At first glance, it seemed like a balancing act. Opening a traditional wine bar in the middle of Manhattan, where the urban environment swears by sulfite-free natty wines, seemed an audacious gamble… But Jérôme Mathieu and Massire Sissoko have taken the challenge in stride! Barely two weeks after opening, Le Vin Cœur is running full speed ahead.
Every day, behind the zinc bar, the two friends are in high spirits as they uncork some very fine French (only) wines from all regions: Vacqueyras at $64, Domaine Trimbach at $72, Chardonnay from Antonin Rodet at $60, Viognier Les Cres at $68… “I have a soft spot for Pic Saint-Loup,” confides Sissoko, who used to work at Vin sur Vingt. “Producers are taking a renewed interest in Languedoc, and the region is making a comeback. They’re now making really good wine, far from the clichés of cheap table wines.”
Good food at low prices makes Le Vin Coeur a treat for the locals. “We love the clientele on the Upper West Side: connoisseurs, wine lovers, retirees, and families. Some French, of course, but not all. And a lot of people who come back. That’s what we wanted: a place for regulars where you can feel at home,” says Mathieu.
Like many oenophiles, Mathieu and Sissoko had another life before opening their establishment. “We came to New York together 15 years ago. I was working in production, he always had one foot in the restaurant business,” Mathieu explains. “And in the back of our minds, we had this idea of opening something together. We really started putting the idea into practice two years ago.”
Between the initial idea and the bar opening, a lot of time and money were invested. “It came from our savings. We didn’t take out a loan. As for the work, we didn’t use an interior designer or decorator, we imagined and built everything with the help of two French friends, Sébastien Pradal and Alican Polat,” says the caviste with pride.
Like an island of conviviality in the middle of the affluent Upper West Side neighborhood, just a stone’s throw from the Natural History Museum, Le Vin Coeur looks like a little corner of Paris. From the parquet flooring to the wood-panelled bar, from the aged mirrors inscribed with the menu to the recycled bottle hangers, everything has been carefully thought out.
A Warm and Inviting Bistro
When hunger strikes, the sharing plates at Le Vin Coeur bridge the gap between France and the U.S.: oeufs-mayo ($12), Mac & Cheese dripping with Beaufort ($18), as well as traditional hand-cut beef tartare ($22) and the inevitable charcuterie/fromage board (from $11). “We’ve kept the menu as small as possible, because we want everything to be cooked fresh every day,” explains Mathieu. On this particular day, foie gras terrines with cognac were gently cooking in a bain-marie on the stovetop in the mini-kitchenette lab, while the chef fine-tuned his chocolate fondant.
Vin Cœur is the new, cozy little bistro where you can enjoy an apéritif in style. In addition to the main room and its bar, a smaller adjoining room, also beautifully decorated, is available to rent for private events.
Le Vin Cœur
108 West 81st St
Le-vin-cœur.com
Open Monday to Wednesday from 4pm to midnight, Thursday from 3pm to 1am, Friday and Saturday from 3pm to 2am and Sunday from 3pm to midnight.
This article was originally published in French on French Morning. It appears here in translation.