With Loyola located in a city that is constantly changing, it’s impossible to not pick up on local trends. Baltimore’s newest hot commodity is wine bars, and we are here to talk about our favorite three. While they all offer an extensive wine list, they also offer fantastic food items to pair your drink with.
13.5% Wine Bar
13.5%, located in Hampden, is the perfect girl’s night spot to help you get through the week. It’s dark and cozy atmosphere guarantees great pictures as well as a night to kick back and relax. They offer an extensive menu of wine cocktails, rosé, white, red, sparkling, and sweet. They even offer tastes of rarer bottles including dessert, fortified, sherry, brandy, and amaro. If you can’t make up your mind, various flight arrangements can be made based on your palette. Beer and cocktails are also available to customers. With small plates ranging from black truffle fries to brussel sprouts, it’s impossible to not find something that you like. Our favorite part of 13.5% is their $5 drink menu that lasts until 7 pm from Tuesday to Friday. They also consistently have live music, so be sure to check out their website to know when the next performances are.
V-NO Wine Bar and Shop
V-NO is the perfect spot to grab a glass of wine and some small bites on a sunny fall day. Positioned right on the harbor in Fells Point, you truly couldn’t relax more if you tried. Red, white, and rosé wines are offered by the glass ranging from $8 to $20. V-NO also offers wine flights, where you can taste four different types of wine in 2-ounce portions (Need help choosing? Check out this link for a wine guide). Pair your glass with small plates like charcuterie & cheese, a Mediterranean plate, or toasted nuts. V-NO serves various panini’s if you’re looking for something more filling, as well as desserts. And don’t worry, if you came just for the view and wine isn’t your thing, then there’s a fantastic selection of beer and cider from various local microbreweries. Thinking of visiting V-NO later in the year? Their menu expands to feature hot cocktails for the cold months. Items such as adult hot chocolate and Irish hot whiskey are there to keep you warm and happy regardless of the weather.
The Corner Bistro and Wine Bar
While the Corner Bistro is a bit out of the way from Loyola, their food and wine list have us continually returning. Located right near Camden Yards, they truly define what it means to be a restaurant in a low-key neighborhood with phenomenal food. If you’re going to make the trek, you absolutely have to have their truffle mac and cheese and crab dip. Their menu is full of classic American fare, which is all family-friendly. While we haven’t tried them yet, everyone raves about the chicken and waffles and that is next on our to-do list. While their wine list is not on their website, they do have an extensive directory to appeal to any kind of connoisseur.
Be sure to check out any of these three wine bar locations and get on the trend with the rest of the city!