Tapas spread on a wooden table: mussels with toast, charcuterie, cheese boards, croquetas, olives, a fish dish and white wine

Happy Wine 79th St: Wine Shop Meets Tapas Bar, Just Down the Street

A short walk west of Shoe Gallery on 79th Street, Happy Wine 79th St is a wine shop and a full-service tapas restaurant under one roof. It comes from the same mother-and-son team behind Happy Wine in the Grove, and it brings that wine market energy to our side of town. Trust us, this is the kind of spot where one glass turns into a whole afternoon.

First Impressions & Vibe

The first thing you notice is the wine. Happy Wine says it carries more than 3,500 labels from around the world, and one OpenTable reviewer described high-top and standard tables “surrounded by what feels like thousands of bottles of wine.” It is casual, cozy and easy. Miami & Beaches calls it a relaxed, intimate setting for daytime catch-ups or leisurely evening gatherings.

Because it is a shop as much as a restaurant, you can browse the bottles, pick one to open with your meal, or take it home with you.

What to Order

The Mediterranean-inspired menu leans into Spanish tapas, and it is built for sharing. Start with a board: charcuterie and cheese, Serrano ham with Manchego, or Jamón Ibérico de Bellota. From there, go for the classics:

  • Pan con tomate topped with Manchego
  • Huevos rotos trufados with Serrano ham, prepared table-side
  • Croquetas in Manchego, ham or cod
  • Chorizo al vino, Spanish chorizo and potatoes braised in red wine
  • Pulpo a la gallega and shrimp al ajillo for the seafood side of the table
  • Seafood paellita to split with the group

Want something simple? The bocadillos come on baguette, like Serrano ham and Manchego or grilled chicken, with house-made fried potatoes on the side.

Feeling fancy? There is a caviar selection served with blini. Save room for churros or tarta de Santiago, and if wine is not your thing tonight, there is sangria and tinto de verano.

The People Behind It

Happy Wine 79th St is run by a mother-and-son duo, Mimi and Abdo. In mid-2019 they bought a small wine shop and tapas-style restaurant in Coconut Grove, renamed it Happy Wine in the Grove and grew it from roughly 200 wine labels into a true wine marketplace with more than 3,500. The 79th Street spot follows the same idea: a big wine selection, tapas made for sharing and a relaxed room to enjoy them in.

Know Before You Go

Grab a glass, share a few plates, then walk east to Shoe Gallery at 1060 NE 79th Street and make a day of it on our street.

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