Courtesy of Picnic Linden Hills
Two things I’m interested in: saving money and drinking wine. I’ve noticed more and more restaurants with excellent wine lists putting their bottles on 50%-off deals, on certain nights or during certain times. Considering that most restaurants mark up their wine three to four times (vs. what they pay for a bottle), a half-off deal is a win-win—they still make money, and you save. Plus, the more you spend, the more you save, so I always recommend buying the most expensive bottle you can reasonably afford, and trying something new.
Here are a few of my picks for great half-priced wine nights in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the greater Twin Cities.
Mondays
Broder’s Pasta Bar: Half off every bottle. Broder’s has one of the best Italian wine lists in the state, to go drink some of Charlie Broder’s selection at half off is an amazing opportunity. The Pinot Grigio from Alto Adige is a great option; $50 for a Brunello at half-price and a screamin’ deal on a fantastic Valpolicello makes a ton of sense too.
Nightingale: Half off every bottle, Monday nights. An industry and neighborhood favorite especially because of late hours, Nightingale has a really interesting wine list with plenty of natural and orange wines, all normally priced under $100.
Barcelona Wine Bar: Half off bottles from 4 p.m. to midnight. Spanish reds are the stars here, but with a 20+ page bottle list, Barcelona focuses on Spain, Chile, Argentina and Portugal. Great food and one of my favorite places to drink wine you won’t find elsewhere.
Mestiizo (Northeast Minneapolis): Half off bottles of wine and sake. So fun to see sake included in half-price nights, Mestiizo is brand new as of late 2025 and while the bar is small, the room oozes sexiness.
Cabana Club: Half off all wine bottles, excluding their reserve collection (Ballers on their list). Cabana Club is in Saint Anthony Main, Minneapolis, and has a tremendous wine list. Get the Schramsburg Brut Rose or the Côtes du Rhône at half-off and enjoy!
Mill Valley Kitchen (St. Louis Park, Rochester): Half off bottles of wine for Inner Circle Club Members. Owners Mike and Abby Rakun love wine, this list leans on organic and California producers.
Downtowner (St. Paul): Half off bottles of wine with the purchase of an entree; $40 off bottles priced at $80 or more; Grand Casino Arena event nights excluded.
Tuesdays
Lynette: Half off every bottle of wine from their limited rotating wine list. This list is regularly such a great value, you should consider ordering a bottle regularly. Variety is great – from old world, to new including a really cool Chenin Blanc from Eola-Amity Hills, Oregon.
Hilltop (Edina): Half off every bottle of wine. Cloudline Pinot is one of my favorites from Oregon, to get it at Hilltop for $30 is crazy! This whole list lives in the $30-$50 range normally, so give yourself permission Monday to get try something different, like the Côtes Salines Bourgogne Chardonnay – a mineraly Chard that leans Chablis.
Andiamo Italian: Half off all bottles on this very crowd-pleasing wine list, most of these are regularly around $40-$50, so half-off makes it about the same cost as buying two glasses.
Downtowner (St. Paul): Half off bottles of wine with the purchase of an entree; $40 off bottles priced at $80 or more; Grand Casino Arena event nights excluded
Wednesdays
Picnic Linden Hills: Half off all bottles on Picnic’s fantastic list, which already is mainly under $100 a bottle, is a real treat. E Kitzenberg told me she tries to pick bottles that are food-friendly and crushable. Try the SUPER MILF CHARDONNAY or the BEST OREGON PINOT YOU’VE EVER HAD – both great values and around what you’d pay at retail.
Pillbox Tavern (St. Paul): Half off all bottles of wine, all day. This is a perfect, approachable wine list that goes with burgers and fries. The Austin Hope Cab is rock solid, or go sparkling with L-P Champagne at half-off!
Borough North Loop: I had to double-check that Borough was including all bottles, because they have a fantastic list that includes some very high-end options and indeed it is Half-off all bottles. So you can drink Ruinart Blanc de Blancs champagne for a little less than you’d pay for it at most liquor stores ($120), the Jordan Cabernet is significantly less than you’d pay at retail ($105 at half-off), and you can also get some solid bottles for $30-$40.
Happy Hour Deals
Margie’s (Andover): Half-price bottles on the entire list during Wednesday & Sunday all night Happy Hour (4-close) and Thursday from 8 p.m. – close. The Neyers Left Bank Red is a great Napa red blend that’s $50 at retail and $45 half-priced! All their whites end up in the $20 area, plenty of nice options here.
Grackle (Maple Grove): Half-price bottles during happy hour Monday – Thursday afternoons 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. and late night 8 p.m. – close. Similar list as Margie’s, but a nice reserve Barolo there you could nab for $75.
Are we missing any of your favorites? Let us know!
