Haley.Henry Team to Open New Wine Bar in Fenway

The folks behind a cozy, popular wine bar in Downtown Crossing have plans for a new venue in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood. Haley.Henry Wine Bar (45 Province St.) will get a younger sibling this summer, with owner Haley Fortier and managing partner Kristie Weiss (newly promoted from general manager) set to open another wine bar called Nathálie (stylized as nathálie) at 186 Brookline Ave., on the ground floor of the new Pierce Building.

Just as they do at Haley.Henry (stylized as haley.henry), Fortier and Weiss plan to focus on wine at Nathálie. They will serve between 50 and 60 wines, with an emphasis on female wine producers and old world varieties. Wines will be available as half bottles and by the glass to allow customers to explore the extensive options.

Construction is set to begin at Nathálie in March, with a goal of opening in summer 2018. The space spans about 1,200 square feet, and during warmer months, there will be a small outdoor patio. Much like its downtown counterpart, Nathálie will be an intimate space with both bar seating and high-tops by the windows. But taking advantage of the larger space, it’ll also have a lounge area and banquette seating.

“Where haley.henry is a very masculine, tinned fish/wine bar, Nathálie will be the dynamic, invigorating daughter that brings a whole new twist to Fenway,” Fortier said via press release. “We are very much looking forward to establishing some amazing relationships by providing a unique wine bar experience for this part of the city.”

Fortier will be working with Alina Wolhardt of Wolf in Sheep Design to shape Nathálie’s decor, aiming for a funky, European style.

Nathálie will reportedly acquire its liquor license from the Brass Cat Cafe, a restaurant that had been planned for Jamaica Plain as part of the group that also operates Centre Street Cafe, Casa Verde, and Tres Gatos. While the status of that project is currently unknown and representatives of the restaurant group have been unable to provide a comment at this time, the status of Nathálie is quite clear: Fortier and Weiss hope to turn around construction in a quick eight weeks after the planned March start.

Haley.Henry opened in mid-2016 and has been a staple on Eater’s list of Boston’s 38 essential restaurants thanks to its hospitality, killer wine list, and general good vibes. Food celeb Alton Brown is also a fan, previously telling Eater: “I adore that place. I think that they’re doing such ingenious work there, and with nothing — they don’t even really have a kitchen. I hope to go back there.”

As Nathálie’s opening approaches, stay tuned for updates.

• Nathalie Plans to Open in Boston’s Fenway Neighborhood [BRT]
• Haley.Henry Coverage on Eater [EBOS]