A popular French restaurant with locations in Back Bay and Brookline has just debuted a wine bar right above its home on Newbury Street. La Voile’s new 1855 Bar à Vins (259 Newbury St.) pays homage to Bordeaux wines with its name, and honors France in general with a selection of more than 250 wines.
The owners of La Voile named 1855 Bar à Vins for the year of the “first official classification of Bordeaux wines following the World’s Fair in Paris.” The bar itself aims to “inspire a love of wine,” and it’s amply prepared to do so — the wine list covers more than 250 varieties, from widely recognized wineries and small-batch producers alike.
The wine bar will host tastings, classes, and events designed to expand visitors’ knowledge of wine, and its regular menu will echo the French bistro qualities of La Voile with a focus on casual small plates. Options include cheeses, beef carpaccio, and sage risotto; a handful of seafood and meat dishes; and what the restaurant calls “garnishes,” or dishes like potato croquettes and fried rosemary polenta. Dessert plays into the restaurant’s main focus with a wine sorbet trio and pear poached in red wine syrup, among other dishes. Alongside its stacked wine list, 1855 Bar à Vins will also serve cocktails and beer.
The restaurant is now open and taking reservations.
• 1855 Bar a Vin Opens Above La Voile in Boston’s Back Bay [BRT]
• 1855 Bar à Vins [Official Site]