Where to drink well in Chișinău by the glass and the bottle: natural, classical, and worth the cab fare.
Wine bars in Chișinău. natural, classical, and the grower-focused rooms worth the cab fare.
Carpe Diem on Strada Columna in Chișinău is the country's first wine bar (2011), pouring 10 to 15 Moldovan wines by the glass from a 160-label shelf.
Signature pour: Fetească Neagră by the glass
Wine focus: Moldovan wines, 160 labels from every Moldovan region
Food: Local cheese, charcuterie, quince jam
Invino on Bănulescu-Bodoni in Chișinău is the 2016 sommelier-led Moldovan wine enoteca, with 250 labels on the shelf and 15 pours by the glass.
Signature pour: Anastasia's flight of Moldovan reds
Wine focus: 250 Moldovan labels from 30 wineries, sommelier-curated
Food: Cheese boards and quince jam pairings
Embargo on Pușkin 47/1 in Chișinău is the wine-focused bar showcasing high-quality Moldovan wines paired with local cheeses, charcuterie and house.
Signature pour: Fetească Neagră from a small producer
Wine focus: Premium Moldavian wines with cheese pairings
Food: Local cheeses, baked goods, charcuterie