Great selection of wines at Kir
The tagline at Kir’s website reads:
Kir – a relaxed and intimate wine bar specializing in mostly European and eclectic wines, accompanied by seasonally constructed small plates.
I would add- “with the best tasting (and best value) wine pours in the city!”
Kir, the clear winner of the inaugural “Best Glass Pours” award, garnered votes for the wine selection, as well as the great hospitality and service. In addition to the votes on www.portlandoregonwine.com, a review on yelp.com summed up the sentiment perfectly:
“Ahhhh Portland. Places like this remind me of why I can never leave you…Where else can you enjoy a fabulous glass of wine while listening to alternative music and enjoying a small plate of French style food?”
Patrons choose from a chalkboard menu (I never know any of the wines, it's half the fun!)
The proprietor Amalie has a tremendous range of glass pours including many choices of each: sparkling, whites, roses, reds, dessert (even good Lambrusco!). Even without a wine aeration system a la Metrovino, Amalie pours only fresh wines and has an even better selection than Metrovino with very affordable prices. Most glass pours are between $6-$9 each, and taste like $30+ wines.
The wines are great, (and great value), but the kicker is these are wines you have never heard of and are primarily European. Basically, Amalie’s palate is so good she picks out unique wines that are perfect with the small plate menu. In my opinion, the expertise of the wine buyer at restaurants and bars is under-rated, as a great wine buyer can transform the experience for patrons without customers even realizing why the meal was so excellent.
The small space (you can see the kitchen) with candles, mirrors and a cozy bar
The place is intimate, simple, quintessentially “east side” and charming. Most importantly, Kir Wine Bar is synonymous with “quality”.
Kir Wine Bar
22 NE 7th Ave
Portland, OR 97214
(503) 232-3063
