With the buzz (pun intended) around the newly opened Marco’s Cellar a few months ago — the Yangon wine bar making waves for its affordable ethos and offering over 100 varieties — there is a new excitement in the city around drinking the grape stuff.
For those nights when you want to pop a bottle in a new spot, we’ve hunted down just the places for a quiet chat, a lively natter, or a group discourse over a glass of Pinot Noir or a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.
Whether you’re new in town or just looking for a primer, here are our top picks for places to drink wine around Yangon:
Marco’s Cellar
This buzzworthy downtown bar, which is also a full-service wine shop, is owned by a Singaporean company and offers both Western and Burmese food choices when you are drinking in at their popular bar.
Quickly climbing the ranks to become what locals consider Yangon’s top wine bar, this place, housed in a charming heritage building, prides itself on its low prices and everyone’s included ideals.
499 Merchant Road
Yangon
Cellar Door Wine Bistro
This European-style wine bar has a focus on food and drink from the continent. Fans say the raclette cheese and drinks on the deck are especially good, though you can try local wines at this Marketplace mall outpost as well.
Though it’s not the lowest-priced in town, it has a steady fan base who return over and over. They also regularly host events, such as wine tastings and ladies nights, and offer small specials like appetizers when you buy a bottle of wine.
69 Pyay Road
Yangon
Casa Mia
This Italian kitchen and bar inside Sule Square mall should not be overlooked when considering where to raise a glass of vino in Yangon. They offer all the standard Italian dishes prepped by a true Italian chef, and their wine list has been crafted with care as well.
When feeling the thirst in the downtown area, we can recommend this place for drinking, as well as for their great pizza.
Check out our full review of Casa Mia here.
221 Sule Pagoda Road
Yangon
DiVino
DiVino is located across the street from Aung San Suu Kyi’s house, in the spot formerly known as Zanotti’s. Its name literally means “of wine,” and with a patio setup like that — yes, DiVino. Yes. You suit our wine needs just fine.
Go bottoms up, indoors or out — that garden with mango and jackfruit trees is charming and romantic enough that it’s been the site of more than one city wedding, and has seen many, many a date night commencing on its grassy grounds.
The jazz soundtrack inside and homey atmosphere make the indoor bar a great place to drink with friends and the Italian manager is welcoming and engaging to all.
Check out our full review of DiVino here.
61 University Avenue Road
Yangon
Onyx Wine Tree
Still one of the best deals in town for wine and Italian fare, Onyx is a stalwart on the European dining scene. They offer wine for as little as K5,000 and located just across the street from the German embassy.
If you get too drunk on the bargain-priced wine — note that the food is super and reasonably priced as well, and will give you something carby to soak up all that vino. We don’t know how Onyx does it at the prices they do — but we are glad they do.
Check out our full story on Onyx Wine Tree here.
12 Bogyoke Museum Lane
Yangon
Atlas Rooftop Bar
The wine is good, but it’s probably overshadowed by the view at this skybar, a notable expat favorite near the river at the top of Uniteam Tower. Sundown is the most popular time at this bar, offering some pretty unbeatable views of both Shwedagon Pagoda and the Yangon River.
This is a perfect place to grab a chilled bottle of wine and watch another day end over Yangon — and an especially good choice for a special occasion. The tapas menu gets rave reviews as well.
84 Pan Hlaing Street
Yangon
O’Thentic
This French creperie in Yaw Min Gyi has a goofy name, but we can look past that thanks to the great food and wines. No matter what their name is, any wine lover in the city can get behind their happy hour — daily, from 4-8pm, which entails getting a glass of French wine or a cocktail for just US$2. There’s beer too — a pint of Carlsberg draft for just a buck.
We don’t know how high it peaks on the authenticity scale, but it’s dang cheap with a great atmosphere and killer sweet and savory crepes, and we can get behind that.
Check out our full review of O’Thentic here.
Yaw Min Gyi Street
Yangon
Avenue Wine Bar & Bistro
This Kamayut Township bar and restaurant has legions of fans dating back to 2012, thanks to its well-selected wines from all over the world and unpretentious atmosphere with a relaxed patio with homey fairy lights.
Another highly affordable spot, this is one where you can stay and sip all night without getting nervous about the bill coming at the end of the evening. Choose from totally budget-friendly options to splurge-out bottles of bubbly. For your buddies that prefer bubbly of another sort, you can order a tower of Tiger at this place too.
138 C New University Avenue Road
Yangon
Palm Wine Bar
This is the spot for wine lovers in Thanlyin, and they specialize in something that none of the other entries on this list do — palm wine. Yup, it’s not just a cute name at this cute bar decked out in tropical decor.
Vintage Myanmar style is served up alongside the local wine and Burmese and Western dishes. For the true culture-phile, this unusual spot also offers Burmese cigarettes packed in tobacco leaves.
Wing B of Star City
Yangon
