New Mirabelle Wine Bar Opens to Rave Reviews

Chef Guy Reuge has expanded his Mirabelle restaurant and tavern with a champagne and wine bar to complement its other culinary offerings. The new wine bar opened Tuesday night to rave reviews.

"It's wonderful," said Richard Rocchio, as he enjoyed a glass of a pinot noir-shiraz blend. "It's very well done and a very good idea."

Dave Seel, who writes about food and wine and posts on Twitter as @foodadventurer, called the wine and champagne bar a nice prelude to a dinner at Mirabelle with a different vibe from the tavern and restaurant themselves.

"I think it's a nice change," he said. "It's a really good idea to have another venue to experience Mirabelle."

The bar offers 21 wines by the glass and dozens of bottles, offerings which will change each month or two months. Several Long Island wines are on the list, including Jamesport's 2010 Riesling and Macari's 2010 Sauvignon Blanc. Special events such as tastings are planned for the space; it's also available for corporate events.

A selection of small plates is available to accompany the champagne and wine, including peconic bay scallops, duck pâté, Serrano ham with fig compote, an artisan cheese plate, and more.

The warm decor is an extension of that of the restaurant, with the addition of a custom designed bar, a focal point around the fireplace, and "a nice modern conception in furnishings," according to dining manager Maria Reuge.

She said renovations took about a month, and should be completed within a week or two with a new outside entrance to the wine and champagne bar.

Reuge said the idea was conceived in September. They wanted to find a way to utilize a space that was originally a side space of the restaurant, but which she said "became sort of Siberia" to guests who preferred to sit in the main part of the restaurant.

"We wanted to kind of go back to our roots at the restaurant, [while] still making use of the space," she said.