The Wine Bar - Watercolor — Restaurant in Santa Rosa Beach

I was disappointed. Not in the food, we ordered a three cheese charcuterie board And it was very tasty. I’m disappointed in the service and the attitude of the place. I’ve literally been coming here for years and years and years…

We had actually gone inside and were attempting just buy a cold bottle of Pinot Gris Out of the cooler and take it with us… But one of the managers told us just to go grab a table outside. I kind of felt like we were pushed out of the store. In retrospect, I just should’ve bought the bottle of wine and left because it was a screw off bottle and we could’ve opened it easily. But here’s what happened...

We were seated at the same time that a 10 top birthday party, A six top family dinner, and our two top were. We received almost 0 attention from our 19-year-old waiter… Who was more interested in flirting with the 10 top ladies group. We had initially just tried to get a bottle of wine in the store so we could go do our thing, but we chose to stay. I wish we had just left. Also, We ordered a nice $19.99 Pinot Gris that was recommended by one of the managers inside. And we were charged a $10 corkage, for the 19-year-old to simply twist the top off in front of us. When I asked him about it he just laughed. I really don’t have any complaints over the charcuterie board. It just seems like this place has lost its personal attention to its customers. I will most likely go back just to see if things have improved. But there are certainly many other places nearby that treat us with some level...

The bartenders/servers at this location are awesome. Lots of personality and very friendly.

We had 2 hours without kids during happy hour so hoped to take advantage with a couple of beers or wine and one of the cheese plates as an appetizer.

The beer selection was terrible at this location compared to the wine bar in Destin, although the one beer that I had that couldn’t be found at the convenient store was actually good. I thought there might be a hard to find, delicious IPA, but all they had was a Lagunitas IPA that’s everywhere. The 30A Rose wine that we got was actually good and a good price during happy hour.

Our issue is that we ordered a 3-cheese cheese plate when it was dead in there and we never got it after 30 minutes even though the group of 5 or 6 that came in after us at the bar and ordered after us got their whole meal before our cheese plate. We ended up having to cancel our order as we needed to get back to our condo. I’m not sure if our bartender just forgot to pick it up from the kitchen or what but it was so disappointing as we actually wanted to have it with our wine.

Good for wine during happy hour, but I probably wouldn’t go back for food after...

I’ve dined at The Wine Bar at WaterColor approximately six times, and each visit has been a delightful culinary experience. The menu offers a range of gourmet dishes, from the herb-crusted lamb rack to the wagyu beef, all prepared with exceptional skill and paired beautifully with their extensive, award-winning wine list. The ambiance is both sophisticated and informal, making it a perfect spot for both casual lunches and elegant dinners.

However, despite the consistently excellent food and wine, the wait times have been a recurring issue. Even with a reservation, I’ve often experienced significant delays before being seated. Without a reservation, the wait can extend to two hours, which is particularly frustrating given the numerous other dining options in the area that offer comparable quality without the prolonged wait.

In summary, while The Wine Bar excels in its culinary offerings and provides a charming atmosphere, the persistent wait times, even for those with reservations, detract from the overall experience. I hope they can address this issue to make future visits...