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Wine-focused bar56 Opens in Brooklyn, with French-Italian Food Menu

Executive chef Vincent Cortese is in the kitchen at the elegant new wine bar and restaurant in the DUMBO neighborhood.

interior of bar56

Inside the new bar56 in Brooklyn’s DUMBO neighborhood.

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. 

Raviolo
Raviolo al Uovo at the new bar56 in Brooklyn. Photo: Michael Grimm

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:

Vincent Cortese
Executive chef Vincent Cortese of bar56. Photo: Michael Grimm
interior of bar56
A view of the dining room at bar56. Photo: Michael Grimm
cocktail
A cocktail from bar56. Photo: Michael Grimm
Interior bar56
The bar area at the new Brooklyn wine bar and restaurant bar56. Photo: Michael Grimm
interior taste56
Inside the wine shop and interactive tasting room taste56. Photo: Michael Grimm

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