Postino Park Place in Irvine is all about good food and wine – inspired by the Italian coast, thank you very much – and good fun. This upscale chain restaurant group has locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Texas, and Georgia, and the widely popular concept shows no sign of slowing its expansion. As of this writing, Postino has twenty locations, with their newest Phoenix location opening in September 2023.

The Atmosphere & Location

Irvine’s Park Place is a mixed-use space, which means that Postino restaurant draws diners using the campus’ coworking set-up and those who simply want to enjoy the great on-site restaurants.

Bright, cheerful wallpaper in bold colors, cool velvet furniture in one of the loungey seating areas, and fun pop art-inspired wall prints really define the atmosphere here. Essentially, the decor at Postino reflects the restaurant’s accessible, doesn’t-take-itself-too-seriously vibe where everyone is welcome, regardless of whether you’re a serious foodie or you seriously love food.

Sports lovers will want to check the bar, which has a decent-sized television; al-fresco diners will have a great time on the patio, and lovers of all things retro will want to take a few snaps and selfies in front of the Postino boombox wall, which is stacked with dozens of vintage boomboxes. 

As far as seating goes, if you dine at Postino for a cozy date night, the restaurant has tons of booth seating. If you go with a larger party, freestanding tables are a great option.

The Food

The bruschetta boards at Postino are the mainstay of the restaurant. This dish is such a staple that Postino seasonally holds what they call The Battle of the Bruschetta, where diners can vote for their favorite bruschetta from a selection dreamed up by chefs at the restaurants’ various locations.

In addition to “choose your own selection” bruschetta offerings, Postino also offers themed boards like Charcuterie (a little bit of everything), Table Cheese, Nick’s Board (pub food-inspired), The Bounty (a huge platter of fresh veggies, hummus and green goddess dressing).

Given that Postino embraces the wine bar vibe, there are tons of “Snacky Things” that are great for sharing. Think Meatballs & Goat Cheese, Sweet Potato Wedges, and Shrimp Scampi. Diners craving something more substantial can order toasted paninis.

The Wine

Where Postino at Irvine really stands out is on the wine list, which is curated by Brent Karlicek, an Advanced Sommelier. Advanced Sommelier is the certification right below the coveted Master Sommelier certificate. According to Postino, Brent is studying for that as we speak. 

The list veers away from well-known commercial wine brands and embraces offerings by Kermit Lynch and small, independent producers from around the world. You will find bottles from California, Austria, France, Italy, Germany, Australia, Washington, and Spain, to name a few.  

We have tried a few of Brent’s Picks, which are marked on the wine list with a  “B,” and all have been good to very good.

Speaking of wine, Postino at Park Place Irvine also has a small retail wine shop that’s stocked with selections from the wine list, but also a few off-list gems. 

The Wine Cult Club

You know a restaurant group takes its wines seriously when they have their very own wine club! At Postino, this is called the Wine Cult Club, and the selections are intended to introduce wine lovers to way, way under the radar producers who they most certainly would not be able to track down on their own. Some of these producers don’t even have an online presence from what we could find. 

The Wine Cult wines are meant to be accessible, of high quality, and at a reasonable price point. There are no $50+ bottles of wine in this club. When you sign up for the Postino wine club, you can pay by the quarter ($60) or pay an annual fee ($220). 

For this, members receive four hand-picked wines (a mix of reds and whites) every quarter.

Corkage at Postino Park Place

The folks at Postino Park Place take their wine list and wine club very seriously. At this time, the restaurant does not allow corkage, so leave those bottles at home. 

Closing Thoughts

We have been to Postino in Irvine twice now, and we wouldn’t be surprised if we stopped in again for the great wine selection and the snackable food. The restaurant is very comfortable and has a great wine list, and we think your fellow wine lovers would love it.