Swirl Wine Bar, in a converted one-bedroom apartment on Queen Street East in Leslieville, is an intimate second-storey space with two rooms that can hold up to 30 for private events. “It's just so cozy and welcoming,” said owner Janean Currie, who called on Elan Marks and April Foss of the design firm Fame to handle the decor.
“They did all the artwork and selected the furniture and distressed it,” Currie said of the space, which has hardwood floors, a copper bar, and white chandeliers. “We were looking for a French country, vineyard feel but not exactly that, more modern and comfortable.” Marks and Foss scoured antique shops and Craigslist to find the vintage Singer sewing machines that serve as tables and the church pews that line the walls in the front room. The pair chose a harvest table that seats 10 for the rear room and built a wine rack from the old banquettes used in the café that previously occupied the space.
The menu, created by Joan Olsen (the sous chef at Brassaii), includes jars of marinated olives, pickled mushrooms, chicken liver pate, and spreads such as smoked salmon and chevre mousse and Stilton and caramelized apple. “It’s anything I can store and don’t have to heat or cook,” said Currie, who noted that although the space is too small for a kitchen, Ontario’s liquor laws require establishments that serve alcohol to also serve food.
Currie also offers a cheese plate of choices from the Leslieville Cheese Market and a charcuterie plate. The wine list, created by sommelier Trisha Molokach, includes consignment-only wines. Currie plans to begin offering wine and cheese tastings in the fall.
