BRUT Champagne & Wine Bar — Restaurant in Alexandria

Grape + Bean is a quaint wine bar just off the bustling King Street that's perfect if you're looking for a glass of wine, cheese and charcuterie boards, small plates, light lunch or dinner, or even a cup of Joe!

After this year's Old Town Alexandria St. Patty's Day parade, my friend and I popped into Grape + Bean for some wine and cheese. There's not a whole lot of seating here, but we were able to snag a high table for two. The overall look and feel of the place is rustic and homey, a relaxing and comfortable spot to sip some wine, eat some small plates, and engage in friendly conversations.

We both ordered white wines and a cheese board (asked our server to make the cheese selections for us). The cheese board came with 3 types of cheeses, along with an assortment of fresh, handmade breads and other accompaniments like jams and fresh fruit. The cheese board was especially delicious; I really liked all the accompaniments that came with the cheeses they selected for us. The staff here know their stuff!

Another time, I stopped by simply to get some iced coffee. Grape + Bean offers Stumptown and Counter Culture coffee. They also have an Italian roast drip coffee.

Grape + Bean also offers tasting events and wine classes. Wines are lined floor to ceiling at the front, and the staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. They're more than willing to help you find the...

So here's the deal. This is one of those places you walk in and don't know if you should have wine or coffee. The scent of delicious Blue Bottle Coffee beans (SF's best, holler!) takes you away. Then when you ease back into the atmosphere you'll notice vintage clad waitresses holding wine glasses and bottles of wine covering the walls.

This is a place where you go to have deep conversations with friends or a date with a hot philosophical type.

The waitstaff is knowledgeable, but they are going to make you work at what you want to drink. No indecisiveness here. They work with you to find your preference whether you tell them you just want a big bold red or something fruity. It's just the way things are here. Get used to it and then love it.

My recommendation is the Odyssey (my big bold red) with a cheese plate. Their offerings come in a selection of three or five - go for five. You're not going to regret the choices.

Hint: They don't brew espresso coffees. So don't expect a double-latte. This is just more incentive for you to go with their wine...

We dropped by on Dec 31st, 2020, to buy a bottle of champagne. At first the woman behind the bar ignored us entirely. When we asked for help she said she'd be right with us. She was pouring wine for a table. After she was done, she walked by and back to the bar and continued to ignore us, then walked by us again to chat with the customers who she'd just poured wine for. After about 10 minutes of waiting and trying to make eye contact with her, someone else came over to help us. We told him we wanted a very dry champagne, nothing sweet. He asked us again about how sweet we wanted it, and we said again, that we wanted something dry. He sold us a bottle of very sweet, not smooth, hard to swallow champagne from Lanson. It wasn't an expensive bottle, around $54, but it tasted like the warm Korbel that I drank in college during the 80s when I was broke.

For future champagne needs I'll shop at supermarkets that have the brands I am familiar with (Heidsieck, Moet, and Clicquot) instead of trying to support a small business who obviously doesn't...