This is by no means a geeky wine bar, but it does feature somewhat geeky touches that are greatly helpful to budding oenophiles: a reading room full of wine books; an adorable, if overly simplistic “Winedex” to help get people thinking about the wine they’re drinking; and a savvy staff. Less helpful is the surprisingly misinformed decision to make so much of the wine available by the glass and in flights, which—without Enomatic-style machines—frequently results in long-opened wine that’s oxidizing and changing radically by the day, even with industry-standard vacuum stoppers. Any level of wine drinker will love the leafy patio and its unadulterated view of the city skyline. Inside the cozy, warmly lit refurbished house, walls are anointed with the owner’s photo of his travels throughout winedom.

The selection’s also a good starting point for people, including both New World and Old World regions and styles. Some have a more telling terroir than others, but ask the staff—not the Winedex—for help selecting one. The food’s not so much a driving focus here as it is an often-delicious opportunity to explore its relationship with wine: bright and creamy hummus; good charcuterie and farmstead cheese boards; veal osso buco with surprising marrowy depth. Pot pie is thick and salted just right, with a flaky pastry crust (great, by the way, with one of the slightly oakier white Burgundies).