Wine by the Glass Restaurants in Toronto
Though it hasn’t been an issue as of late – what with my deluge to the world of reds and all – I’d often run into a strikingly awful predicament when dining out: I harboured distaste for my company’s wine selection. Thus… by-the-glass become the a la mode.
But by-the-glass is mired in downfalls. The selections often poor; here, try one of our three whites and enjoy the day-after-uncorking acidity. The prices often insultingly marked up; of course, I’ll get you an $11 5 oz. pour of the chardonnay that retails for $13 at the LCBO. And then there’s the whole issue of having to wait for the eau de vie; first glass is for gulping, second is to sip.
As I mentioned, I’ve gone to the dark side of the wine spectrum. But prior, I had to be in-the-know as to great restaurants that were made for the by-the-glass diner so as to not up the ante on the bill for myself and my company nor enter into a dinner made lacklustre by unimaginative by-the-glass selections. Thus, if you stray away from the bottles-up method of drinking, here are five spots with great I’ll-have-a-glass-or-two choices…
Enoteca Sociale
It should come as no surprise that this enoteca – which roughly translates to wine repository – has excellent wine offerings by the glass. Best part? When you actually do the math, you aren’t really paying more by the glass than if you order a bottle and divvy up the pours. Case in point: Nero di Troia “Il Guerro” 2007 is $14 by the glass and $72 by the bottle.
Swirl Wine Bar
So this Leslieville spot may not have a ton of by-the-glass options, but there are several, and none exceeds $11. They love their jars, and while having one of wine may not be the chicest of pastimes, here, it most certainly is one of the cheapest.
Strada 241
The Rubino brothers’ new digs do 200ml as their small order of vino. (That’s just shy of a third of a bottle.) And with none priced above $14, you’re in for quite the nice deal when stopping in for a glass and a half. Above and beyond, the food is just as satisfactorily marked.
GLAS Wine Bar
This teeny wine bar/restaurant (it seats about 20), has a mandate of affordability. Case in point: The wine list. With whites and roses coming in at $10/glass no matter the producer, and reds slightly higher at $12, you’re in for a cheap date. Not to mention, the rotating menu has thus far not seen a dish cost more than $17.
Terroni
Still the archetype for restaurant success in the city, Terroni’s wine list boasts some absolutely outstanding wines from various Italian regions. Though you’ll be looking at prices coming in a bit higher than the aforementioned spots, the selection shows a breadth of wine knowledge, and encompasses some exceedingly smart choices by the glass.