sit with a glass, and the Front Porch Cafe on site handles food.
Stop here when you want to shop and sip in the same visit, and leave with a bottle of whatever you liked.
Lakewood
Humble Wine Bar
Best for: Orange wine, pizza and a dog-friendly patio
Humble Wine Bar is a few blocks west of Rozi’s on Detroit Avenue, with a cellar-style list that runs from sparkling and orange wines to big reds. Pair a glass with a Neapolitan pizza from the stone oven.
The patio is dog friendly, so bring the dog along when the weather cooperates.
Lakewood
Wine Dive CLE
Best for: A serious list in a casual room
Wine Dive CLE, toward the west end of Lakewood on Detroit Avenue, pairs a dive-bar feel with a high-end wine list. Go when you want a good bottle without dressing up for it.
Live music is on the calendar most weeks, so look at what is playing before you pick a night if you would rather have a quieter table.
Rocky River
Rocky River Wine Bar
Best for: Champagne and brunch with pairings
Rocky River Wine Bar on Linda Street in Rocky River draws the biggest crowd of any wine bar on the west side. The list has been recognized with awards, the Champagne selection is deep, and the rosés rotate.
Go for brunch, which comes with wine pairings, or settle in for a cozy evening glass.
Rocky River
Tartine Bistro
Best for: French bistro food and a weekly bottle deal
Tartine Bistro on Old Detroit Road in Rocky River is a French bistro and wine bar, so it is the stop to pick when you want a full meal with the wine. It runs a midweek deal on bottles; check the details before you go.
Weekend brunch is the other reason to make the trip.
Planning the route
How to split the route into an evening
Detroit Avenue is long, so pick one stretch for a night instead of trying to cover the whole road. Market Avenue Wine Bar and Rosy are close together in Ohio City and Hingetown. Flight and Wyne are both in Gordon Square. Rozi’s, Humble and Wine Dive are spread along Detroit in Lakewood, where the walk from Rozi’s to Wine Dive is a long one, and Rocky River is a short drive past that.
A simple Lakewood plan is a glass and a browse at Rozi’s, pizza at Humble, then a late bottle at Wine Dive if there is music on. Line up a ride home before the second stop.
East of the river
Wine bars for east siders
The Wine Spot on Lee Road in the Cedar Lee district of Cleveland Heights is a wine shop with a bar for pours and tastings. Gigi’s on Fairmount, also in Cleveland Heights, opened as a wine cafe and still builds the meal around its list. Cru Uncorked on Chagrin Boulevard in Moreland Hills is the big-occasion choice, with a list of more than 2,400 selections, and Village Martini & Wine Bar covers Chagrin Falls. See every wine bar on the map.
Good to know
Questions before you go.
Is there a wine bar south of the city?
Little Birdie Wine Nest on Broadview Road in Parma is a wine shop, coffee bar and bakery that pours wine, sangria and wine slushies by the flight, glass or bottle, with brunch boards on weekends.
What is orange wine?
It is white wine made with the grape skins left in contact with the juice, the way red wine is made, which gives it an amber color and more texture. Humble Wine Bar in Lakewood keeps some on its list.
The full list
See every wine bar around Cleveland
Find wine bars and tasting rooms from Lakewood and Rocky River to Cleveland Heights, Parma and Chagrin Falls on one map.