Archive for the ‘Wine Bars’ Category

Marugo Wine Bar, Shinjuku – Tokyo

Friday, February 5th, 2010

Marugo Wine Bar, Shinjuku, Tokyo

Marugo Wine Bar, Shinjuku, Tokyo

東京都新宿区新宿3-7-5, Tokyo
Shinjuku 3-7-5. Open 5pm-2am daily.
Phone: 03-3350-4605
Opening Hours:  5pm-2am daily.
Prices: Moderate

It is a very small space so be prepared to squeeze-in and if you choose to do so you can enjoy meeting new acquaintances in a very short period of time. Tapas-style small plates of olives, various canapes, and cheeses are ¥500; duck liver pate is ¥700. There are pasta dishes and pizza and additional main course items available as well. Most of the wines are French selections with a great percentage of them being organic. Of course, the menu is in Japanese, although a few of the staff, when coaxed, speak a little English. They have opened another branch Marugo 2, offering Italian cooking and a wine list weighted more to Italian regional wines as well as French. Tel. 3356-1052.

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Garçon de la Vigne – Hiroo, Tokyo

Friday, December 4th, 2009

Garcon de la Vigne, Hiroo, TokyoHiroo 5-7-11, Shibuya-Ku, Tokyo
Tel. 3445-6626
www.le-garcon.jp
Opening Hours: Noon-2pm, 6pm-2am, Closed Sunday
Credit Cards: Yes
Prices: Inexpensive – Moderate

Garçon de la Vigne is a small French restaurant and Wine Bar with emphasis on the regions of Burgundy including Beaujolais and some selections from the Loire Valley with many choices of “biological” wines (chemical free). There are prix-fixe lunches at very reasonable prices ranging from ¥1200-¥2800. Wine Bottle prices start at ¥4,900. The owner is a sommelier who worked in France in an organic vineyard.  He is very “organic” oriented, even going as far as purchasing only organic produce, that is bought on a contract basis from small growers from the countryside.

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Wine Bar Brasserie du Vin – Honolulu

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

Brasserie du Vin, Honolulu (photo credit: Brasserie du Vin)

Brasserie du Vin, Honolulu
1115 Bethel St.
808-545-1115
Credit Cards: Yes
Prices: Moderate

A French-style wine bar in the interesting, if not ideally located, Chinatown district of downtown Honolulu. You have the option to choose from a selection of 25 open wines by the glass and taste classic bistro dishes such as frisée aux lardons, escargots, and moules frites (these mussels are from New Zealand and can be quite “tough”). I would avoid any complex cooking here, and stick to wine bar fare such as: charcuterie, cheese, olives with bread and other light selections. For 30% of the bottle cost they will open any bottle from their wine list and pour a 6 oz. glass, which is really not bad as this is approximately 170 grams of wine per glass.

It is definitely a congenial place with an outdoor patio, dining room and bar. It could not be farther removed from Paris in every possible way; albeit you can still see a glimmer.

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Bar Bambino, Italian Wine Bar – San Francisco

Saturday, September 5th, 2009

Bar Bambino, San Francisco
Italian Wine Bar
2931 16th St. San Francisco 94103
(Between Mission St. & S. Van Ness Ave)
Tel. (415) 701-8466
Website: www.barbambino.com
Opening Hours:
Lunch: Tue-Sat: 11am-5pm; Dinner: Tue-Thu: 5pm-11pm Fri-Sat: 5pm-12am; Sun: 4pm-10pm
Credit Cards: All Major
Prices: Moderate

You will initially go to this small Italian Wine Bar named Bar Bambino for two reasons: a selection of 40 Italian wines by the glass and the rustic Italian-inspired cooking, that is consistently delivered by Chef Elizabeth Binder who heads up culinary endeavors, be sure to give a try to this kitchen’s version of a soupy rabbit ragu (really more like a stew) with papparadelle ($13.75).  The wine bar is owned by Christopher Losa, who is immensely environmentally aware and has a genuine interest in keeping the place directed towards organic products. Other reasons to visit that may not immediately be apparent, although situated in a run-down block of San Francisco’s Mission District it is a cozy space where people clamor to grab one of the metallic covered tables or a seat at the good-sized bar, in addition, it also boasts a heated-patio, and a salumeria that they squeezed into the already crowded space. Bar Bambino has evolved to become one of the top wine bars in the city.

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Ebury Wine Bar – London

Monday, July 27th, 2009

139 Ebury Street, London,
SW1W 9QU
Tel.  0871 3328766
Venue Type: Wine Bar
Opening Hours: Mon-Sat 11:00-23:00; Sun 18:00-22:30
Underground: Victoria or Sloane Sq.
Cuisine: British
Kitchen Open: Daily 12:00-14:45 & 18:00-22:15
Booking Essential on Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun
Facilities: TV Screens showing sports events
Children: Welcome
Credit Cards: Visa, MC
Prices: Moderate

In the late sixties and early seventies when I spent a good deal of time in London I frequented Ebury Wine Bar while staying with friends who lived around the corner on Chester Row. In those days, they had on offer some very reasonably priced, solid “little” French Burgundies, both red & white, along with a good selection of Loire Valley, Rhône, and Alsace wines available by the glass or bottle. At the time, it was excellent value especially for the wines; and the food was, on the whole, quite good. Today, they have no hope of offering the quality of the wines from France and Italy that they could in those days, and no one expects that, however, they are scouting out a great many “interesting wines” from the old and new world that are quite surprising in their own right. It is because of these elements combined with maintaining the integrity of the kitchen that it has remained to be one of the great wine bars in London for over 40 years.

Information below includes: Name of wine, region, vintage year, country of origin, price by bottle, price by glass, alcohol percentage by volume.

White Wines – House Selection

1. Chevanceau Blanc, Vin de Pays du Cotes de Gascogne, 2005

France 
£12.80
 £3.40
 12.0%

2. Chenin Blanc, Stormy Cape, 2006

S.Africa
 £16.50 
£4.35 
13.5%

3. Sauvignon Blanc, Reserva, Echeverria, Curico Valley, 2006

Chile
 £17.00 
£4.45
 13.0%

4. Pinot Grigio, Della Provincia di Pavia, Cielo, 2005

Italy 
£17.50
 £4.60 
12.0%

5. Unoaked Chardonnay, Foundstone, 2006

Australia 
£17.50 
£4.60 
12.5%

6. Riesling, Kabinett, Johannisberger Erntebringer, Rheingau, 2004

Germany
 £18.00 
£4.70 
9.5%

Red Wines – House Selection

38. Chevanceau Rouge, Vin de Pays de L’Herault, 2005

France
£12.80
£3.40
12.0%

39. Merlot, Vin de Pays D’oc, La Place, 2005

France
£14.50
£3.80
13.0%

40. Santa Ines, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004

Chile
£16.50
£4.35
13.5%

41. Malbec, Bodegas Terrazas Mendoza, 2004

Argentinal
£17.00
£4.45
13.5%

42. Nero D’Avola, Mandrarossa, 2005

Italy
£17.50
£4.60
13.5%

43. Anares Tinto Crianza, Rioja, 2003

Spain
£17.50
£4.60
12.5%

44. Shiraz, Tyrrell’s Moore’s Creek, Hunter VAlley, 2004

Australia
£18.00
£4.70
14.0%

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Terroir Wine Bar – NYC

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

Above: Paul Grieco of Terroir Wine Bar: Mad or Cunning?
413 E 12th St
Tel. 646-602-1300
Opening Hours: Mon-Sat 5 pm-2 am (food til 1am) Sun 5 pm-midnight
New York, NY 10009
Neighborhood:  East Village
Cross Street:  1st Ave
Website: www.wineisterroir.com
Credit Cards: Yes
Parking: Street
Dress Code: Casual
Reservations: No
Outdoor Seating: No
Happy Hour: Yes
Alcohol: Beer & Wine
Smoking: No
Prices: Inexpensive-Moderate

Reisling fanatic Paul Grieco opened Terroir Wine Bar in the East Village about one year ago. He has been quoted in an interview by the website Dr. Vino (drvino.com) as saying,  “I say the only wine by the glass in the summer will be Riesling. That’s it! It’s a small enough venue at 500 sq ft., the costs sort of minimal, I think I feel I can afford to take chances like that. I want to upset people, I want to educate people, I want people to open their minds. In taking such an aggressive stance, my goal is not to piss people off; my goal is to get people to open their minds. If they come in and they say they want a Chardonnay and I say all we have is Riesling, and they say “how can you not have a Chardonnay! It’s the worlds most popular grape!” I’ll say, “you’re absolutely right and here’s why Riesling should be just as popular…please have a taste.”
Following are a couple of Paul’s well-known accompaniments to the wines:
Sage leaves stuffed with lamb sausage $7
Beet risotto balls with Gorgonzola cheese $7

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Corkbar California Wine Bar – Downtown Los Angeles

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

403 W 12th Street
In the EVO Bldg. 12th & Grand
Los Angeles, CA 90015
(213) 746-0050
Area: Downtown Los Angeles
Attire: Casual
Delivery/Take Out: No
Reservations: No
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Music: DJ
Happy Hour: Yes
Alcohol: Beer & Wine License Only
Parking: Street
www.corkbar.com
Credit Cards: All Major
Prices: Moderate-Expensive

This is California, but should we be so chauvinistic? A totally California Wine List could only be made better by the introduction of wines from other wine-producing regions, with selections from both Old and New World Wineries. It also might add some variation in pricing on a downward scale. Hint, hint!
This is a pleasant place to stop by, near the lofts in South Park and on the way to  LA Live Sports, Dining & Entertainment Complex. The prices for wines are a bit steep with glass prices in the $10-$20 range. Food offerings are also not inexpensive.

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Opus, Vineria Italiana (Wine Bar) – Bangkok

Monday, April 6th, 2009

64 Pan Road
Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500
Tel. 02 637 9896-7
Fax. 02 637 9898
email: info@wbopus.com
Website: www.wbopus.com
Opening Hours: Dinner only 7 days, 6pm – midnight
Credit Cards: All Major
Prices: Moderate

On the corner of Silom Road and Thanon Pan is the famous, Hindu Temple Wat Khaek, using that as a marker turn down the road and you will eventually find the sign for Opus on the right side traveling along from Silom. The Wine Bar or Vineria Italiana, occupies the lower floor of a large house, which has been renovated but not severely so, as they had the good-sense to leave most of the colonial treatments intact. A bar fills the wall on the left side as you enter with an area with high wine-tasting tables directly in front and a glassed-in wine cellar in the rear with a table in the center. Directly in the front of the house is another dining area with lower and more traditional dining furniture, although personally I would rather consume the dishes chosen for this menu: small plates and other tapas-style dishes at bar level tables—it just seems more natural. On the upper floor they have a private dining room and space to build-out others, when necessary.
The managing Director, Alex Morabito is a suave and genial host, very familiar with Italian wines from all regions of Italy; he will help you pair them with the dishes from the concise, but well chosen menu. I sampled a couple of small-plates on one visit and the cooking that is produced here is far superior to the minimum one requires to accompany a bottle chosen from their vast selection of Italian wines. They have a brief choice of wines-by-the-glass, although I would expect that to expand as demand requires it.

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Bar Boulud – New York

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009

photo credit: MG & Co./ General Contractors www.mgandcompany.com

1900 Broadway ( Between 63rd Street and 64th Street)
New York, NY 10023
Phone: (212) 595-0303
Website: www.danielnyc.com
Opening Hours: Mon-Fri: Lunch:  12pm – 3:30pm, Dinner: 5pm -11pm, Sat-Sun: Lunch: 11am – 3:30pm, Dinner: 5pm – 11pm
Wine Bar
Credit Cards: all Major
Price: Expensive

Daniel Boulud is from Lyon and he was brought up on good charcuterie. He has a formidable reputation for creating fine-dining restaurants in Manhattan, although now he has gone in a totally different direction by opening a wine bar with an outstanding wine list. If you look carefully, you can find some very reasonably priced selections that pair well with the excellent charcuterie. Order and stick to the charcuterie made on the premises, selections such as: pâté grand-mère, compotée de lapin, or andouille de Vire fashioned by charcuterie master Sylvain Gasdon, from the acclaimed Gilles Verot in Paris. He replicates the earthy flavors and textures of lyonnaise-style artisanal sausages and pâtés, not an easy feat considering the difference in the products between France and New York, I am assured that as many as possible of the main ingredients are imported to attain this quality.
If you do not have a reservation, it is no problem, sit at the counter or the tasting table and order charcuterie and cheese, after all, this is a wine bar, please do not take things too seriously—this is not supposed to be grand cuisine—it is a wine bar with the best charcuterie and cheese in town! Do not expect something it isn’t.

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Bar 494, Wine Bar, A Little Oasis – Bangkok

Sunday, April 6th, 2008

Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok
494 Rajdamri Road,
Bangkok, Thailand 10330
Tel: +66 2 254 1234 Fax: +66 2 254 6308

Bar 494 is located on the lower level of the hotel and is such a pleasant retreat with the hull of an outrigger canoe as the centerpiece that divides the seating into two parts in the main bar room, additional seating surrounds this in the semi-courtyard outside. This is one of the few bars in Bangkok that offers a large selection of wines by the glass in addition to all the expected drinks and cocktails. (I will cover the rest of the establishments that also do this soon on my return from Japan).

Here is the way it goes, the wines-by-the-glass are listed
by price starting at:
Price 169 Baht – A selection of Chilean wines,

Price 199 Baht – Includes a better grade of Chilean wines and one Italian Cabernet or Chardonnay and a Shiraz-Cabernet from Australia Price 239 Baht – One unwooded Chardonnay from South Australia, a Chardonnay-Pinot Grigio, two Sangiovese and one Chianti plus one South African and Argentinean wine

Price 494 Baht – better quality Australian, Chilean and Argentinean wines

Price 390 Baht – Sparkling Italian Prosecco

Price 949 – Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial Champagne
The wine selection changes from time to time.

Before the non-smoking law was amended just recently, to include bars and nightclubs and any air-conditioned room, the inside area around the canoe was the non-smoking area and the area in the courtyard was for smokers, and located conveniently just a few steps away was a shop stocking all the famous brands of Cuban cigars, which were available to the customers of the bar.

This new law has changed all this at least as far as the hotels are concerned, although the hotels are obliged to obey the law to the letter other establishments pay no attention to it at all. It just depends on where you go however, this may change when the police start levying fines in June to both customers and establishments. To what degree the law is finally enforced will eventually depend on how much teeth are involved in enforcement of these new smoking laws and for how long.

Not more than 25 meters away on the same floor is the Italian Restaurant Spazzo. Later in the evening when the music starts and you cannot here yourself think, Bar 494 offers a place where people can actually talk to each other of course, it is not a pick-up bar as Spazzo becomes late at night, and as a matter of fact, almost all through the evening.

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