Vin Sur Vingt Wine Bar - DC
Wine bar · Logan Circle ·
French bistro with a vast wine list, escargot, and mussels
French bistro with a vast wine list, escargot, and mussels
"Logan Circle’s dreamy wine bar does happy hour from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. here with $10 glasses and $40 bottles." - Missy Frederick
"Meanwhile, nearby, Vingt Sur Vingt sold French wines by the glass in a tiny space beside a pizzeria, but eventually expanded to larger digs and established multiple branches." - Robert Sietsema
"Arriving in Logan Circle, I found a casual, laid-back wine bar run by restaurateur Sebastien Auvet, a tattooed, auburn-haired proprietor whose vibe reads a bit like a SoCal surfer dude. Auvet—who opened his first Vin Sur Vingt with partner Rakesh Chandiramani in 2011 after learning wine through years of hospitality work in New York—aims to demystify French wine for locals: the list runs 20-deep in both reds and whites, with about 50 wines available by the glass ($12.50–20) and more than 250 by the bottle, plus a handful of rosés and sparklings. The simple wood furnishings, communal tables, and lack of tablecloths reinforce his goal of making it a neighborhood spot rather than a bistro, and he even forgoes a full hard-liquor license to keep the focus on wine. Staff who speak French (some from places like Burkina Faso and Madagascar) present wines plainly, and the menu highlights niche offerings with plans to add icons for organic, natural, sustainable, biodynamic wines and eventually wines made by women. Pours are generous—Auvet says he only gets four pours out of a bottle— and the bar carries a small private label (a Bordeaux from Château Moulin de la Roquille with “berry and cherry character, light tannins and a slightly bitter finish”) as well as praise for Corsican hillside grapes. Food is a compact but growing cheese and charcuterie program (including a brie with black truffle and several “very stinky” cheeses), and heartier cassolettes such as beef bourguignon, ratatouille, and cauliflower gratin draw on family recipes; there’s also a straightforward burger and fries served with plastic diner-style squeeze bottles. Located inside the former Drafting Table space at 1529 14th Street NW, Vin Sur Vingt opened in late March as the brand’s first location outside Manhattan and currently operates Tuesday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., with plans for happy-hour pours and late-night bottle discounts when restrictions ease." - Evan Caplan
"Vin Sur Vingt's co-founder Sebastian Auvet said they visited D.C. and noticed waiting lists at Le Diplomate and Barcelona Wine Bar, liked the neighborhood's energy, and now plan to land less than a block from Le Diplomate as they expand into the corridor (their move is tied to the broader churn of new entrants replacing longtime spots)." - Gabe Hiatt
"Bisnow D.C. reports that New York City-based wine bar Vin Sur Vingt has signed a lease to take over the property, where it will open its first location outside of its home base." - Tierney Plumb