This is the best wine bar in the Netherlands

With the words ‘wine’ and ‘bar’ we start to get excited. Combine them and we become short of breath. So when our neighbor from the online food magazine FavorFlav turned out to be on the jury for the best wine bar in the country, we hung on her every word. Sharon tells you where to be.

During the annual ‘Wine Bar of the Year’ competition, which has been around since 2014, we looked into what the best wine bar in the Netherlandsis. After nearly 10,000 public votes and fifteen unannounced jury visits, from Leeuwarden to Maastricht, we announced the 'Wine Bar of the Year 2019' today at the Horecava. And the winner is… Based on a points system for atmosphere, wine selection, glassware, service, wine knowledge, food offerings, and decor, – drumroll –

Shiraz in Amsterdam received the highest score. Shiraz was already a contender in 2018 and this year is an absolute and unanimous number 1. Number 2 is 1574 in Leiden and the third place goes to Meesters in Wijn in Maastricht. A wine bar where everything is right.

Why has Shiraz become the rightful winner of the Wine Bar of the Year election? This is what we wrote about it in the jury report: 'Everything is right here. Upon entering, there is the enthusiastic welcome from trained sommeliers, a clear explanation of the wine list, and all the time to choose. The decor is very atmospheric, high tables alternating with low seating and a nice bar. It is striking that many locals come, in a very international environment of our capital, near the Leidseplein. And both trendy millennials and experienced wine lovers of all ages know how to find Shiraz – and come back regularly. The dishes on the menu are exciting and fantastically prepared. The wine list is nice and clear, with icons for all flavor profiles, the selection of
wines by the glass is very extensive, and there is also a huge range of wines that you can order by the bottle, with a friendly fixed markup. An extra plus is the in-house wine shop.‘ wijnen Because the quality of wine bars in the Netherlands is extremely high, it was a close race. The runners-up are all places with an exuberant selection of open wines and staff who know what they are talking about. This means just enjoying a good glass of wine instead of rubbish.’

Top 5
Wine bar 1574 in Leiden: '.

• Beautiful, atmospheric building breathes wine, passionate owner, impressive wine list with a very nice, small menu and a few dishes prepared by the chef.‘Meesters in Wijn in Maastricht: ’
• What a discovery, 469 wines by the glass, excellent wine knowledge, tasty bar bites, and a wine experience from here to Tokyo.‘Most in Utrecht: ’
• An impressive place with By The Glass walls with more than a hundred open wines, fantastic bites, and a lot of wine knowledge.‘Paskamer in Amsterdam: ’
• A place to sit and eat all evening. Great wines and ultimate glassware. Be sure to get advice from the owner, a walking‘wine guide.' Shiraz: ’
• Everything is right here. Upon entering, there is the enthusiastic welcome from trained sommeliers, a clear explanation of the wine list, and all the time to choose.‘Finalists Wine Bar of the Year 2019’

The top 15 wine bars that we visited are (in alphabetical order):
Alex+Pinard in Amsterdam

• Bij de Mannen in Leeuwarden
• Het Wijnhuis in Zwolle
• Meesters in wijn in Maastricht
• Nic & Ik in Zutphen
• Proeflokaal 1574 in Leiden
• QV Winebar in Amsterdam
• Vindom in Oldenzaal
• received the highest score. Shiraz was already a contender in 2018 and this year is an absolute and unanimous number 1. Number 2 is
• Wijnbar GIJS in Someren
• Wijnbar Most in Utrecht
• Wijnbar OAK in Zwolle
• Wijnbar Paskamer in Amsterdam
• Wijncafé Lefebvre in Utrecht
• Winehouse SOMM in Amsterdam
• Previous winners

Previous winners of the Wine Bar of the Year competition are:
Lefebvre in Utrecht Bouzy in The Hague, VinVin in Utrecht, Wijn bij Stijn in Den Bosch, Barrel in Groningen. and Got a taste for it?.

Then gather your winesquad!
Trommel je winesquad dan maar vast op! Here you will find the best wine bars in the Netherlands. From Groningen to Zierikzee and from Amsterdam to Maastricht. Cheers!

Due to Sharon van Lokhorst