Houston's Italian anchor with serious cellar credentials
Uptown Park · Houston · Italian, Mediterranean · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 28, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Lombardi arrives feeling like a love letter to the Italian peninsula — Tuscany and Piedmont front and center, California riding shotgun. It's polished without being stuffy, which fits the room: white tablecloths but not a museum. A Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for 2025 confirms this isn't an afterthought list.
Italy dominates the way it should at a place like this — Barolo from Ceretto and Marchesi di Barolo, Brunello from Banfi and Poggio Antico, and Super Tuscans headlined by Tignanello and Sassicaia. Gaja Barbaresco anchors the prestige end of the Piedmont section and signals the kitchen takes its Italian bonafides seriously. The California contingent is tight but credible: Jordan and Stag's Leap Wine Cellars give Cab-lovers a familiar handhold without overpowering the Italian identity. Gaps show up in Southern Italy and white varietals — if you're hunting Vermentino or Greco di Tufo, you'll be underwhelmed.
The by-the-glass program runs a respectable 12-20 options, which gives a table of mixed drinkers real options beyond house pours. We'd expect Chianti Classico, a Super Tuscan, and at least one California Cab to anchor the list, plus a handful of whites. Rotation feels limited — this reads more like a set menu than a living program.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley — $65
Jordan is one of California's most consistent Cabs and regularly retails around $30-35 — even at Italian restaurant markup it clears the bar as the most approachable premium bottle on the California side of the list.
Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino
Banfi gets the clicks because it's the name everyone knows, but Poggio Antico makes a more focused, terroir-driven Brunello that most tables walk right past. If it's on the list, it's the move.
Sassicaia
Sassicaia is a legend, full stop — but at a restaurant it's almost always marked up to a price point where you're paying for the name more than the glass. Save it for a bottle shop and order the Tignanello instead.
Ceretto Barolo + Osso buco
Barolo and braised veal shank is one of the great Italian pairings for a reason — the wine's tannin and acid cut right through the richness of the marrow while the cherry and tar notes echo the gremolata. Ceretto's approachable style makes it work without needing another decade in the cellar.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Lombardi is a dependable upscale Italian with a wine list that earns its Award of Excellence — Italy is well-represented and the prestige bottles are genuinely exciting. Pricing leans steep and the program could use more energy, but for Houston's Uptown Park crowd looking for a Barolo with their pappardelle, this delivers.
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