BottleRock

Big wine, small plates at this Culver City hot spot.

by Mar Yvette at Citysearch

This popular Culver City wine bar, opened in 2006, is still packing 'em in day and night. The local workforce storms its floor-to-ceiling glass walls during lunch hour and a more eclectic crowd of artsy types and wine aficionados lingers inside or on the outdoor patio once night falls. The interior--a neatly arranged room of exposed-duct ceiling, maple floors and a long wine wall--keeps things simple, and the shiny tasting bar, replete with aluminum barstools, is where true connoisseurs set up shop. While the main attraction is the 700-plus wine list, chef Jared Levy (formerly of Providence) is quickly making this a dining hot spot with a menu of gourmet "rock-n-plates" like prosciutto-wrapped dates, seasonal roasted vegetables, communal cheese platters, charcuterie and dessert.

03/31/09

Thanks But No Thanks

by JBMASS at Citysearch

The servings for three people were collectively less than a tiny snack.

there were 2 or 3 slivers of cheese, each about the size of a postage stamp, a few of the thinnest slices of prosciutto I've ever seen, and a like amount of a pepperoni like substance.

there were 5 very tiny dots of a pickle

and a pork order which was about 3 bites.

The Salad was OK

While none of the food was bad, we felt ripped off price wise

Between us we spent over $250.00 then left to eat dinner

• Pros: Wine was OK; Service was fair
• Cons: portions were miniscule; I would be embarrassed to serve som

09/24/08

overpriced

by imbiber75 at Citysearch

Unless you know nothing about wine you are better off going to Trader Joes and picking up a few good bottles and snacks. This place is well overpriced for what you get. I prefer going to what used to be called Vinum but is now part of Ugo. Much better place and much more fun (they even play old Italian movies on the wall) . Bottlerock is a good idea gone bad. The wine selection is mediocre and all the food is made in toaster oven (you can watch the cook if you don't believe me). Ontop of that they charge way more than its worth. Save your hard earned money.

• Cons: price

08/11/08

I love this place.

by maxsal at Citysearch

This place has a lot of good attributes and, overall, an awesome staff (there are some exceptions, of course, but that's par for the course). I am a regular, and will continue to go back.

Bottlerock is good for small and large parties a like, and the staff is more knowledgeable about wines than any other place in downtown Culver City (there is still room for improvement on the wine knowledge/sophistication side, which almost earned them 4 stars instead of 5, but they are working on it, so I expect improvement). The manager is friendly (which is refreshing), she often circles the place to greet patrons, and the entire staff aims to please. The service can sometimes be a bit slow when they are busy -- but hey, it's a wine bar (so chill out and enjoy!). I recommend Bottlerock 10 times over Rush (a bar/restaurant in the same vicinity, which had an inexcusably uneducated staff, very disorganized service and clueless management).

05/15/08

Best grilled cheese ever!

by wendyfromcali at Citysearch

Last Friday two coworkers and I went to BottleRock for lunch around noon and it was dead quiet, which was perfect for us since we only had one hour. We all ordered the Black Truffled Grilled Cheese and decided it was the best we've ever had. I also had a glass of the Dom. Georges Brunet Vouvray, France, recommended by the server because I said I liked sweet wine (but not dessert sweet), and was very happy with it. All-in-all, grilled cheese for $8 is a little steep, but when the craving hits, I'll know to spend my money wisely and satisfy the craving. (Our grilled cheese came with a side salad.)

• Pros: best grilled cheese ever!, not busy during lunchtime
• Cons: a little pricey

05/06/08

SNOOZE FEST

by sipandswirl at Citysearch

My husband and I came back from Napa and decided to continue our magical wine country experience by trying a wine bar near our home. There was a lot of buzz about Bottle Rock, so we went there after a movie. The entire experience was just below average......sorry. The server was not extremely knowledgeable, the service was slow and a bit too distant for our taste. The food was expectedly boring and typical wine bar cuisine. Maybe we had high expectations. Maybe it was a bad night, but we haven't had the desire to try it again and we have not gone out of our way to tell anyone about it.

• Pros: downtown Culver City - easy parking
• Cons: uncomfortable metal chairs, boring food, boring and distant staff

01/30/08

BottleJoxers

by beachcruiser at Citysearch

I've been going to Bottlerock off-and-on since it's opening about 2 years ago, and after having lived in Culver City for 7 years, I was thrilled at the concept and realization of Bottlerock. However, the last time was pretty much the last straw. It's not that it's a bad place, it's just that it is WAY OVERRATED, OVERPRICED, with really POOR POURS. My girlfriend and I ordered 2 $11 glasses, which amounted to just a little more than a tasting - we ended up buying the bottle so as not to feel cheated (not a great way to start the night). The cheese plate was also less than generous - far less, in fact - however it did taste good. I just can't get over the concept of this place: the decor vs. the clientele vs. the music. I get that "rock" is in the title of this place, but how does one enjoy a $50 glass while listening to "Dr. Feelgood"??? The crowd was one notch higher than what one could see at Joxer Daly's - which is where this place is headed. There are much better options in the area now. Goodbye, BottlleJoxers!

• Pros: Selection
• Cons: Prices and Quantity served

11/08/07

Great for the rate!

by dgc1987 at Citysearch

We went on a Saturday afternoon for the wine tasting. It's a cheap alternative to tasting a small wine selection at some of the more expensive places. The waitress watched closely and popped up each time we finished a glass and the food was good enough for the setting.

10/28/07

BottleRock

by tally494 at Citysearch

Sorry, I was disappointed for a number of reasons. The service was mediocre, I found the servers to be less than knowledgeable on wine - it's a WINE BAR!! The temperature of the wine was off - red wine should not be warm. Finally, a cheese plate should give you samples of cheese, not a slice per sample. I've been to high end restaurants and these people do not know what they are doing. Was disappointed and I think they are very overrated.

09/01/07

Bottlerock Should hire new management

by frenchadam at Citysearch

So we heard about this place ,and went with a group of friends few nights ago.Since we were seven in the group,the bald manager told us an hour wait for a table.Not only we were treated pretty bad but his attitude is horrible towards customers.He has an accent,perhaps he doesn't speak good english or doesn't care about customers.We left within few minutes and wont be back.This place needs to get better management and people who listen to customers,rather than arguing with them.

• Pros: what?
• Cons: Bald manager with bad attitude