Cuisine:

• Lounge, club, bar
• Bar
• Coffee Houses
• Contemporary
• French
• Creole

Noir Cafe & Wine Bar Description:
Pasadena chef Claud Beltran, most recently of Madeleines, teams with wine bar guru Mike Farwell (Vertical Wine Bistro) and Alex Gallego to create this intimate restaurant. Chocolate walls lined with posters honoring Paris' legendary Willi's Wine Bar, linen-clad tables and a rear bar create a warm, inviting space, while outdoor tables occupy a small concourse north of the restaurant. Beltran is an accomplished chef and his small plates with eclectic inspirations are consistently solid. Heirloom tomatoes are paired with quality burrata cheese and a vibrant parsley pesto, and Brown Turkey figs and arugula are dressed with elderberry syrup, and topped with crispy shreds of coppa salami. The lively spirit of New Orleans appears with shrimp rémoulade and gumbo, while a rib-eye cap is bathed in a Saint Agur sauce that unfortunately lacks the intensity of this renowned blue cheese. Wild boar chile verde and seared foie gras with grape chutney reinforce the versatility of the kitchen, but portions are small and the tab can take you by surprise if you order aggressively. The wine list, a global affair with 500-plus labels, is first-rate, with plenty of good bottles for bargain hunters and an international celebration of Pinot Noir. A wide selection by the glass, including generously poured flights, suits the small plate format.


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