In Utrecht most wine bars are within walking distance of each other, around the Dom, the Neude and the Oudegracht. Many of them pour natural wine, and in Utrecht-Oost there are two wine shops that specialise in it. Below are the addresses, by type.
Wine bars around the Neude and the Dom
VinVin on the Predikherenstraat, open since 2016, has no printed wine list: the staff help you choose from some thirty wines by French, Italian and Spanish producers who intervene as little as possible. On the Neude, Wijncafé Lefebvre pours 27 wines by the glass in three price ranges, and you can taste a few first. On the Lange Jansstraat is Wijnbar Kurk, a small wine bar with old wooden cabinets. The team takes you through the list glass by glass. On Fridays and Saturdays it is walk-in only.
Between the Domplein and the Oudegracht, Talud9 has more than 50 wines by the glass, mostly European and partly natural. On 't Wed, close to the Dom, Bar Bet has around 250 bottles and 30 wines by the glass, with classics and natural wine side by side and a terrace by the water.
On the canals
On the Oudegracht, VINO is in the Winkel van Sinkel, the first department store in the Netherlands. There are more than 140 wines on the list, and you can order a high wine with five wines and five dishes. Jacob's in Union House looks out on the old Tivoli and has a few original wines next to familiar names. On the Nieuwegracht, Proeflokaal de Lindebar has special wines, but also whisky, port and jenever. A few times a month you can walk in for a tasting without booking.
Eating with a good glass
At Café-Restaurant Terroir in the Museumkwartier you choose your wine first and then your dish. There are around 500 wines on the list, with a fixed margin per bottle and a lot of German wine, Burgundy and natural wine. Rosie on the Lucasbolwerk is half restaurant, half bar, with plenty of natural wine and oysters at the bar. In the Polman's Huis, Hemel & Aarde has a restaurant and a wine bar, with wines that change with the seasons. Bistro Madeleine on 't Wed is a French bistro with a long bar, also good for a glass and a bite. At San Siro on the Oudkerkhof the list is mostly Italian, and nearly everything is available by the glass.
Just outside the centre are Restaurant Badhuis, in a bathhouse from 1927 with dishes from the grill over an open fire, and De Watertoren in Rotsoord, with views over the city. At Vondels Chefs Bar in the Dichterswijk there is deliberately no set wine pairing: the staff help you discover something yourself.
Wine shops
On the Nachtegaalstraat in Utrecht-Oost, two wine shops are a few doors apart. Vleck sells natural wine from small winemakers. There are also many clear, classic-tasting bottles, and on Fridays there is often a small tasting. At Chatobi you only find wines from small estates the owner has visited and tasted in person.
In the city centre, De Vinotheek on the Hardebollenstraat has around eighty organic and natural wines, from the same owner as VinVin. Utregs Wijnhuis is behind the Dom and has everything from an everyday bottle to exclusive wine. Welkom aan Tafel on the Lange Smeestraat is an importer working with more than 50 European estates, with a tasting cellar under the shop.
Tip
Many wine bars in the centre are small, and at weekends you sometimes cannot book. Come early or try a few. All addresses are also in the Utrecht guide.
