Went to A. Renee' for a friend's birthday lunch and the place is nicely decorated. I have been there before and it was pretty good. This time it was just OK. I got the trio lunch for 10.00 and ordered the french onion soup, Caesar salad and the grilled cheese. The soup was a nice size but WAY to sweet. I thought the salad and sandwich would balance that out, but the salad was swimming in dressing. To the point that the leaves were wilted. The sandwich was a good size but very bland for a grilled cheese. Normally there will be some saltiness from the butter and/or cheese but it really just tasted like I ate a couple pieces of plain toast. It was very disappointing. It wouldn't stop me from going back, but I would just order something else. I've gone for dinner and had the nosh plate. It was fun and delicious. Even better when you go with friends and order different things to share.
Review Source:Had a long week at work? Need a place where you can get a good glass of wine without shouting sports fans or drunk college kids? yeah... it's adult time at A. Renee.
Two glasses of wine with the hubby and two appetizers to share sitting at the bar were a great way to end the week and start the weekend. With a uniquely decorated bar/sitting area its relaxing, inviting and clever.
This place is a chick magnet. Baby Showers, Ladies Only Happy Hours, Wedding Showers.... not a lot of guys around. Only the smart guys who know to bring their ladies here... or the refined guy looking to meet a refined lady. (hint hint)
We ordered the Bloody Mary Meatballs which the husband adored... 5 meatballs flavorful sauce is slightly sweet but pairs well with Montoya Pinot.
I wanted to try the tasting Trio... which has three dipping choices...  buffalo is like buffalo wings not the meat  and served warm, artichoke dip was super flavorful and warm, hummus was awesome and served room temp, with a mix of pita and tortilla chips... should just be all pita in my opinion and goes well with the gewurtztraminer.
Am I coming back? Heck yeah. Or would a more refined woman say...
" Why yes, I think I shall return."
I stopped in yesterday for the first time & really enjoyed it. Â The decor is feminine and classy, dark and romantic. Â They had great, low key Christmas jazz music playing. Â I was there alone so I just grabbed a seat at the bar.
The service is decent, not fast. Â They have helpful descriptions of their wine, and my server helped me select a snack. Â I settled on their Chex mix which was interesting, I'll say that. Â I would order it again, but there was a lot going on. Â I was looking for cheese and crackers or fruit or something, but the Chex mix was fine.
My wine was great, it was a quiet, relaxing atmosphere, and people left me alone to read a magazine and email. Â I enjoyed myself alone but would definitely love going there with girlfriends. Â I'm planning to go there for my birthday in a few months.
They're not open on Sundays, but if you're in the area any other time, definitely stop in.
Oooohhh! I attended a small shower here and what a great place.  It was  perfect for our small group and the ladies working were so attentive and friendly. The drinks and the food were fabulous and perfect proportions made the prices reasonable.  Thank you for the nice experience!  *L*
Review Source:This past week I went here for the first time. Â People had told me it was good food. Â I tried the "you pick three" option and ordered a turkey sandwich, a cup of french onion soup and small salad. Â They have a decent number to sandwiches to choose from and two other soups. Â I thought all of my food was very good. Â They have additional items you can order during evening hours. Â I thought the inside of the place was good.
Review Source:Great place! Â Big wine list and lots of craft beers! Â They also have a full bar if your not a wino. Â They close pretty early but if your there having a good time they stay open. Â They have yummy apps for evening. Â We went there for lunch and there chili is great! Â Sweet and spicy. Â Bathroom is clean and cute! Â Everyone is super friendly. Â Great service! Â Get a mimosa for dessert!
Review Source:I absolutely LOVE this place. Â It is completely different from anything else in the area, and it is a place that I know I can go, be relaxed, and have a nice glass or bottle of wine with some tasty treats. Â
The owners are awesome, and the wait staff has always been incredibly helpful and kind. Â
I believe, hands down, this is my favorite place in town right now, and I can't wait until I can go back again!!
I still really like this place. It has great ambiance and friendly, unobtrusive service. Buying wine by the bottle is the best value.
The menu changes fairly often. When it is changing, they can be out of items, which can be disappointing. However, we opted to try a cheese plate to share, hereby referred to as the goat cheese extravaganza! The goat cheese extravaganza was more than enough to share and seemed very fresh.
Bonus - there is a little patio area outside, weather permitting.
Although the wine selection is lovely, the food at A renee is a bit of a joke. A fancy name, Pastruben Club,  does not change a lunchmeat sandwich into a delectable selection. I have no idea what the rest of the food is like, but the Pastruben is nothing more than grocery store quality lunch meat served on grocery store bread that tasted like it was two or three days old. There was a minuscule amount of greens served on the sandwich, and  jar quality mayo.  To top it off, we asked the waitress to select a wine that would match our sandwich and we were given a sweet wine. Overall this was such a disappointing experience we are unlikely to return.
Review Source:I love this place! I've gone several times now, and had a good time, every time.
The server starts you out with cucumber infused water. Â They have a categorized wine menu, but also serve some alcoholic drinks that aren't wine. Â They had a limited "nosh plate" menu, but more recently have really expanded their menu (I think because they've expanded their kitchen). Â I saw someone order bloody-Mary meatballs - looked interesting! Â I sampled from their selection of truffles, yum. Â Also, the serving staff is extremely friendly.
The wine bar itself is on the smaller side, but comfortable. Â There's various seating, including bar stools, tables and couches. Â The noise level is relatively quiet for a bar. Â It's connected to their wine shop, which disappointingly has more limited hours. Â I think the shop is super cute. Â They have a wine selection with prices varying from something like $15 to a couple hundred. Â
I've also been to a couple bridal showers here. Â It's not a bad place to host a small event. Â They have an extra room that they open up for a gift/cake table so that the party has some more room, while the rest of the place is still open to the public.
A very cute place for ladies to stop for a light lunch.
For $10 at lunch you get a three choices of three choices of soup, salad and sandwich. These change every week, and are pretty interesting. The portions are skinny bitch size, so don't get your hopes up, my fellow fat fellas. The soups are by the cup. The one I tried wasn't as creamy as I expected a brocoli cheese to be, and it wasn't salty enough either. Some would like it more than me, and would say that it is a refreshing, but I would think brocoli cheese should be indulgent, which it wasnt. The salad I had was side salad sized and delicious. A very nice combination with great (local?) goat cheese and a homemade vinaigrette. The sandwich was a nice idea, but just too small to be taken seriously. It had a very tasty version of those 100 calorie buns that you are seeing all over these days, and diet-portioned insides. In all, it was a tasty meal, accented by excellent coffee and cuke h20, but too skimpy for me.
Service was excellent and effusive. Â Given the location, ambiance, and quality of the food, this is a solid value if you aren't starving. I realize that I am not their target market, but I can appreciate that this would be acceptable for Lucille Bluth. I would try to slip in a joke about good cougar hunting in this territory, and that demo is in definitely in the crosshairs of this classy establishment, but I respect A. Renee just too much for that kind of behavior.
Lunch:
The lunch menu is far more complicated than it needs to be and changes weekly. The food was good, but the portions were small.
Wine:
Good selection of wine. All the wine I've had was delicious, but very pricey. The "nosh" as they call it was strange. Essentially every snack food you'd see at a party (plus cinnamon toast crunch) in a bowl.
Service: Everyone was pleasant and friendly. Seemed to be knowledgeable about the wine.
Overall the place seems a little pretentious, very pricey, but a nice place to stop and have a glass of wine. A nice change from most of the other downtown venues.
A thoughtful selection of wines and an interesting and tasty app menu make this place a real winner. Â Eclectic, warm, and inviting decor makes you feel as though you are in the owners' living room. It is rare to find such ambience in small town middle America. Â I will dub it comfortably sophisticated!
Review Source:Alright, so the deal with A Renee is that it started off as a wine and gift boutique and it's now opening a wine cafe.
The interior is dimly lit and very calming. There are couches, church pews, bar tables, and antiquey decorations throughout. It's the perfect size for a cozy wine cafe and some background Norah Jones ties it all together. I have to say that I was pleased to see one other guy enter right before I was about to leave because I was outnumbered 10:1. I can see why though. If I were a woman, liked wine, and wanted a chill night out, I'd definitely head here.
However, if you are a guy, you like beer, and you want to go for a romantic cocktail with your lady friend, this is also a good choice. All of their beer is local (you won't find Miller or Budweiser here). I didn't even know that O'Fallon, IL had a brewery but I found their beer on the menu. You'll be paying about $5 a bottle so don't plan to come here to get smashed on chocolate stouts or orange infused beers.
Overall, I think this establishment will find a nice fit in downtown Bloomington.
I like A Renee for gifts, candies, crackers, little foodie treats, and interesting wine. Â This is not the place to get wine deals, but their selection for moderately priced stuff is fantastic. Â The staff is friendly when the place is empty, but when they're doing a tasting in the back room, I've always felt a bit unwelcome. Â
Still, this place is well worth supporting. Â I can't wait to see what they do with their space next door when it opens! Â I'll be sure to check it out.
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