Sips at Sospiro

Finding a good happy hour seems like it should be simple, especially in Coral Gables. But Hillstone can be too crowded, Cebada too hot or too wet (in the summer, at least), and Mamey’s 3 to 6 pm happy hour means you only get about 45 minutes to enjoy it after work. Enter Sospiro, the new wine bar that opened at the end of May next to Anthony’s Pizza on Ponce. Wine reigns supreme here, and there’s no conversation better enjoyed than over one of their $15 charcuterie boards.

The restaurant is charmingly decorated to assume the guise of a European café, complete with upholstered sofas straight out of your grandmother’s living room and pictures of Italy lining the walls. Sitting inside to enjoy the well-timed 4 to 7 pm happy hour, rays of the setting sun stream through the windows. Outside in the back, there’s a small patio, cooled by a huge industrial fan. There’s not a bad seat in the house.

The wine list is exhaustive, but the happy hour list makes it easy, offering up three options each for red and white wines, as well as a small list of beer, sangria, rose, and more. The bites range from meatballs (nonna’s style) to flash-fried calamari and shrimp to a well-endowed charcuterie board perfect for two to share.

It’s not the place to bring a big group — but if your party doesn’t exceed four and you’re looking for a more relaxed atmosphere where you can actually hear your coworkers, this is the place to be.

RELATED: The Happiest Hour in the Gables

Sospiro Wine Bar
2626 Ponce de Leon
786.233.9300
sospirowinebar.com