The Cellar Lounge

We read that the Ponte Vineyard was a great place to stop, wine taste and eat lunch. Well thanks to too many Unilocal’rs compliments there was a 2 ½ hour wait to be seated to eat. The helpful girl suggested we go next door to The Cellar Lounge. It was a very short walk to the Ponte Inn and we ventured down into their cellar. It had a wonderful atmosphere and a perfect variety of seating, one choice being sofa chairs which were perfect for us to relax in. The Lounge was perfectly lighted, two muted TV’s showing sports, classy artwork on the walls and enough ambiance to give you no clue that you are 20 feet below ground.
Hannah our waitress greeted us with a wonderful smile and intriguing accent. She was far more knowledgeable on the wines that I expected and made pairing suggestions much to our liking for the meal we chose. Since it was out first visit to Ponte, we sampled their wines, of which Hannah was able to describe and recommend. I ordered a glass of the Super T with my meal which was delicious followed by the sparkling raspberry beverage. This was our first visit back to Temecula in ten years and the two hours spent in The Cellar Lounge was the highlight of the day, thank you all.

I actually love this place. It’s located in the cellar (duh!) of the Ponte Inn hotel in wine country. The night I was there they had a small band playing Latin music and it was fun to listen to and watch people dance. The bartender was super nice and recommended a pomegranate margarita which was amazing! They have a full bar including the wines from Ponte Winery. The ambience is nice and cozy, lighting was perfect, good place for a date or even just to hang out with friends for a low key night. Only con is there is no cell phone signal because it’s in the cellar, but that’s ok, I don’t need to be on my phone while out anyhow. :)

LOVE this place. Swanky little vibe, tons of seating. BEST sangria I have ever had (Barcelona Sangria). Service was good and friendly. The only negative comment I have concerns their cheese platter. It should be called a cheese nibble, because there was almost no cheese, no crackers, not much of anything and I believe it was 35.00. Next time, I will drink my 35.00 and just get some bread with olive oil. But yes, there will be a next time :)

We have been here several times, we are wine members of Ponte and really enjoy the food and wine. However, going down to the Cellar is a bit different. The food and wine experience is the same but the service is lacking. Given the amount of tables and people, there is not enough adequate servers available, one server is not acceptable. Unless you are not very hungry, thirsty or have anywhere to be for at least two hours then by all means enjoy. Otherwise this valley has more to offer.

Great place! Impressed! Server was incredibly knowledge and pleasant. It is great for watching Monday night football or a nice romantic night out. Look forward to going back.

Visited Temecula for the weekend to run a ½ Marathon with a friend. We did wine tasting at Ponte Winery and decided to eat at The Cellar Lounge for dinner.
We went on a Thursday evening so it wasn’t too crowded. The atmosphere was nice… quiet enough to have a conversation. We were greeted by Katie as soon as we arrived. She was very personable, professional, and helpful!
We ordered the 3 flat bread pizzas on the Happy Hour Menu, the Wine Country Salad, and a bottle of the Ponte 2012 Super T wine. Everything was PERFECT! Most of their food is antibiotic free, free-​range, grass fed, and organic.
We were so impressed with the food and servie that we decided to eat there again tonight. I had the Chicken Pomodoro and it was delicious! Flavor was perfect! We were lucky to have Katie as our server again!

Fun… live music… large bar… dancing…bring your friends and get some food and drank

Wow… we came to the Cellar as guests of the hotel to celebrate my best friend’s birthday and were so impressed with the Cellar! The service by Tessa was pure luxury and the food was extraordinary. My friend ordered the chicken Marsala and it was the best I have ever tasted! The mushrooms and sauce were perfect. I ordered the hanger steak and it was perfectly cooked and the fries were so delicious! I will be dreaming of those fries all the way home. Thank you for a wonderful evening of live music, exemplary service, and incredible food. We could not have asked for anything more! I regret signing up for the South Coast Winery club now that I have experienced all that Le Ponte has to offer…

This is a Must Visit find in the basement of the Ponte Vineyard Inn… Great Food, full bar and live music (check dates). We make this a part of our stay, and even enjoy the Gas Fire pits in the patio… This is a Romantic location and also good for entertaining new friends. Awesome.

Do not ever, ever go to this place
My friend was getting married at the hotel and invited everyone for drinks at the Cellar the evening before the wedding.
When we arrived at 7:30pm, they said they already had too many people in the bar. We explained that we were with a party already in the Cellar and we were told that didn’t matter. We couldn’t go in.
We asked how long it would be and were told, «I have no idea. It’s full, you can go in if people leave.»
While we were waiting, a paid lounge club member who was inside came out and said he had guests and they allowed him to bring in a guest despite nobody having exited the bar.
We texted a friend who was already inside and they came and got us and tried to sneak us in via the elevator but we were stopped a few feet inside.
The groom tried to make the case that we were with the group but the manger, Bryce, completely disregarded and kept insisting they were over capacity.
We grabbed a drink at the bar while the debate continued.
While we were paying for our drinks, security bum rushed us at the bar and said we had to leave.
While the groom was arguing why we should be able to stay, I jumped into the convo and told the security that we should all dial it back and look for a solution rather than debate whether or not there were too many people. I offered that we would be more than willing to wait outside as long as they could try to accommodate our us as quickly as possible and that my main issue at this point was that it didn’t seem like this was the solution the establishment was working towards.
As I was speaking the security guy tried to talk over me saying «No, no, no, no, no, no» and I said, «Hey, you ultimately have the last word since we have to leave if you say we have to go but don’t interrupt me. I’m speaking and you should show at least show some respect to hearing me out.»
The security guy we were talking to quit listening and turned his head away from me.
He responded, «If you won’t listen to me I won’t listen to you.»
WTF?!? Is this guy 12 years old?
At that point, my wife and I just left.
These people don’t deserve anyone’s business. This is, by far, the most insulting experience I’ve ever had in a bar/​restaurant.
At no time did they seem to want to resolve the situation in a satisfactory manner. It was about control. Once they were challenged, they dug their feet in and refused to see any solutions.
On a side note, one of the reasons the debate came up about capacity is that the place wasn’t packed. Every table was taken but there were open seats at the bar. It was by no means packed.
That said, because it is downstairs and the only ways in and out are an elevator and a staircase, I can understand if fire marshals set a lower maximum capacity for the place.
However, management should be able to explain what capacity is and how many people are currently in the establishment rather than calling security when open seating at the bar is pointed out to him.
EDITED TO RESPOND TO PONTE:
Your response is factually (and logically) incorrect on several points.
1. Staff did not estimate a time. I have a text message I sent to the party who was already inside:
Cellar Lounge at capacity. No estimate of when other people will be allowed in. I think we’ll give it 15 or 20 minutes and then head back to the hotel.
I can provide a screen shot. Why would I have written that if I knew what the wait time was?
2. While we were waiting we witnessed the staff allow newly arrived people to enter the cellar to join a party already in the cellar. This is exactly what we wanted to do but were being told was impossible because the room was at capacity.
3. We were stopped by the manager as we exited the elevator. There is no possible way we could have made it to the bar and ordered a drink and been served a drink if your version of events is accurate. The truth is that when he stopped us we told him that we were with a seated party and he then walked us over to the table so he could explain why to the groom. He and the groom started talking and after several minutes we went to the bar and got a drink. We walked directly by your manager. We made no effort to hide where we were going. It was simply a matter of it looking like this conversation was going to take awhile.
4. Your assertion that I had any physical contact with your staff is an outright lie. Period. They did not touch me nor did I touch them in any way. Again, as soon as your security people came up to us at the bar and told us we had to leave, I asked if I could pay for the drinks first and while paying the groom came over and began talking to the security.
When your security staff started acting like a 12 year old we just left as it was pointless talking to him.
Bottom line is that your rebuttal is a complete misrepresentation of facts. Which explains a lot about why it happened in the first place.

The atmosphere is great with a very speakeasy feel to it.
Have the bruschetta– best I’ve ever had. The chicken marsala is big enough to share and is equally fantastic.
Great place!

I live within 2 miles of the Cellar Lounge
Atmosphere is very nice, service is good, food is mostly good to very good
During happy hour their live music, which starts at 6 pm, plays much to loud. Happy hour is a time to sit and talk. The decibel level is more like 10 – 11 pm levels, when all have had allot more to drink
You see most of the people trying to talk over the music and that part is not enjoyable. At 6 pm it is not a great experience

A great experience every time. As a wine club member there are several benefits including bar snacks served in a trio platter. In addition, a 10% discount on your bill. Wine by the bottle is reduced to the member price (way better deal) than what the menu states.
The live music differs, on a week to week basis. Anything from soft to alternative or today’s hits. You can review what’s being played by visiting their website directly.
The food is reasonable. I have had a few of the items. I tried the chicken Marsala tonight in which the chicken was cooked perfectly. I’m in love with the salad. They utilize fresh ingredients and vegetables come from their garden.
The Cellar lounge is a great stop!

Live music was great!!! So happy they played till 11pm so we could hang out.
Food not so much. For a restaurant in a four-​star hotel, I expected better. I had the salmon feticini, the flatbread, and my boyfriend had the burger. I swear the salmon was pre-​made salmon. Soooooo salty and not fresh and torn into super tiny shreds. Flatbread was crunchy and bland and the burger was eh.
Good music, forgettable food…

good place to wind down after a full day of drinking at the wineries down the street. This place is a nice place to chill, cool vibe to it. Wish they had more of a menu selection as far as food goes, but who goes to a winery bar to eat? Good place to sober up before the long drive home!

I adore this place. It is like stepping into a basement club in Manhattan. They have wonderful lounge music, a nice looking staff, they could be a little more friendly, but maybe that’s the vibe. LOL. It is a great date night joint. The artwork screams sexy, it is so hot everyone can feel it. Watch out though it can get packed on the weekend.

Took a large group of friends here about a week ago.
Out of our entire experience at Ponte, this lounge was the absolute worst part. Like so many others customers have stated — the service was beyond bad. We were ignored and ignored and ignored.
I have never been so embarrassed! It was my trip, I planned it, told everyone how I had heard great things about Ponte, and have had wonderful experiences at other Temecula wineries.. and then, to be ignored and treated like pests, like we were a nuisance to the staff.
We were able to salvage the day by going elsewhere. Being the hostess of the trip, I was horrified and, like I stated, totally embarrassed.
I will never again take a group somewhere I have never personally been before, regardless of how many good things I have heard about it.
They did have a nice cocktail selection, but it was not worth the wait nor annoyed attitudes of the servers and bartenders alike.
I will keep to my regular spots in Temecula from now on.

Sat at tables away from the bar and after ten minutes of no service I went to the bar to get my drinks. After that, the bar waitresses never once came over. The atmosphere is good and it’s the only place in the area that has liquor. The drinks are slightly weak, however, beggars can’t be choosers considering there is no one else around that has liquor.
After ordering drinks from the bar, and gradually sipping it because we had gone wine tasting all day, we were never once approached by a waitress. From what I saw from the waitresses that decided to tend to customers, they had attitude. The service sucks with the exceptions of the bartenders. This is the third time I have been here and it is pretty consistent. It is a miracle they are the only place around here that has liquor.
There is no cell phone service in the bar, but at least there is free wifi from the hotel you can tap into.
On the plus side, there is an elevator that comes down to the bar from the hotel. Can’t beat direct access to alcohol.
And for those that are curious, this last time there were other tables complaining about that poor service and it was a Sunday at 5:45pm. Hardly a rush hour.
The two stars is purely for décor and the fact it is the only liquor stop in the area.
Claudio would not approve…

The Cellar Lounge is part of the Ponte Winery and Inn; I spent a couple of nights next door at the South Coast Wine Resort. While I loved South Coast, the only aspect lacking was a lone mediocre, overpriced restaurant. While doing a wine tasting, we at some point commenced talking about local restaurants with the gentleman pouring our wine and he mentioned that the restaurants at Ponte were a significant improvement. I wish we had learned this earlier in our stay as we enjoyed the food, ambiance, and staff we encountered.
The Cellar Lounge is below ground and has an intimate ambiance with the dark lighting and had the vibe of a sheik lounge. A beautiful wine display comes into view as you enter and you have the option of sitting in stools along the lengthy granite bar or at a variety of tables, couches and plush chairs. There is a well stocked bar (the only full bar nearby), three local beers on tap (several more in bottles) and a variety of wines by Ponte as well as from elsewhere. A wide array of craft cocktails run $ 12.
The menu is small, but nice featuring upscale pub food (i.e. the sliders are made from short rib rather than beef patties). 4:00pm to 7:00pm on weeknights is happy hour. One beer on tap, two wines (a red and a white) and well drinks run $ 4 to $ 6 and three food items are priced at five bucks each. We took advantage of this and ordered all three items (the aforementioned sliders, nachos and a Caesar wrap). For five dollars this was a steal; my favorite was the Caesar wrap, everything tasted fresh and I particularly loved the Parmesan cheese. The nachos were quite good too; the tomato salsa appeared to be homemade and again the ingredients seemed fresh — while there was no meat included, the more expensive non happy hour version contains sausage. The sliders again were spot on with the only criticism being that they were just a wee bit dry.
While the lounge seating looked nice, we sat up to the bar and really enjoyed bantering with the staff; everyone was quite friendly and we left not only wanting to return, but also wanting to partake in Ponte’s two other venues, The Restaurant at Ponte (casual setting serving American cuisine open daily for lunch, but only weekends for dinner) and Boquet (fine dining venue that was awarded four diamonds by AAA in 2012). If you are in Temecula definitely check this venue out!

Located at the basement of Ponte Inn exists this wine cellar that provided live music to the patrons and a well stocked of their house made sangria. To four girls who were quite thirsty, our wine sommelier knew exactly what we wanted.
We visited last February for our girls weekend getaway. We wanted a little appetizer before we had dinner. So partnered with our bottle of moscato, house made sangria, and a bottle of chardonnay we had:
Lobster bisque, savory yet light. But definitely flavorful.
Apple arugula salad-​organic greens, gala apples, crimini mushrooms, pecans, parmesan, with citrus vinaigarette. Another salad I truly enjoyed accompanying our wines.
Kobe beef sliders– with cheddar cheese, red onions, spicy ketchup, on brioche bun. Gotta have some kind of beef between us… and dinner. Hahaha. Absolutely perfect portions and right on with the flavors.
Awesome ambiance. Great service. Beautiful live music. Delish grubs.
Cheers !