The Hippo

A new little wine bar for downtown Raleigh, the Hippo is bringing some fun, whimsy, and wine for all! The space that was formerly Short Walk Wine has been refreshed with some pink and neon to transform into The Hippo. The space is light, bright, and features a lot of light wood, wine bar to the left, retail area in the back and lounge/seating to the right by the window. Overall it's a comfortable space, love the neon hippo sign on the wall. Where it gets a little funky is the wine bar space which is really small (6 seats) with not much room for the wine/register person to relax in. I'd want to either expand the wine bar or encourage people to use the lounge given the space. But overall I like what they are doing, more vino is usually a good thing!

Fantastic wine selection that's constantly updated with exciting new choices. The owner is incredibly welcoming, engaging, and well-versed in different wines. I always enjoy my visits here. There's plenty of seating and a variety of games to play. This is my go-to wine bar.

Comfy wine bar in Downtown Raleigh. $5 corkage if you buy a bottle. A small selection by the glass, one or 2 of each type of wine. A few beers and ciders. Friendly service.

The Hippo is such a cute spot! We stopped in to grab a few glasses of wine and had a fun time. It is small and when we visited they were remodeling the outdoor space since they recently opened in the space previously occupied by SWW. If you are looking for wine to take home they have a small selection. This spot is worth checking out if you are in the area.

Had a great time hanging with Megan and trying some wines from new areas in the world! Cannot wait to go back and hang out again.