Wines by the glass are the focus at the new bar56 in a historic building in the shadows of the Brooklyn Bridge. The wine bar and restaurant, which opens tonight, features a selection of 56 wines by the glass. Restaurateur James Fantaci, who opened the wine shop and interactive tasting room taste56 next door last month, teamed with Aaron Fusco (ex of Oxalis and Restaurant Daniel) and general manager Michael Brown (ex-Jeju Noodle Bar) to curate the wine list, which is organized by characteristics of the wine.
Teh 52-seat dining room, which also features a 12--seat bar and 10-seat private dining area, features a thoughtfully crafted menu of Italian and French-inspired dishes from Executive Chef Vincent Cortese, most recently executive chef of Bar Boulud in NYC, and a former chef de cuisine at the late, great Del Posto.
Cortese’s opening menu features fried artichokes, potato croquettes, crudo, panzanella, and mains including a show-stopping raviolo al uovo stuffed with ricotta, egg, and guanciale. There’s also a Thai-influenced bass entrée, a dry aged steak, and other dishes that clearly are designed to encourage wine pairings.
A range of desserts and cocktails round out the offerings at bar56, which is located at 53 Water St., in the same historic building that also houses Time Out Market and Dumbo House. Opening hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday from 5pm til midnight, and Friday and Saturday from 5pm until 1am. Reservations will be available at Resy, while @taste56wines on Instagram will have updates.
See more photos of the new spaces, dishes, and more below:
