Small Hours

Such a cozy spot for a cold January night. The wine list is impressive and the atmosphere is perfection. I wish there were a few more options of wine for single glasses rather than bottles, but I’d definitely go back.

The vibes were immaculate! The wine was delicious, and in my opinion, a fair price for a Minneapolis wine bar. I understand what the lower reviews were saying, it's not a place you go to make an intimate connection with the staff. They're not personable in that way and I don't fault them for that. The goal seems to be to serve excellent wine and have excellent music selection - to which I think they've nailed. Bring some friends (or a partner) and take in the atmosphere and I think you'll enjoy it. Reviewers saying they were confused about how "it worked" for service upon entry seemed, for lack of a better term, dense? The place is very small, it's safe to assume if there's no host stand that you walk to the counter. I simply asked "so you pick a table, pick up a menu on table, and order at the counter?" and the owner said "exactly!" They were friendly and willing to give me their suggestions. Cannot complain at all!

Gorgeous space and incredible atmosphere. Great concept and super well executed, and just what Minneapolis needed! I could chat wine and music with the owners for hours — both are super knowledgeable and friendly. Love everything about it and can’t wait to go back!

I was very excited to check out the space as a hifi lounge and to try some great wine. I'd read exciting things about it online: thoughtful design for sound immersion and a sommelier that had curated a great list. It was disappointing on both fronts. Definitely not worth the trip to visit as it's set up now. Hopefully they'll take some time to learn and adjust. Or maybe there is enough clientele that won't mind the poor sound experience and want to drop a lot on a bottle. Their sound set up was pretty bad. The ceiling had sound treatment, but the walls had nothing. The space is essentially a box, so all the conversation bounced around on the walls making it difficult to hear music. Convos overpowered whatever was playing. Their two (or was it one?) speaker is at the front of the space, which didn't help either. Definitely not a hifi experience, and it's a shame they're marketing it as such. The wine list was long, sure. But the cheapest bottle was around $50. And the cheapest glass was $15+. They need to think about catering to a wider audience instead of creating an expensive and inaccessible wine list. And then a $20+ surcharge for counter service?! Because it was counter service, there were people coming in, (no waiting list for entry/a table) getting wine, ad there were no seats, folks were standing right outside the bathroom door downing their wine and leaving. Only redeeming quality was the guy at the counter (co-owner) was friendly.

What a delight to have a wine bar with such a distinct personality and vision opening up. You can’t be everything for everyone and it’s refreshing to have a spot that embraces that. Great wine list at very reasonable prices (most of the list between 60-90/btl, and wines that any other bar/restaurant would charge twice as much for, if they could even get them in the first place). Good light food. Really stellar music selections. Every time I visit I leave feeling better than when I arrived. If you value discovery, exploration, and seeing passion projects come to fruition, hit this place up. You’ll find many like minds here. If what you really value is being waited on hand & foot and by-the-glass safety blanket wines, you may be better served elsewhere. Or maybe just drink at home. Sarina & Sam: bravo. A great addition to the neighborhood and city, and I’m excited to see where it goes over the years.

I was a bit let down by this place. It's a beautiful space, but there was no feeling of hospitality at all. Walking in was uncomfortable -- no one greeted us and there wasn't direction on what to do. The menu is sleek but not descriptive. This would have been fine if there was table service or a staff member to guide us through the menu, but counter service was curt and we didn't feel welcomed into conversation about the wine. Which I thought was the whole point of the place. Like others have said, the service charge for off-putting counter service felt inappropriate. Have in mind that there are just a few by the glass options. I appreciate how the by the bottle model is meant to encourage slowness, but it does feel prohibitive. Not just cost-wise, but blood-alcohol-content-wise... I think there's a middle ground to strike. If what you're looking for is an educational experience, I'd recommend going to nearby Violet Wine's Friday tasting events. If you are looking for an expansive non-canonical wine menu though, this is a good spot. All in all I think it has a lot of potential and I do love the intention of the space, but right now it feels all style and no substance. I wish the team the best and I hope to change my review in time!

This place is a DREAM for wine lovers! I have been wishing and hoping for a place like this in the Twin Cities. There is an extensive, well-curated by-the-bottle wine list and a smaller rotating by-the-glass menu. Once I went twice in a week and the by-the-glass list was totally different which I loved. It's so wonderful to have the opportunity to try different and exciting wines you won't find by the glass elsewhere. They also host special events with guest curations. Aside from the wines, the ambiance is also incredible. The feel is very cozy neighborhood pop in for a great glass and conversation. It's great that they have expanded their food menu but it's also great that you can just make it all about the wine if you choose. The sound environment is great, good music and sound quality that allows you to hear the music well but still have close conversation without having to raise your voice. Overall, if you love wine and cozy places to drink wine, Small Hours is for you!!

Absolutely an amazing new space and I had a great experience here for my first time. Loved the vibe/food/ and most importantly the wine. Thoughtful wine selection and bottle list (quite affordable too). Plus, they were bumping one of my favorite bands, Tinariwen, on vinyl! Amazing! 5 Stars all around!