Downtown Des Moines’ Splash Seafood Bar & Grill is again among Iowa’s wine destinations recognized by Wine Spectator. In the magazine’s 2026 Restaurant Awards — revealed June 23, 2026 — Splash earned the Award of Excellence, placing it among eight Iowa restaurants on the national list and among five winners in the Des Moines metro.
The Des Moines Register’s dining roundup, published June 26, 2026 (and syndicated through regional outlets), noted Splash’s California-leaning list of roughly 230 labels and an inventory of about 1,850 bottles, with no corkage fee. The same coverage places Splash’s Wine Spectator recognition in a run dating to about 2018.
That continuity matters for a restaurant Bruce Gerleman founded in 1998 inside the historic Homestead Building the 1892 landmark on Locust Street that helped define his downtown preservation and hospitality story. Splash has long paired jet-fresh seafood with a serious cellar; national wine-list recognition is another public signal that the program still matches the ambition of the room.
Wine Spectator’s 2026 awards honored more than 4,000 restaurants across all 50 states and 87 countries and territories. The Award of Excellence (one goblet) recognizes thoughtfully curated lists that complement a restaurant’s cuisine and pricing. Iowa’s 2026 slate also included Best of Award of Excellence winners (two goblets) and several other Award of Excellence properties from Burlington to Decorah — a strong year for the state’s dining scene, with Splash remaining downtown Des Moines’ seafood standard-bearer on the list.
For guests, the practical takeaway is familiar Splash hospitality: a deep California-focused selection, bottles across a range of price points, and a cellar built for the same fine-dining evening as the seafood program. Reservations and menu details live at splash-seafood.com.
