Wine bars are the latest trend to take over the Washington area. Here are a few spots to have on your business-entertaining radar.
Veritas Wine Bar
A few blocks north of Dupont Circle, nestled at the corner of Connecticut and Florida avenues, sits Veritas, a snug den of a wine bar owned by Adam Manson, former manager of Capitol Hill's Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar. Beveridge Seay designed the warm, cellar-like interior, with walls of exposed brick and rich crimson, black stained hardwood floors, and a handsome antique-style mantle. Eight small tables and a 10-seat bar fill the 700-square-foot space, open since September, and cutely named wine flights ("Backpacking in Italy" and "Three Deadly Zins" among them) highlight a menu that also includes cured meats and cheeses, such as a Wisconsin cocoa cardona and a French fourme d'ambert.Evo Bistro
A wine bar nestled in a McLean, Virginia, strip mall isn't likely to feel cosmopolitan, but Evo Bistro manages to do just that. Open since September, Evo is the only place in the United States where you can get a glass of Australian Penfolds Grange (for $75). The earthy interior, with a large potted palm, ecru walls, and espresso-stained cherrywood tables, seats 45, and a sleek automated wine system dispenses, by debit card, one-, three-, and five-ounce pours from 32 bottles. Evo also caters—its Mediterranean tapas menu features pistachio-crusted lamp chops and calamari with smoked paprika—and sells bottles (and cases) of wine to go.
Cork Restaurant and Wine Bar
For Diane Gross, a wine bar should be more than just a place to eat and drink. She wants it to offer wine education, and opened up Cork in late January near Logan Circle with a hope of creating that haven. In fact, she spent the last year, with her husband and co-owner, Khalid Pitts, selecting 35 vintages available by the glass and 130 by the bottle, which complement a menu of dishes ranging from bruschetta to duck confit. The main dining room, with exposed-brick walls and an antique tin roof, has space for 70, and includes a loft overlooking the bar and wine cellar. For special events, a private tasting room seats 15 or holds 25 for receptions, and offers a voyeur’s look through a picture window into Cork’s kitchen.
Vinoteca Wine Bar & Bistro
A hip new spot in the capital's U Street corridor is Vinoteca, a wine bistro in a grand old row house that's been renovated by two twentysomething entrepreneurs. The 4,000-square-foot space, open since October, holds 90 downstairs in its new-world-themed bar and dining room—sleek in high-gloss reds and blacks—and 100 upstairs in its old-world-style lounge, with deep evergreen walls, vintage sofas, and a bevy of three-candle chandeliers. Dozens of foreign and domestic wines complement a full dinner menu, which features fresh mussels and scrumptious lamb and goat-cheese sliders.
Veritas Wine Bar
A few blocks north of Dupont Circle, nestled at the corner of Connecticut and Florida avenues, sits Veritas, a snug den of a wine bar owned by Adam Manson, former manager of Capitol Hill's Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar. Beveridge Seay designed the warm, cellar-like interior, with walls of exposed brick and rich crimson, black stained hardwood floors, and a handsome antique-style mantle. Eight small tables and a 10-seat bar fill the 700-square-foot space, open since September, and cutely named wine flights ("Backpacking in Italy" and "Three Deadly Zins" among them) highlight a menu that also includes cured meats and cheeses, such as a Wisconsin cocoa cardona and a French fourme d'ambert.Evo Bistro
A wine bar nestled in a McLean, Virginia, strip mall isn't likely to feel cosmopolitan, but Evo Bistro manages to do just that. Open since September, Evo is the only place in the United States where you can get a glass of Australian Penfolds Grange (for $75). The earthy interior, with a large potted palm, ecru walls, and espresso-stained cherrywood tables, seats 45, and a sleek automated wine system dispenses, by debit card, one-, three-, and five-ounce pours from 32 bottles. Evo also caters—its Mediterranean tapas menu features pistachio-crusted lamp chops and calamari with smoked paprika—and sells bottles (and cases) of wine to go.
Cork Restaurant and Wine Bar
For Diane Gross, a wine bar should be more than just a place to eat and drink. She wants it to offer wine education, and opened up Cork in late January near Logan Circle with a hope of creating that haven. In fact, she spent the last year, with her husband and co-owner, Khalid Pitts, selecting 35 vintages available by the glass and 130 by the bottle, which complement a menu of dishes ranging from bruschetta to duck confit. The main dining room, with exposed-brick walls and an antique tin roof, has space for 70, and includes a loft overlooking the bar and wine cellar. For special events, a private tasting room seats 15 or holds 25 for receptions, and offers a voyeur’s look through a picture window into Cork’s kitchen.
Vinoteca Wine Bar & Bistro
A hip new spot in the capital's U Street corridor is Vinoteca, a wine bistro in a grand old row house that's been renovated by two twentysomething entrepreneurs. The 4,000-square-foot space, open since October, holds 90 downstairs in its new-world-themed bar and dining room—sleek in high-gloss reds and blacks—and 100 upstairs in its old-world-style lounge, with deep evergreen walls, vintage sofas, and a bevy of three-candle chandeliers. Dozens of foreign and domestic wines complement a full dinner menu, which features fresh mussels and scrumptious lamb and goat-cheese sliders.
Veritas Wine Bar
Photo: Eric Powell for BizBash
Veritas Wine Bar overlooks Dupont Circle.
Photo: Eric Powell for BizBash
Veritas offers 76 wines by the glass and more than 250 bottles, not including a list of special reserve bottles.
Photo: Eric Powell for BizBash
Evo Bistro can host private events and also offers catering services.
Photo: Colin Loughlin for BizBash
Guests can help themselves to more than 50 wines by the glass at Evo.
Photo: Colin Loughlin for BizBash
Cork Restaurant and Wine Bar is the city's newest spot for vino, having opened in late January.
Photo: Eric Powell for BizBash
In addition to the bar and dining room, Cork offers a private tasting room for 25.
Photo: Eric Powell for BizBash
Vinoteca Wine Bar & Bistro divides its wine menu into New World and Old World categories.
Photo: Courtesy of Vinoteca
