Robbins Nest Wine Bar & Bistro

A real hidden gem in Santa Ana. First, unlike most restaurants in Santa Ana the staff is friendly and takes pride in their restaurant — none of this roll your eyes and pretend to be busy. I’ve eaten here on several occasions, including for a small birthday gathering. The meals are the perfect portion, creative and taste amazing. The chefs are at the top of their game — go ahead and ask to meet the chef he’ll actually come out to your table to chat. Desserts are amazing so leave room!

Before I get into the food review, be warned that their tip suggestions on the receipt is not calculated correctly. My bill was $ 33.44 and the suggested 15% was over $ 9. Yes, it should be your due diligence to calculate your own tip but I could totally see people getting wine drunk here and just trusting what the tip suggestion says. It’s kind of scandalous, and I truly hope it’s just an error with their POS since I thoroughly enjoyed this restaurant.
This place is an absolute gem located in DTSA. It’s a little bit hidden, but luckily there are signs to help lead you the entrance. Inside, the décor is BEAUTIFUL. It had a charming cottage feel with the cutest accent furniture and center pieces… Geez, even their menu was super cute.
Food:
Crispy seasoned fries — ³⁄₅ they were pretty tasty fries, but definitely not life changing. Just a-​ok.
Three fun guys in a van pizza — ⁴⁄₅ pretty good! The mushrooms were delish and the pizza dough was tasty.
Cheeseburger — 4.5÷5 I’m not sure if it’s worth the $ 13.50 price tag but it is a damn good burger. Simple but executed flawlessly. It’s easy to eat and not overwhelming like some burgers you get at Slater’s ⁵⁰⁄₅₀.
Service — our server super nice, accommodating, and incredibly helpful. The only thing was that he forgot our fries which would have been more forgivable it was busy, but it was pretty dead so that was strange.

Came here last weekend while in town visiting family. We had a small group of 3 people and just wanted a refreshing drink and some food. We’re actually greeted by the owner of the restaurant who assured we had a nice big table section cleared for us. She apologized for the noise on the other side and explained it was a good friends birthday. Honestly the place was big enough it really wasn’t an issue.
We ordered 3 small plates and 6 drinks between the 3 of us. The food was AMAZING and the owner and wait staff were excellent about answering our questions and offering suggestions. Also it’s important to note they off wines (red, white and sparkling) as well as a fairly robust beer menu which the men in the group appreciated. The food and drinks came out quickly, the wait staff was tentative and the owner eve came back and chatted with us for a while (she’s a total kick in the pants btw). Also the décor was super cute inside, definitely an awesome place for wine loving ladies and date night.
The only drawbacks I can think of is they no longer had the pork tacos on their menu (which looked awesome) and if your not careful it can be quite EXPENSIVE so look at the menu ahead of time and plan accordingly. If your going for a night out I would strongly recommend this quant wine bar!

Overall I have to say this place is decent. The ambiance is cute, very downtown, historic Santa Ana, wine bar-​esk. The boyfriend and I have been meaning to try this place since it opened. Last night was our first experience. The service was good. At one point we had one of the owners clearing our plates. This is something you won’t find too often so it was a nice touch. However it did take a bit longer than normal for the server to check on us towards the end. I had the «spaghetti a la something» and he had a pizza. The spaghetti was pretty good. The anchovies and spicy red sauce aren’t my thing but it didn’t make the dish taste bad by any means. The boyfriend had a cheese and pepperoni pizza. We both commented on how greasy it was but he ate the whole thing and I dipped his left over crust in my spaghetti sauce. I had two glasses of wine and he had two beers. Our bill was around $ 68 so price wise it was on par with the rest of the little wine bar/​restaurants in the area. We will definitely be back but I don’t know that the restaurant qualifies as one of my local favorites. They get an A for effort though!

This place was is amazing! The wine selection is great. I had the Skyfall. It was really good. The chicken piccata was delicious and the pesto pasta was really too. The Zepoli was delicious. I will be coming back again really soon.

Amazing atmosphere, here for a private event. Lisa, the owner is amazing, so friendly, outgoing, the staff, wine, food it’s all great! Not a wine person but loved their «White Doe Blend»! Will definitely be back!

Food was delicious and ambience perfect for a date night or friends night out. Cheese plate was rather large and they had a homemade cheese spread that was fantastic! Fries were cooked perfect and have a nice assortment of wines to order.
The steak was cooked perfectly and the balsamic glazed asparagus was superb! We walked in when a wedding party was winding down and the sweet server allowed us to sit at bar even though it was the end of a private event. Owner is super nice and friendly.
Will absolutely be back for more yummy food!!!

I don’t give out 5 stars often but this place deserves at least 6! The service is top notch (thank you Jonathan!) and Richard the chef made us some amazing Italian donuts to start… Good grief I need more! Definitely recommend this place to anyone and everyone! Oh and did I mention the bottomless champagne for $ 15? Yeah I’m a lifer…

We stopped in last night for dinner and despite the fact that happy hour was ending just as we sat down, our delightful server (who is also the owner) extended the happy hour prices on wine & apps for us. We both got Chardonnay & bruschetta to share and we both enjoyed it.
As we were perusing the menu, we both admired the ambience of the restaurant. It was the old gas company building & the exposed brick & sky lights give the place a great feel. Kudos to the owners for having preserved those features.
He ordered the filet with balsamic asparagus & French fries tossed with bacon & served with sirracha ketchup and was quite happy. I got the shrimp scampi and while I felt the angel hair was a bit over cooked (I prefer al dente), the shrimp were excellent — large & well seasoned. We’re already making plans to come back with friends!

Saturday dinner around 7pm
Surprising there wasn’t a wait yet, we probably just beat the dinner time rush cause it eventually got full half way through our dinner. Even when it was a full house we didn’t see anyone waiting for a seat.
The entrance was a little hidden. There’s a back entrance way next to Lola’s gaspar. But the Main entrance is right down the next street.
Very hefty wine list. Not so much beer.
The food menu was limited to pastas, for breads, salads, and sandwiches. With an appetizer side of course.
Spaghetti alla puttanesca: loved it. Perfect sauce to pasta ratio, try added sun dried tomatoes, it made the dish even better.
The Cubana: very flavorful. The dill pickle gave the savory meat a nice hint of «dill-​ness.»
Both items were had left overs and they were both still as amazing.

Robbins Nest is an AWESOME place to come and unwind after work. This place is a bit hidden as you have to walk through the valet parking lot to get to this place if you’re walking from the parking structure.
I love the ambiance of this place — red brick walls, sky tall ceilings, earthy wooden tables, and owners actually waiting tables. Because of this, it went from a 4 to a 5 star for me.
Their presentation is clean and their ingredients are fresh.
Fries — ⁵⁄₅ They’re fries are delicious, fried to perfection and served with ketchup and tartar sauce.
Charcuterie Board– ⁴⁄₅ Nice variety of cheese (love smoked gouda and wine cheese), delicious cube of honey spread and truffle butter.
Skirt steak — ⁴⁄₅ Nicely cooked and tender. Flavorful sauce.
Fettuccine Alfredo– Typical fettuccine alfredo. I do appreciate that they used shaved parmesan to top it off instead of shredded and my alfredo sauce didn’t break.
I’ll be back to peruse the rest of the menu.

2.5 stars rounded to 3. A few mis-​executions such as questionable service and un-​clear corkage fee.
A restaurant /​wine bar which in Santa Ana. The inside is quite spacious and they have stacks of wine bottles around the walls for customers to buy. There’s also a seating area w/​couches and lamps for people to hang out at, and also a bar.
I was a bit disappointed by how the wine purchasing/​corkage system works here. Me and my wife opted to buy a bottle of wine when we dined in. The price tag on the wine bottle listed as $ 28, so went for it. When we go the final bill, the wine bottle turned out to be $ 44.
We asked for clarification, a worker stated «the prices marked are for take-​out purchase only. If you dine in, the prices are different per bottle.» I was pretty shocked because no one opted to tell us this when we were dining in (we had 2 servers helping us w/​bottles and no one communicated this to us). I’m also shocked they would charge a corkage fee for a wine bottle we are purchasing at their own restaurant!!! We voiced our displeasure in this and they opted to remove $ 10 from the total (we still had to pay $ 34, even though the «listed» price is still $ 28.)
Mini Van Pizza (vegetarian) — $ 14 — Above average ⁴⁄₅
I enjoyed the pizza. The pizza was pretty fresh and the mushrooms were solid.
Sausage basil pizza — $ 13 — average ³⁄₅
The pizza was enjoyable, but I don’t recall it being anything special. If you are in the mood go for it.
Cheese platter — $ 18 — enjoyable 3.5÷5
The cheese platter was interesting. They had bacon cheese, apricot cheese, and pork cheese. It was interesting and I’d recommend trying it if you have a party to split. Kind of pricey though. Ask for more bread too.
TIPS:
–Prices of wine bottles /​corkage is not clear. Double check before ordering.
–Service was a bit on the slower end as we had trouble placing an order and also getting our food/​condiments.

Great wine selection that goes well with the delicious cheese plater. The service was a bit slow and the filet mignon seemed a little past it’s prime.
The atmosphere was just what we were looking for quiet enough to talk without having to shout but loud enough that we weren’t overheard at the next table.

The Robbins Nest Wine Bar & Bistro — AMAZING!
Officially my new spot!
Outstanding wine selection (both by glass and bottle).
I truly enjoyed the atmosphere here. Owners/​managers take pride in their restaurant. Exceptional customer service and I look forward to coming back soon.

This restaurant is excellent.
The atmosphere is pleasant and warm; brick walls, glass, candlelight, wine, and live music instantly relax you.
The service is genuinely friendly, not overbearing at all, and the food comes out in a timely manner.
And the food! Some places have just atmosphere and service but this place also has the food! Pizza choices from pepperoni to pesto, delicious, creamy pasta, great chicken, and a burger that you have to try.
And let’s not forget the wine. I recommend the Sartori, a perfect pino grigio.
This place is hidden behind the Chapter One and Lola Gaspar’s building so don’t get discouraged and seek it out, totally worth it.

Where 50-​year old pizza dough recipes go to die.
While Robbins Nest Wine Bar & Bistro is a fine establishment conducive to the enjoyment of wine and kibitzing, it is most assuredly not a destination where sustenance is the focus. Food is a fallacy, if not a farce.
Guiled by the alleged 50-​year old pizza dough recipe, I was misled by disreputable subterfuge.
Additionally, the smoked pork tacos are liberally saturated with the homemade BBQ sauce and served at room temperature. Not entirely pleasing, but also not an assault to my sensory organs.
However, the seasoned crispy fries are infallible and delivered as documented.
Go for the wine, but do not stay for the food.

When the owner and hostess treats you so nicely and everything goes smoothly, you have to give a perfect rating! So glad that my friend and I decided to stop and indulge in the «Amazing Burger».
We definitely had a craving for a handcrafted gourmet burger and this was on par with perfection. Two types of cheese to choose from, provolone or sharp cheddar…
The bread was fluffy and flavorful and the meat was juicy and tender!
You have to try the different dipping sauces and spread them all over your burger and fries, such a delight.
The only thing to note, there is no full bar, but a few selections of craft beer on tap and plenty of wine to choose from.
If you’re near, do yourself a favor and check this joint out!

Meh. Just meh. That’s pretty much the one word that describes this place other than the amazing service we received from Mallory. She was so sweet and awesome! Here’s what I tried:
Pastrami spring rolls: very cheesy, saucy, and flavorful that you don’t even need the mustard aioli sauce that comes with it. Can’t really taste the pastrami but instead bacon! Reminds me of a chicken bake from Costco!
Fries: came with spicy ketchup and garlic aioli sauce. For $ 8 these fries were very very mediocre. PASS!
Rustic roma pasta: pretty much spaghetti with marinara sauce, mushrooms, bits of sausage, and one roma tomato. This dish can EASILY be made at home. PASS!!!

I came here on Valentines Day because I figured all of the other places would be super packed. We made reservations but when we walked in, there were still a lot of opened seats. I am fairly surprised because the food here is quite delicious. My fiancé and ordered:
Charcuterie & Cheese Platter ($ 18): A selection of their savory cured meats and gourmet cheese served with an assortment of fruits and cornichons and special RN cheese spread. Everything on here was very delicious! Loved the different types of meats and cheese! You can never go wrong with a plate of these delicious delectables.
3 Fun Guys in a Mini Van Pizza ($ 14): Gourmet blend of crimini, portobellow and shitake mushrooms sauteed in butter and deglazed with marsala wine and layered over mozzarella. Wow, I love pizza! I love mushrooms! I love cheese! I loved this pizza! Everything was perfectly cooked. The cheese was oozing and the taste of the mushrooms seemed very fresh and meaty!
Filet Mignon ($ 28) Local and famous Harris Ranch filet tenderloin using RN seasoning, grilled to perfection, paired with balsamic asparagus and bacon fries. The meat, i thought as just okay. The veggie and the fries were delish.
Chocolate Molten Cake: This cake is to die for!!! So chocolatey and so rich! My fiancé had one bite and I totally devoured the entire thing and I don’t even feel ashamed about it! Please get this if you’re a chocolate lover!
Overall, I would come back. Seems very mellow and chill. They have lots of specials going on so come check it out. They also had a live band and the group consisted of a young woman, an old man, and another young man. They were super great and adds a great acoustic vibe to the restaurant. Thanks for making our valentines day special :)

I chilled at Robbins Nest while waiting for friends to show up at Savor Santa Ana (which in hindsight I wish I had just stayed here and forgot about Savor SA).
What a great addition to this area! Just the little boost it needed to go along with all my favorite restaurants in OC! I love the interior and set-​up. There are bar stools, tables, and couches in different locations around the restaurant.
We didn’t stay long but I did order a glass of wine and had the seasoned crispy fries. I loved the spicy ketchup served on the side along with a garlic aioli (also good).
The bartender was very helpful in helping others around me select wine. I was happy to see wines from CA wineries that I’ve visited and liked but usually never find on menus around here.
I can’t wait to go back and try more food.