Bar Nina

"The subterranean Alberta wine bar known as Les Caves is, as of August, Bar Nina, a dimly lit hideaway for natural or fortified and aromatized wines that also has a small, curated menu of snacks and plates to soak up the pours — think homemade chicken liver mousse, havarti-cheddar grilled cheeses, and Spanish conservas like piquillo peppers stuffed with tuna. Cheese, jams, and Marcona almonds are available to graze on, too." - Paolo Bicchieri

"What was once Les Caves — NE Alberta’s intimate, subterranean wine bar — is now Bar Nina. With former co-owner Jeff Vejr stepping away to focus on other projects, co-owners Ksenija Kostic House and John House of Ovum Wines have fully taken over the joint, keeping beloved touches like the fun “mystery pour” option and the cult-favorite grilled cheese sandwich while tweaking the wine list and adding new snacky food options like Spanish sausages. Ovum’s signature and summery muscat, gewurztraminer, and riesling mash-up Big Salt and its sister wines are served outdoors, as they should be, at the seasonal Big Salt Bar in the open-air former Les Clos space. The indoor wine bar and tasting room area pours Ovum’s small-production Oregon whites, Spanish and Portuguese imports from La Luz Selections, and enticing finds across the wine-world spectrum, including Georgian oranges and French bubbles." - Zoe Baillargeon, Alex Frane

"Alberta’s subterranean wine bar is the ideal secluded spot for couples. There isn’t a bad seat in the house when drinking cool, off-the-beaten-track wines found here. Winemakers/owners John House and Ksenija Kostic pour small-production wines from old-world regions, with an emphasis on Germanic white-grape varieties out of Oregon wine countries from their label Ovum. In summer months and during pop-ups, guests can also make their way upstairs toward the open-air Big Salt Bar, which features the namesake label’s more experimental bottles." - Katrina Yentch, Thom Hilton, Brooke Jackson-Glidden

"Slink down the small alley off Northeast Alberta to discover a wine lover’s Shangri-La in Bar Nina (formerly Les Caves) — and its above-ground sister bar Big Salt Bar. The intimate underground space is an excellent date night venue: quiet, warmly lit, and impeccably furnished. A cozy raised alcove offers an even more private spot to the physically dexterous. The bartenders love to talk wine, and the wine list here is curated with care, with a particular passion for Southern and Eastern European wines. The small kitchen offers classic bar snacks and an unbeatable grilled cheeses." - Nathan Williams

"The coziest place to drink vermouth in Portland is likely the little cave carved into the wall at this subterranean wine bar. Tucked off Alberta Street down a nondescript alley, the winemaker-owned Bar Nina, formerly known as Les Caves, often has a cool, distinctive list of glass pours, vermouths, and grilled cheese, housed at candle-lit tables or bar seats; however, those dextrous enough to climb into the nook should reserve it, so they can cuddle up on the couch and share a bottle of Khikhvi." - Carrie Uffindell, Eater Staff