Zinc Wine Bar & Bistro

This is my favorite bar in Albuquerque. I always go to the bar downstairs. They have the best cocktails. I usually get the cucumber collins and it is perfect. The drinks are so well-​crafted and the service is fantastic. You are never without a drink. The music is always really good (indie mostly), there are chairs in the hallway leading to the bathroom so you can sit your drunk butt down while you wait to pee.
I have only been here a few times, but every time has been enjoyable.

I went to Zinc for a work dinner. The ambiance was nice. We were seated upstairs. It was difficult to get a waiter’s attention to order, so there were lags between courses. The food was good. The bruschetta was an original take on it with a dried fruit tapenade. The crêpe was savory with goat cheese, chicken sausage, and a tomato sauce. I had the grilled lamb seasonal entrée which was excellent, and the apple maple tarte tatin for dessert.
Overall, good experience. Food was excellent, service a bit slow.

We stopped in on our way through Albuquerque and were so happy we did. The ambiance, food and staff were all wonderful! The mussels were fantastic and the onion soup was top notch.

This hidden little cellar bar is located in the basement of Zinc Wine Bar and opens at 5. The happy hour is spectacular with $ 6 mussels appetizers, $ 5 Bruschetta and many drink specials. I enjoyed the Sangria which had some added exotic spices. There was live music that started at 9.

So it’s the hubby’s birthday and he wasn’t sure where he wanted to celebrate. After realizing we hadn’t eaten at Zinc for awhile and how much we enjoy the food he picked here.
Making a reservation thru Open table was a snap. The dinner menu although is not vast, they do offer something for everyone. I do mean everyone. They clearly state they will meet most dietary needs. I feel the exceed my vegetarian.
The 3 course pre fix dinner is a great deal at $ 35.
Hubby loves the wine list here and they do offer many wines by the glass as well as wine flights. For those of us who can’t seem to choose.
Ok let’s get to the food. Hubby is a meat eater. He started with the duck confit egg rolls with the duo of dipping sauces. He ordered the «lite» size with 1 generously sized roll. My brother ordered the special salad of the night with fried oysters on top. My sister in law had the apple salad from the menu. I choose the herbed goat cheese with flat bread. We all decided mine was the best. The goat cheese was creamy and filled with fresh herbs roasted garlic and olive slices. Too much for 1 person is the only problem.
Let’s talk main course. Flank steak a poivre with buttermilk mashed potatoes was cooked to perfection. Tender slices of meat surrounded the mountain of potatoes. The short rib tortiloni was not what we envisioned but was a delicate balance of heartiness and fluffy pasta. Sea scallops were sweet and fresh accompanied by what we decided were savory beignets. My dish sounded do amazing. The rustic pumpkin tart. Our fabulous server, Heather, asked «do you like cumin? It’s heavy on the cumin» yes was my response. Love it. But after my first bite the flavored were not of cumin but of something sour. Heather knew something was wrong. And insisted on taking it to the chef. Offered to make another but my plate was filled with such beautifully toasted veggies I passed. The chef did send more veggies to me. First off I never send food back. Second I’ve never had a bad meal here
The service is impeccable. This is one of the few premier restaurants in ABQ.
I’m am sad to write this was a first for the food. But everything thing else we ate was amazing
I didn’t even mention the desserts!
Go eat here. You will be amazed.

I went for brunch on a Saturday with a friend from out of town. The atmosphere is very nice and not too loud like many restaurants. He ordered a mimosa which was pretty small in my opinion. I had espresso which was good. I ordered the seafood eggs benedict which was good except it had Arugula which tasted out of place. My buddy had the Oaxacan chicken salad which he said was very good in spite of the chicken being slightly dry. Brunch was $ 40 for two which seemed pretty reasonable to me. The service was pretty good and the restroom was clean. I’d definitely go back.

Cellar Bar is by far one of my favorites no matter the season. The duck egg rolls are out of this world and the service is always fabulous! Rick E. was our server and was absolutely amazing! So attentive, even when it got crazy busy! I’m coming back as soon as I can! Fabulous Happy Hour by the way.

Super low profile cocktail spot. Tasty bar bites and a bustling atmosphere. I’m more into the Cellar Bar downstairs, but here’s an idea: dress up a bit, start with a proper cocktail at the upstairs bar, then sit down to a long, drawn out dinner — I suggest either the Steak Frites or whichever fish entrée is on the menu. Afterwards, dip down into the Cellar Bar for some live music and an after dinner drink. Sound like an enjoyable night out? I thought so. Bön appetit!

Fantastic dinner and beautiful wine selection! The wine-​tender guided us to a «value-​for-​money» Malbec that was wonderful and paired nicely with our tender & juicy steaks.
What a great date night and outstandingly relaxing evening.
The wait staff was attentive, hospitable, and did a great job covering us the entire evening!

Zinc is a classy place. I typically stick to the downstairs wine cellar because I dig the vibe, but for special occasions the upstairs restaurant is a great upscale option for a night out. Great wine selection, delicious food and awesome service!

I have been to Zinc several times and I just don’t see what all the hype is.
The ambience is great and the staff is always friendly but the food is never a must for me. It seems like they have a ton of options with sauces and dairy but nothing more. I gave up on ordering the Ahi Tuna due to the solid silver color that it is when it arrives to my table. I have ordered it on three separate occasions the first time being awesome and the last two ended up being terrible. I had management come to my table to explain to me that grey ahi tuna was normal. This California girl knows better. Drinks are good and the bartenders are always so nice. They have a 3 truffle desert option that is so good! The red chile is my favorite!
The large garden salad is clean and really good.
The downstairs cellar is nice dark little place to hang out an have a drink. When a band it playing it is almost impossible to have a conversation but it is still a fun option.
Street parking is available with the possibility of a parking lot as an option near by.
The restrooms are very clean.
In the end this place definitely is not my first choice to go and enjoy a meal.

Really liked the food prep and presentation. Food was excellent and the service also. First time for me and I was surprised they told me they were open for 14 years. IT was so new, clean and up to date I thought they just opened.

We sat upstairs on a Monday at 7 pm. It was quiet. Upstairs has white table cloths.
I had the PEI mussels. The mussels were small and served in a buttery broth, but it lacked flavor. We let the waiter know that a person in our party had shellfish allergies so please advise the chef. He asked one of the women who ordered the Caesar salad if she allergies because it had sardines (instead of anchovies) in it.
All of us ordered the sliced tenderloin of beef that is cooked on a rotisserie and served with bleu cheese mashed potatoes. Be forewarned. Think of a big tenderloin on a spit. The tenderloin has both fat and silverskin on it. This is not like ordering a filet. The ruby port wine sauce was a bit flat, but it went well with the dish.
The Gala Apple Salad with double Gloucester cheese was exceptional. Basically the double cheese is a Gloucester cheddar on the outside with a bleu cheese tucked in the middle.
Overall, we had a good time and enjoyed the overall quietness of dinner together. We’d come back.

I seriously can’t wait to get back to Zinc. I fell in love with this restaurant and was delighted to find out they have music later in the evening. It’s a one stop spot for delicious food, interesting wine list, and entertainment! I made a reservation online and had no wait when we arrived. They also easily accommodated our request for wheelchair accessible seating and space for a service animal.
We both enjoyed the tasting menu; 3 courses for 34 $ and split a bottle of well priced Italian wine 38 $. The tasting menu is set up allowing for multiple choices of appetizers and entrees but only one dessert. Our server (who was patient and answered a lot of question) informed us we could choose from any of the desserts on the menu but the serving size may be smaller. the sizing ended up being just fine as the tasting portions are really generous.
We enjoyed the smoked trout and duck egg eggrolls for appetizers. Both were really good. The duck confit though was outstanding. I mean what’s not to love about meat slow roasted in fat right? The sauces were a beautiful complement to the fattiness of the meat cutting though and bringing just the right amount of acidity and freshness to the dish. I would go back just for the eggrolls.
Entrée orders included the trout and tenderloin. The meat was cooked perfectly and was beautifully presented. The trout was also amazing, fresh, and flaky with a very luscious mouth-​feel. I do have to say that the accompanying vegetables and potatoes were also delicious. It was really a nice experience to eat a meal where so much thought had been put into beautiful presentation and selection.
Desserts we ordered were the cheese plate for me which featured 4 different cheeses. The cheeses were very traditional and well portioned so it made for a very nice finish to the meal. We also ordered the peach melba. I have to say this was a really exceptionally beautiful plate. It was also a massive portion and we left quite a bit.
As we were getting ready to leave we heard the live music start and might have stayed a bit longer to enjoy it if were were not already in the process of leaving. The music was down stairs and we noticed the entryway as we were leaving. I didn’t think to ask if the cellar is also wheelchair accessible, but will remember to so so when we return.
I know this is a long review already, but I do want to say what an exceptional restaurant Zinc is in this town. We’ve been to lots of casual and local eateries, but we really enjoyed this fantastic meal, service, and atmosphere as a lovely way to enjoy the evening. I thought the pricing was really exceptional too for a 3 course meal for just over $ 30 per person; you can order a la carte. Several entrees also offer a small portion serving size and a decreased price tag as well. This is a beautiful way to enjoy some finer dining with an excellent price point. I look forward to many more meals at Zinc.

The Cellar Bar downstairs is my favorite place to get drinks with a friend. The restaurant upstairs is great and all but the Cellar is where its at for this place! They have a decent happy hour menu and almost always have live music. (It can be a little too loud since the basement is such a small place but it’s still worth it). They have a tremendous selection of cocktails and they have a solid selection of beers and wines.
The ambiance and feel of the place is what gets me the most. It’s definitely a nice intimate place. Terrific for those looking for a conversation with a date or friend.

One of my best experiences in ALBQ. Went here on restaurant week and was very impressed by the creative food combinations and ability to pull it off. Gourmet options with a casual atmosphere. Looking forward to going back.

The interior here is gorgeous, the prices are appropriate and the service is friendly.
I was tempted by the steak special, but ended up with the Manhattan Steak Frites ($ 31) instead. The steak was cooked perfectly, but the plate would’ve looked more refined with about ¹⁄₈ of the frites served. The Seared Sea Scallops ($ 30) were excellent.
Will definitely be back for their 3 course tasting menu ($ 34) and cellar happy hour.

You know when a menu’s description uses the word «attended by» to describe an entrée, it’s going to be a good thing.
A last minute decision to come here was one which paid off well. We were greeted by friendly staff and quick service by wasters, initial cocktails and a starter to die for. A custom charcuterie plate with grilled artichokes –so many delish items — so little time. Absolutely make room for the liver mouse, fennel sausage and celery/​cucumber goodness.
Our table had four unique entrees and each was raved about. My lamb tenderloin was cooked perfectly and had a veggie pastry served with it that was just enough crunch and veggie taste. We also enjoyed the 3oz wine pour offerings — solid options from Napa, Sonoma, Spain and Argentina to round out your meal. Once you discover one you like — go up to the «full» glass — all reasonable prices for the selections.
Killer spot — try it!

Nob Hill on a weeknight — we had the place to ourselves, although about 3 more couples showed up while we were there. It was never too noisy, even though the bar is right there next to the dining area. The atmosphere here is dark and warm, with tables spread out in different areas. I don’t mind not having a high backed booth — I’ll take the celebrity table in the middle of the room without a second thought.
Staff was prompt and friendly, the server knew the specials, water refilled promptly, and there was no plate bingo here — they knew who ordered what and set it down without asking questions. Not a single glitch in service. Not a one.
Brie bruschetta with dried fruit was wonderful. The Caesar salad wasn’t overdressed and the lettuce was crispy goodness. The good looking guy I was with had the chicken in a goat cheese truffle sauce and when he gave me a bite I swooned and told him I wanted to have his baby. I almost wanted to exchange plates, but my lamb strip was incredible. I ordered it rare and it was perfect. The roasted vegetables did not disappoint. For desert the Apple Pain ginger bread thing —
— oh heck, it’s still in my car! I was really full and got half of it to go. Guess what I’m having for 10 o’clock snack? Woot woot! This feels as good as finding money.
The future father of my children had the pear bread pudding with some awesome ice cream on it and probably the reason I couldn’t eat my own was because I was poaching his. They had Marble stout on tap, and I had a great California Pino — Black Pine, I think. Get it — it’s fruity and thick. Perfect for rare lamb.
We got out of there for a Franklin and tipped 20% because everything was perfect.
And I’ve got ginger yummy apple thingy to look forward to!!! Don’t you wish you had desert right now? Of course you do.

I met a friend here for drinks.
I also used the check in deal for chocolates.
The drinks were delicious, and the service was attentive but not overbearing. The atmosphere though is what would bring me back again and again if I actually lived in the area.
I recommend this place if you are in the market for a cozy place to get some fancy drinks.