33 Wine Shop & Tasting Bar

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +6.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$

A narrow space dominated by high tables and chairs, but not the standard. Instead, these were more modern structures, adding to the ambiance. Blonde hardwood floors, a short, blonde wood bar with a frosted glass strip running down the bar's centerline and illuminated from underneath. Low-key lighting, art along the left wall, and an owner plus his head bartender continually polishing glassware.

Hey, wait a minute! The exchange rate with the Euro sucks right now and suddenly I'm in Paris? Brussels? Je ne sais quois. Listen, baby, if you're looking for a great place to take your vino-drinking date, this would be the place! It's like Spuytin Duyvil without the spendiness, to invoke my MN friends. They offer meat and cheese traps, to boot. Just two taps, but Val-Dieu and Old Rasputin on my visit, plus a well-selected list of about two dozen BTs.

5's across the board.

11-25-2009 01:13:11 | More by woodychandler

JRorie

Illinois

5/5  rDev +6.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

This place is fantastic! You wouldn't even know it was there, unless someone told you or you just stumbled upon it. No signage from the outside. Very nice neighborhood, nice building, and great vibe inside.

I believe there is a total of 6-8 taps, not many but what they do have is always great quality. Their bottle list is where it is at! Cantillon on the menu many times that I have been in, served at cellar temp. Besides Cantillon, there is just a ton of other great stuff.

Prices are great, around the price you would pay at a low priced liquor store. And they allow for carryout of any bottles you may want.

Staff is great, very knowledgeable. The owner is awesome. Tons of passion for what he does and the industry he is in.

08-22-2011 15:39:53 | More by JRorie

jcompton

Missouri

4.94/5  rDev +5.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

I went into 33 a month or so ago to have a beer with my brother. We had already had a few pints at another place, so I only had one beer (Hopslam), as I was driving. This is a small bar, probably 8 or so tables and 10 or so bar stools. There were 2 bartenders. It was about 4pm when we went, so it wasn't too busy. The bartender that waited on us was extremely knowledgeable about their menu. The beer menu is very impressive (as is the wine list). They also had a few cheeses on hand. It's pretty sweet that you can get beer to go from here for the same price or cheaper from Randall's, plus it's cold. If I lived in Lafayette Square I would visit 33 every week. I would say it's the best beer bar in the city.

09-08-2008 02:21:29 | More by jcompton

brewintheLou

Missouri

4.94/5  rDev +5.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

I have been to the 33 Wine Bar a few times and I have been impressed each time. With around 100 beers to choose from, there is definitly something for everyone, from domestics from all over the country to various imports. Each beer is served in the proper glass as well. Service is outstanding. With only 3 guys working they do an exceptional job. The place is pretty small so it keeps the atmosphere intimate. There is also a nice patio in the back for the warmer nights. Also, each one of the bartenders are knowlegable about their beer and wine. The wine list is also outstanding, and since not everyone is a beer drinker it makes it nice for groups. I believe there are 7 (maybe wrong on that) taps that rotate selection. You can also buy beer or wine to go at very reasonable prices. The prices for drinking "in house" are very reasonable. For food they have cheeses and crackers. A great place to go after having dinner at one of the restaurants on that strip of Park Ave.

01-10-2009 19:15:24 | More by brewintheLou

CMW

Missouri

4.94/5  rDev +5.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$$

Headed here last weekend with a couple of friends. We arrived around 9 pm after eating and drinks at the Chocolate bar to find one open table. The place has roughly 10 tables and eight stools at the bar and fills up fast. Bottle selection was excellent with a good selection of Belgians and American Micros. Only saw four taps and all were American craft at the time. They were quality though with Bell's Double Cream and Anderson Valley Hop Ottin. Service was prompt and extremely knowledgable. Just heard that this place is changing ownership, hopefully not much changes.

01-29-2009 01:12:45 | More by CMW

deserteagle99uzi

Missouri

4.94/5  rDev +5.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $

I don't contribute often, however I felt I had to chime in on this bar's already shining reviews.

The Atmosphere upon walking in is quite sparse but in a classy, laid back way. While the bar itself may seem barren without any TVs or eye-catching (eyesore?) decorations it adds together to give this place a unique and extremely pleasant feel. The music selection is done by the staff and has always been to my tastes (classic rock, jazz and '90s alt) and the volume is always appropriate for conversation purposes.

The main bar area consists of high back chairs and tables and a simple bar. There is a nice patio area out back and a second room containing couches and more tables surrounded by walls of wine.

The setup behind the bar is very professional, I've never seen any confusion about where a beer is or where the appropriate glass for it may be. As with the rest of the venue, it doesn't LOOK organized but it is as it needs to be to run smoothly. The glassware selection is excellent as well.

The service has been second to none on every occasion that I've been there. The speed, knowledge, attitude and patience are always spot on and the staff seems to treat newcomers with the same level of respect and expertise as the regulars which is refreshing when compared to many other craft beer bars in the area. This place is one of the few that I feel I can trust fully about blindly selecting me a new beer to try based on a vague description of taste and nail it every time. Nearly all interactions with the staff have been jovial, these guys are all very friendly connoisseurs themselves and it comes through in a way that is friendly yet professional in a very good way.

The selection is hand picked and the menus are edited and updated often to reflect availability. Many beers available are not to be found anywhere else in the city (Founders KBS unannounced on more than one occasion and similarly rare Boulevard one time runs). The only weakness with the selection is the absence of many of the tamer more mediocre beers but for a beer geek this is ideal.

The value is the cheapest I've seen in a bar period. Prices are exact and often not rounded at all which leads me to believe that they are set as an exact % markup of cost. There is an even cheaper set of prices for beer "to go" as it is common (especially in the summer) for customers to purchase growlers or bottles to take out to the park across the street.

08-30-2011 05:30:58 | More by deserteagle99uzi

remilamy

Missouri

4.9/5  rDev +4.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$

My husband and I did a STL beer bar crawl that included Schlafly, Square One, Stable, Mattingly, and 33 Wine. I'm glad we hit this place last, because we ended up staying there for hours having a great time.

We showed up around 6pm and there was a small handful of people in the bar. It's a long, narrow place with several seats at the bar and very high ceilings (which do make it a bit loud inside). They have 6 taps that are very thoughtfully selected, and a very good bottle list. The food menu's not extensive, but the food itself was fantastic (we got sausages & crackers - extremely delicious). The beverage menu *is* extensive and also highly entertaining to read.

The service was phenomenal - they know their beer, despite being a wine bar, and even serve all of their beer IN THE PROPER GLASSWARE - even down to cute, stubby Hitachino glasses. We chatted with the bar staff several times throughout the night about beer, local food, great nearby restaurants, and various other things. They were fun to talk to, interesting, and very friendly. Typically, I'm the kind of person who doesn't want my bartender or waitstaff to bother me that much, but I truly enjoyed their company.

Highly, highly recommend this place.

07-26-2009 21:23:34 | More by remilamy

washburnkid

New York

4.88/5  rDev +4.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

I walked right by this place, which was more exciting than it was annoying. I love semi-hidden beer locales.

When I went, there were at most three other people sitting at the bar with me. It was quiet, and not a ton of things to look at around the place, save for the big wine/beer related crossword puzzle on a chalk board right above the bar. That was pretty fun.

The quality was great. The beers, from what I experienced, were fresh...and there was PLENTY to choose from. They had a great tap list of about 8 brews, and their bottle list was extensive to say the least. I stuck with Founders, since I wasn't sure when I'd be able to try them again now that I'm back in California. I had a super fresh Harvest ale, and a very chocolatey porter.

I didn't have the food, but I really wanted to. If I ever come back here, I'll have myself a nice beer and cheese pairing.

The service was great. The guy behind the bar was the wine guy (as explained in the menu). As he was about to pour my beer, I stopped and asked him if I could do it. I didn't want to be a snob; Founders just has inconsistent carbonation and I wanted to take good care. I felt bad for possibly offending him, and asked him to pour my second one. He also listened intently as I explained why I wanted to pour, and he continued talking to me about beer for a while, made the Harvest Ale suggestion, and chatted until someone interrupted us.

This is a great place. One of the finer beer bars I've been to. If I'm ever in the area again, I'll be sure to hit this place up!

10-13-2009 21:31:49 | More by washburnkid

Monkeyknife

Missouri

4.86/5  rDev +3.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

After all these years of enjoying myself at this fine establishment, I realized I've never put in a formal review. Shame on me.

33 is a small and comfortable place to enjoy a nice glass of beer and/or wine. The place has 8 tables or so inside and a couple of gardens outside to enjoy when the weather is right.

The atmosphere is friendly and warm even for a first time visitor.

The beer selection is on the smaller side but well-chosen. No BMC brews here. More than 100 beers in bottles with something for everyone. Six tap handles rotate and the styles vary from Imperial Stouts to Belgian ales and hard-to-find seasonals from a variety of brewers. I've had Hitachino Classic and Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout on tap for example. Very tough to find in this area. Equally impressive is the fact that the beers are served in the proper glassware.

Though this is not a restaurant, you'll find a nice selection of cheeses and crackers. Plenty of great places to eat are just steps away if desired.

In short, 33 is a must-stop destination for anyone looking for a casual and friendly place to enjoy a great beer or a fine wine.

09-10-2009 04:01:46 | More by Monkeyknife

Realale

Missouri

4.85/5  rDev +3.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$

Outstanding wine and beer bar in the Lafayette Square neighborhood. Quite a modern look to it, and quite a hip crowd on a Saturday night. If you intend to have a conversation, try a less busy time, or the patio out back. As I've visited more, I've really settled in here, and find it a wonderfully relaxing, convivial place. Completely non-smoking which was a big plus in my book. Food is an increasingly interesting selection of cheeses, crackers and cured meats.
Closed Sunday and Monday.

Beer is available for both on-premises consumption and take-away. The take-away prices are very fair, and the drink-in prices reasonable as well, though the mark-ups on wine are even more reasonable. Beer has become a co-primary focus with wine over the years, and the owner, Jake, is quite passionate about beer. Jake has recently turned the reigns of the beer selection over to Dylan, who is an excellent homebrewer, and very much a beer guy.

The beer list has grown to about 100 selections, versus several hundred wine selections, but there is not a dud on the list, and the selection rotates. Plenty of Belgians, Bell's, British, and German, with a focus on frequent rotation with the seasons. All beer kept in dark, temperature-controlled storage so it's condition is impeccable. In addition, 33 now sports 6 taps, which rotate frequently through a selection of really interesting craft selections, and B.United and Shelton imports.

Lots of folks drink beer here, and Jake and his staff are as happy to pontificate on a $4 bottle of beer as they are on a $40 bottle of wine. Definitely a place that recognizes that taking care of customers with personal, thoughtful service is a key to long-term success. My highest recommendation.

03-31-2008 16:20:39 | More by Realale