first off, the coffee is exceptional. you can get counter culture coffee at pitango, but grape + bean is the only place you can get blue bottle coffee. you must try blue bottle if you're at all a coffee fan.
beyond this, though, the value is not good enough. we had good food here, yes, but it is far too expensive for us to justify a return visit. and the bread on the sandwich was so over-toasted that it felt like razors in the mouth. had we not been a hurry, we certainly would have asked for a replacement. oh well.
always a crowd here when  I stop in at Lavender Moon cupcake store next door. Today, I decided to drop in, check out the menu and return later. Well....ye of weakness when it comes to good wine & food...I ran 7 miles this morning and hadn't eaten, so I  sat the bar where Holly and Devon told me about the place and recommended some great vegetarian options. wine flights of some great whites (yay to Albarino, from Spain natch) and a very unique Chenin Blanc. what got me were the crostinis: packed with flavor, simple ingredients and they actually allowed me to get a sampler of three different ones....very nice to accommodate me.
owner David came out, introduced himself, talked about his #3 restaurant about to open up. What a great guy. Super place/food/wine/atmosphere. Easy to understand why there is always a crowd here. Within walking distance of my casa too.
Life is good. Wondering if they serve hot chocolate in the winter. Not that i even WANT winter to come rearing its ugly head but looking forward to that...but i don't think they have a spirits license: just beer & wine.
I've been a regular patron at Grape + Bean's Old Town location since it opened, and I can't say enough good things about this place. It's rare that my husband and I take a trip to Old Town and don't stop here for a late lunch and a glass of wine. Most recently, we went here this past weekend and (luckily!) managed to snag an outdoor table (probably my only gripe about this place - love the intimate neighborhood feel but it is so popular it gets very crowded). We each had two glasses of wine and split the cheese & charcuterie plate. I love that there are always a ton of choices for meat and cheese, along with a "cheese of the day" option; never hesitate to ask for a recommendation because they are always spot-on! Weekends are always a treat when I get to spend time at Grape + Bean.
Review Source:so my good friend came into town last friday (3/22) and since she had never been to DC and i had never been to alexandria, we decided to go on an adventure. despite being cold, we both loved the atmosphere of alexandria and all the great unique shops.
i saw that grape + bean was a must visit place after doing some online research, and i'm so glad i listened and brought my friend in!
first, we each got a wine flight, which is three pours of wine (each, so 6 total) of any kind from the menu that ends up equaling a glass of wine. this was something i had never done and i really enjoyed doing something new. there were so many options, which was awesome. i cant' remember which 6 we got, but i know we got 6 white/light wines & that the champagne was great! we also split a grape + bean salad (splitting it was plenty even for 2 people) and the american artisan flatbread with shaved prosciutto + fresh thyme and added on white truffle oil - AMAZING.
the place is quaint and quiet, but very friendly and happy. loved our waitress, who was a fellow mizzou grad and i enjoyed looking around at all the wines and such.
a must go to! and i will go again :)
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 selection. Boom.
Excellent coffee, excellent food, excellent service. Â They treat their coffee like fine wine, with very descriptive (a bit over the top in my opinion) menu blurbs. Â A bit pricey for a very casual (but enjoyable) establishment, but worth it, especially considering that Old Town is pricey in general. Â Fantastic place to stop by for high quality food and drink on a sunny day (if you can snag one of the two outdoor tables).
Review Source:Stopped in for a bite Saturday afternoon. Â This is a very small intimate place which serves coffee, wine/beer, lunch and dinner. Â We sat at a little bar at the picture window in front which backs right up to the small counter. Â The tables and counters were full so it was quite tight in the restaurant. Â
My husband and I shared some wine and a cheese/charcuterie plate. Â The cheeses and meats we selected were fresh and delicious. Â They were served with breads which we learned came from Restaurant Eve, grapes, olives and a tasty whole grain mustard. Â We found the wine selection to be nice with some unusual offerings. Â We enjoyed the Odysseus Pirorat quite a bit - nice wine from Spain we don't normally find out. Â Service was friendly and timely. Â
We enjoyed our stop quite a bit and will be back next time we want to share some wine in Old Town. We particularly enjoy the outdoor seating when the weather is nicer!
We stumbled upon Grape+Bean while searching for a place to have a pre-dinner drink. The entire place is tiny with an intimate inside and a small patio out-front. They had a nice selection of wines and small plates. The thing I was most impressed by was the service; when I got my wine (and hated it) the server replaced it without question.
Review Source:My sister and I stopped in while out and about in Old Town shopping to have a bit of charcuterie and a glass of wine. It's a lovely small place with good atmosphere. Our wines were delicious and the meats and cheeses were delicious. The service on a busy day left something to be desired.
In addition to serving food and wine, they also sell meat, cheese, coffee and wine. I asked if they had serrano ham in stock and was told that they did when we ordered our food and wine. I let our server know I would like some to take home before we left. Was told no problem, and I was elated as I have a household member from Spain who finds it hard to get good Serrano ham.
As we wound down our wine and cheese plate I reminded our server that I'd need that ham, he asked if I'd need it sliced. After this a 30 minute game of cat and mouse relative to the ham ensued. First he asked if it was OK if it was unsliced, fine I said, I have a slicer. Then he asked if it was OK if it wasn't a full 3/4 lb, but just a few slices. Seriously, if you can slice a few slices, why not slice what I asked for???? Finally I gave up and just took the few slices.
The whole sliced ham debacle reallly detracted from my experience and because of it I'm unable to give this establishment a better rating despite the quality of the food and wine. The right thing to do, would have been to tell me they didn't have time to get my ham for me, not make me wait for a half hour while they decided to give me 3 slices.
Grape and Bean won me over and convinced me that Alexandria was where I wanted to live in the DC area.(Over a year ago) Â The staff are terrific every time I come here. Â One afternoon I just wanted a cup of coffee and chocolate(last month)- they made up a plate just for me. It looked so beautiful that a gal who came in after me asked if they could make one for her too. They did. Â Now that is WOW! for customer service. Â inventing something on the spot for a customer instead of saying-"No we don't have that." Something is very very right here.
When you treat me so well when I just want coffee and chocolate- you know I will be back when I want to spend even more.
This place may deserve my all time highest customer service rating ever. Yeah, it does, because it wasn't just me they took such good care of it was the other customers that day too. Way to go!
I wonder if Justin would have continued to date me had I spent our entire first date talking about Meow Meow, showing him pictures of her on my phone, and reaching my peak excitement of the evening when occupied with thoughts of my feline companion. Â I hope not, but then the crazy cat lady in me wonders if I may have talked about her just a little bit.
GRAPE + BEAN is a particularly small wine and coffee bar. Â How does this relate to crazy cat ladies? Â Or, maybe more importantly, how do crazy cat ladies relate to G+B? Â Because the tables in the back are so tight that you're literally in your neighbors' conversation, and the couple beside Brianna and me were quite clearly on a first/second date. Â Even I saw the chick's pictures of her Maine Coon. Â Your cat may be huge lady, but mine could beat yours up any day. Â Rawr! Â Strangely enough, but not as strange as the scenario, the acoustics of the space mean that you actually don't hear most of the other people's conversation. Â I could very easily have tuned them out without hearing a single word. Â However, just like hearing your name said half way across a crowded room, when I hear anything about a cat, my whiskers perk up. Â The seating in the front is along the bar/walls, and the spacing on the front window is so tight with the bar that I don't think any non-anorexic people could sit on both sides at the same time. Â
If you can snag a seat, you'll be in for a treat. Â This place isn't your typical wine bar; it has more of a locals only feel (but in Old Town we welcome everyone!). Â Maybe that's because it's not right on King Street or because it's so small that it feels really intimate. Â They have something like 250 bottles of wine available (though it's irksome that so many are kept along the walls of the dining area standing upright and surrounded by lit candles) and about 20 varieties available by the glass. Â The variety of the reds by the glass was limited. Â If they only have maybe 8 choices, why have two pinot noir and two cabernet sauvignon? Â And when you're selling $11-14 glasses of wine, there are plenty of other, better choices than what was listed. Â There is also a refrigerated area with beer and our waitress was helpful in selecting a fruity Dogfish Head for Brianna. Â Aww, sweet memories of Augusta, GA where Mr. T once described that very beer as "tast[ing] like a dream."
If you're hungry, there are some small plates, salads, and sandwich options, as well as cheese and charcuterie plates. Â The menu is more amenable to lunch at one of the two small tables on the "patio" outside and the C+C plates seem better for snacking with wine, especially given the set up of small tables / bar seating inside. Â I've sampled some of the cheeses and have ordered the BLT (very fresh veggies, overall quite good, served with potato chips).
G+B is also an adorable place to come for coffee in the mornings. Â After having wooed Justin enough by not talking about my cat, we came one day for a breakfast of coffee and a cookie (from somewhere else, oops). Â It'd be a perfect spot to stroll to hand-in-hand on a crisp fall morning, get warmed up by coffee and leisurely walk home ready for the day. Â It'd be even cuter if Meow would learn to walk on her leash and accompany us.
Cute, very small (tiny) wine bar on a side street. Â Service was great. Â However, we were there during the day, during the week and there were four or five patrons. Â
Food/wine: Â Wines were okay, nothing out of this world unusual, special or remarkable. Â Prices seemed a bit high considering the wines were not special. Â
Food: Â Typical (very) meat & cheese plate. Â NOTHING special here. Â Have had much better at a Hilton hotel bar and many other wine bars for less $. Â Price here was $25. Â
Total for lunch for two: Â $60 (ouch). Â
Food: Â Typical, 3/5
Wine: Â Typical, 3/5
Music: Â MUSAK (some hits, some misses, too loud for just a few people during the day), 2/5
Atmosphere: Â 2/5
Service: Â Very good, 4/5
Love love love. Wandered in here on a Friday night with a friend and bellied up to two spots at the wood bar. The staff here is so helpful and kind, and helped us each pick a glass of wine to imbibe. We also let them take the reigns with a 5 selection cheese + charcuterie plate with cornichons, mustard, olives and caper berries.
I couldn't have been happier with the diverse selection of wines, the adorable atmosphere and the helpful staff.
Perfect way to catch up with a friend and try interesting cheeses and wines. Will come back here again and again when in Old Town.
Great li'l wine bar that serves up some damned good coffee.
And not just any ol' coffee, I mean the good stuff. Like, these-coffee-beans-were-roasted-in-the-Guatemalan-Âvolcanoes-by-magical-children kinda good.
Like, this-coffee-has-hints-of-hibiscus-Bing-cherries-Âand-tastebud-tantilizers kinda good.
So help me if you add cream or sugar to that caffeinated goodness without tasting it first. Trust me: it's great without any additions. Just take a sip. Just a sip.
You can thank me later.
It was late afternoon and a day of meetings had been completed, so what better way to wind down than relaxing in a wine bar and enjoying a selection of delicious cheese and wine, all while listening to soft bluegrass music (Allison Krauss and Old Crow Medicine Show FTW). Â The staff was very knowledgeable and was able to help guide me through the list of reds to create a perfect flight of wine. The cheese selections were served with an assortment of breads and fruit which all paired quite nicely. Â
In addition to the quality of the food and drink and the friendly staff, I also thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere. It had a nice, unpretentious feel to it. Very relaxed and subdued. Bottled wine for purchase was grouped by region along the walls in the back, and there was a small bar up front.
Should you find yourself in Old Town and want a quaint place to relax and unwind, don't hesitate to give the Grape + Bean a shot.
Grape + Bean is a wonderful tucked away little gem, like a forgotten piece of favorite jewelry or a favorite classic album or a perfectly worn sweater. Â It's cozy and quaint and the perfect spot for catching up with a good friend.
The staff is knowledgeable and attentive without being overwhelming. Â Like the delicious wines that they serve, they give you room to breathe and enjoy your surroundings. Â
I confess, I haven't been able to move past their fabulous cheese and charcuterie options. The multiple times I've recently been, I've appreciated the thoughtful selections and generous plating. Â
This is obviously not much of a secret with almost 150 reviews, but each time I go, I feel like I am stepping into my favorite neighborhood bar, where quality service flows as freely as the wine!
It's a cute little spot, and the service was decent, but it wasn't really my thing.
I thought that the food was overpriced. I had the mozzarella and pepper - a "small plate," it was definitely small considering the price. It tasted amazing (ciabatta with creamy mozzarella drizzled in basil sauce and sprinkled in sea salt, topped with a roasted pepper). But there wasn't enough cheese and bread on my plate for 9 bucks. They also gave my friend an overly detailed discussion about coffee processing when she just wanted to order a cup of joe. It just felt a little too hoity-toity in there.
Why haven't I been here before? We sought out G+B in Old Town after stopping in their new location in the Rosemont neighborhood (which isn't serving food yet). What an awesome "coffee house"! We grabbed a couple of seats at the bar and ordered two sandwiches and iced coffee. The iced coffee was a tasty blue bottle variety (bb is one of my favorite San Fran coffee houses). The Onesto Gusto is G+B's take on the italian sub. AWESOME! The Rosemary Ham + Gruyere is equally tasty. I'll certainly be ordering them again.
I'm still trying to figure out why I hadn't been to Grape + Bean before. Maybe I thought it was just a shop to pick up wine and coffee for home use. That was certainly misguided. Can't wait to go back to the Old Town location and look forward to the new Rosemont location opening their kitchen in the near future.
Received a gift card to here over the holidays, and decided to use it at the much acclaimed sandwich shop.
I got the Ham, and my wide the Turkey. They each came with much fancier titles on the menus and I'm doing them a terrible injustice to just call them Ham and Turkey.
My Ham came with an excellent white cheese and spicy mustard, and what might have been kettle chips.
My wife's Turkey was an herb Mayo ans financial on veggies and a fruit side. Both were good but the Ham was by and far much better.
Ahhhh Grape and Bean. Â You were one of my first visits after moving to the DC area. Â
Back in Oakland, there was a wonderful little coffee shop right down the street from my house that I could roll to in my pajamas and pick up some coffee and freshly baked goodie. Â
Sadly, the Grape and Bean is a little too far away and a little too fancy to be able to do that, but when strolling through Old Town and you need some java, this is the place to go.
I've come here a number of times since the first coffee visit for wine and food. Â And both have been really good. Â On my first food visit, I had some sort of truffled toast with an egg on it and it was divine. Â Most of the food that I've had since has also been quite delectable. Â The wine flights are reasonable and the staff is almost always attentive and will answer any question you may have.
I say almost always because it gets crowded in here. Â Really crowded. Â With the communal tables and the bottleneck that can happen at the door, it can get pretty claustrophobic. Â I guess that's the price you pay for getting popular. Â
Although I like the cozy atmosphere, there are times when it's just too much for me...regardless of the fact that I can't wear my pajamas. Â It's definitely worth a visit, just go when you think it won't be so busy. Â You'll be happy you did.
Stopped by and this place is tiny! I know some places are in old town, but the layout is also not helping the small space at all. It was hard to maneuver and I was not sure what what I was supposed to be doing.
I tried the cheese plate here and it was not good! Dry dry bread and too much of it! Fresh fruit was ok but the compote was delicious. I needed an actual cheese knife but i guess they do not have that?
The place was dark and had a nice after-work atmosphere. I might go and try their actual food or go to their wine tastings, but the cheese plate was not something I would recommend.
The wine I had was not good- had much better Rieslings elsewhere.
I wish this place was in Ballston--but would it have the same cozy charm? Hmmm...
Went last night for drinks and snacks--and by snack I mean:
-amazing charcuterie with quince paste and truffle honey(I could consider living off of that alone with a loaf of bread)
-buffalo mozzarella crostini with basil and black sea salt
-great wine selection by the glass (white bordeaux is excellent)
Nota Bene: staff was well informed and sincere...crowd was a relaxed non-stuffy  atmosphere of the DC metro area. Yes people were talking shop at acronym related jobs, but there were far more interesting people than the usual dc joint. ahh alexandria...
I felt like I was at home the instant I walked it--can't wait to come back
I love this place on so many levels, and knew I would when I found it researching local venues in San Francisco, prior to my move.
5 stars for:
- Blue Bottle Coffee
- delicious, healthy & fresh salads and sandwiches
- wide variety wine selection
And you know what else? The owner spent time living in Northern California, and we talked about how it rubs off on you :) Yes, yes it does!
Specifics:
- I tried the mission fig (from NorCal!), gorgonzola & pecan salad, and not only was it yummy, but it was beautiful (see photo)
Oh, Good Lord, how it pains me, PAINS ME, to write this review. PAINS ME.
I went to grape and bean and it was amazing. 5+ star worthy. Perfection( see first review). So, I took my Mother and best friend back and it was nearly negative star worthy, if it hadn't been for a save near the end and the fact that it PAINS me to tell the truth of our nightmarish experience.
We went for dinner. PS. they have funky hours. Like No Sundays and Mondays before 6pm. We got there, got parking(no problem) and went in to Grape & bean. The place was packed. There were people everywhere- at the bar, on the sides, at the tables in the back, standing. From what I gather, they were holding a wine tasting on the same night that a large promotion was ending( No one needs to tell them how smart an idea this was... or maybe they do given what I experienced?).
We finally got a table, a table for two for our party of three. I like that cramped, cozy, we can't really accommodate you feel. What was worse.. was that our table was attached to another table of two and the people next to us could not have been more obnoxious. They continually argued with each other, joined in on our conversations, spoke to each other about their food, our food, food in general and then gave us discerning looks after beginning the conversation with us that didn't really include us. PS. I did not take off stars for the poor company.
We ordered, between the three of us, one glass of wine, three waters, a soda and a beer. After only ordering one glass of wine, our waitress basically scoffed and left. We got our drinks about 10 minutes later. Because the place was so packed, it was HOT and for this reason, we wanted refills. A Â couple of times my Mother said loudly, "Excuse me," and our waitress turned around looked in our direction and then continued on in her original direction. YOU'VE BEEN CAUGHT! Bad move.
We got our meals; well, 2/3 of our meals. My meal came out 20 minutes after everyone else in the party had nearly finished their meals. This worked out since the table was so small. As I received my very delayed meal, I heard grumbles and loud remarks by other patrons complaining about the time it was taking to receive their food.
I ordered the truffled egg on toast, after my first choice was sold out. The toast was SO DRY, sahara desert dry. The truffled egg was good. I finally found another waitress who asked how everything was( She's actually the sweetest, best server I've ever met and she was one of the servers from my first visit). I told her it was not at all what I was expecting and I was very disappointed. She took it off the bill and handled it like a pro. I should have asked for her name.
Long story short, 2 stars is generous given our experience. I don't think either of my guests would ever go back. We joked later saying the experience was "like Night and Day," literally. The first 5 star experience was during the afternoon/mid day. This evening, nightmarish debacle was during the evening.
My vote- go during the day and ask for another server if you get the blonde.
Wine bar review only. Â Ready?
It's OK.
To elaborate...
Atmosphere: really cozy and intimate. Â Meaning, tiny tiny space with only three tables and maybe eight spots at the two bars? Â But inviting, candle lit, and rustic. Â If you can score a table, just be aware that you'll be very -very- close to your neighbors. Â If they suck, it'll ruin the whole atmosphere. Â It happens. Â Like when we visited and the three loud ladies at the table next to us were laughing like bullhorns and drumming the table with their fists in time to their laughter. Â This place is way to small for all that. Â If you're gonna act the drunk fool you would in your own living room, stay home would ya?
Wine selection: not huge, but what they offer is pretty nice. Â I like that you can make a wine flight from *any* three wines on the menu. Â No pre-determined wine flights. Â
Food: hit or miss. Â We sampled the charcuterie/cheese board for starters. Â While the portions are very generous, the cheese seemed to come straight from the fridge so the flavor depth and verity weren't there. Â Choices were really limited, too. Â When I asked the server which of the cheeses was the stinkiest, he couldn't be sure. Â And when it arrived it wasn't nearly stinky enough for me. Â Husband liked his chicken salad with heirloom tomato and walnuts, tho.
Prices: a bit dear. Â $10 average per glass of wine. Â $24 for a cheese board. Â I like to have a good time, but I'm not made of money. Â I couldn't come here every week and still pay the mortgage.
Service: kinda detached and disinterested. Â Had to ask two separate servers three separate times for extra accompaniments for the cheese. Â Had to flag someone down each time we wanted a new drink. Â But adorable Christine (Kristine? Cristine?) with the braces is awe-mazing. Â Also, on a Friday night we got a cold boot to the behind at the decidedly early hour of 10:30 pm. Â On a Friday night. Â We weren't expecting the place to close so early.
Overall: I'm still a bigger fan of Del Ray's Cheesetique for the whole wine and cheese experience. Â Someone tell me the coffee is worth the effort to come here, tho, and I might reconsider a visit.
I know I'm in the minority, but I found G & P to be like a somewhat talented, young person with an enormous ego. Â It's a place that is just a little full of itself. Â They have a nice wine and beer selection (neither extensive) and a staff that is engaged and fairly knowledgeable. Â
Beyond that, I found it enormously overpriced for a neighborhood wine shop/coffee bar with a limited menu and limited ambiance. Â I went alone on a Saturday afternoon. Â I ordered the mixed charcuterie/cheese plate ($24) and a couple of glasses of wine. Â The plate is easily enough for 2 people to snack on (and they graciously wrapped up leftovers for me) but I think $50+ for one lunch for one person is quite a lot in a setting that is casual at best.
My girlfriend and I had a groupon to use here, so we decided to go down here for brunch one Sunday. Â After checking the website, they don't open until 12 on Sunday, which begs the question of why they say their open for brunch. Â If you don't open before noon, I would say "br"eakfast portion of the meal is out and its more like Sunday lunch.
This place is your stereotypical boutique wine bar, the variety that are becoming ubiquitous in NOVA.
We started with the anchovies, and heirloom tomato spread on french baguette. Â Then I had the smoked chicken salad sandwich on ciabatta an my girlfriend had the truffled egg. Â All of the dishes were decent but the menu items were long on fancy descriptions of exotic ingredients and scant on proportion. Â
The truffled egg was an egg, over medium on a big piece of bread, with a melted slice of gruyere and some truffle oil, with a small mixed green salad. Â For $13? Â White truffle oil yes, but that seems a little steep for one egg and a lot of bread. Â
The chicken salad sandwich was good as well, but quite petite and served with chips, for $11.
Only the anchovies I thought justified the price. Â
I had the coffee and my girlfriend had a mimosa which were both delicious as well, albeit pricey.
This place is part gourmet food shop, part wine shop, part coffee shop, but doesn't do either particularly well and thus fails at all three. Â Bottom line, if you're going to drop $50 on Sunday lunch for 2, your money can be much better spent elsewhere.
Seriously? Â This place is everything that I find annoying about Old Town (and Yelp reviews too).
Let's look at the offerings (all spelled out in prior reviews):
1. Â Fancy Clover machine that is broken all the time;
2. Â Tiny and expensive wine selection (there is a Balducci's and Whole Foods just down the street, among other offerings);
3. Â Tiny and expensive "gourmet" food selection (see above);
4. Â Tiny space that will accommodate two or three current-sized Americans;
5. Â Spotty service.
6. Â They don't serve wine on Sundays.
But who cares about that when the place opens at noon!!! Â Hello! Â A coffee place that opens at noon on weekdays and Sunday, and nine on Saturday morning. Â Seriously? Â Maybe I'm crazy, but I drink coffee in the morning. Â And the wine bar is only open until 9pm. Â 9pm!
Like many places in Old Town, this place is just phoning it in and wasting retail space. Â Those of us who live there would patronize a place like this if they were serious about business. Â Instead, this is apparently the coffee/wine bar version of a "ladies who lunch" old town boutique.
I am also surprised reading the other reviews where customers had horrible service or no service (or writing a 5 star review of a wine bar that didn't serve you wine!!) and yet the place still got more than one star? Â Unbelievable. Â "OMG, it's a wine bar! Â Just like Europe or something. Â 5 stars definitely."
A friend and I set out on an Old Town Alexandria adventure today and this was, by far, the best place we experienced.
After having lunch at the nearby Ichiban and a belly full of sashimi, we fully craved a little something sweet. Â We set out to find Lavender Moon and managed to bump into fellow Yelper Laura V. there. Â I noticed that G+B was right next door, so we elected to go have some wine before having the cupcakes. Â We walked in, immediately took notice of the charm of the place, and took to seats at the bar. Â We asked if we could do a wine flight or order some wine and we were told, to our astonishment, "Oh, we don't serve wine on Sunday."
:::cue the screeching sound of a needle scratching across a record:::
Say what? Â I swore she was kidding and I tried to convince her of it, but nope, she was as serious as could be. Â To her credit, she mentioned that we could taste some wine in 1oz pours. Â Not one to turn down any wine in my new-found desire to learn more about them, I said not just yeah, but HELL yeah.
Our server, Hildja, was *awesome*. Â Just plain aw. some. Â She offered us a tasting of Linden's Hardscrabble Chardonnay, which my friend really enjoyed. Â We also tried a red wine that I wasn't too crazy about. Â We decided we'd head out to Lavender because the place started to get busy and we didn't want to unnecessarily take up seats since we weren't eating or buying anything at the moment.
After our cupcake break, my friend came back to the G + B for a business card.  Well, when he opened the door, the aroma of fresh brewed coffee slapped me in the face like  an upright cow in a field full of drunken frat boys.  I looked at my friend and asked him if he would like to get a cup of coffee, and we again found ourselves at the bar to get a sampler size (6oz) of coffee.  It was the -perfect- size, especially since we were still full from the Lavender and I needed something to break the sugar rush hanging around my mouth.  It was also my chance to see the famous coffee machine at work.  Impressive, indeed.
Once we were finished with the coffee, we started chatting with Hildja, who noticed we had returned for more time at the bar. Â She brought some glasses for us and started us on another round of tasting. Â We also started to make some new friends at the bar--two ladies on our left, a group of friends on our right. Â
We tried:
Francois de Rozay (champagne)--OMG so crisp and clean! Â Runs 35.00 a bottle and totally a champagne I would buy if I had something to celebrate.
Cremant de Bourgoune (sp?) (champagne)--nice, but I clearly preferred the Rozay. Â
Pattiana--an organic Sauvignon Blanc that was a well balanced and not overpowering wine. Â I bought a bottle to take home.
Domaine de Fontsainte--a rose that was very, very, light. Â Almost like there was no alcohol in it and you'd drink it fast and then next thing you know, you're acting like me after three sips of a martini, winking at everyone in sight wanting to know, "Hey, *wink* how youuuuu doooin'?"
The rain started while we were sitting there and I couldn't imagine a better place to wait the downpour out. Â The staff here are amazing, incredibly well versed on both the wines and coffee they serve, and more than willing to share their wealth of knowledge with you if you ask them questions.
We absolutely, totally and completely plan on returning. Â With service and an atmosphere like that, how could you not?
Apparently I'm as easily enraptured by the mysterious operation of the Clover machine as the toddler who was in his dad's arms, similarly observing the barista at work. Â I never boasted of having more maturity than a three year-old...
I haven't decided yet whether or not I can actually tell the difference between a cup of coffee prepared via pour-over vs. a cup of coffee spat out by the ultra-schmancy, reportedly $11,000 Clover machine as they have here at Grape + Bean.
What I can say is that one must be patient. Â Like, -seriously- patient, if you want your cup of notably delicious coffee. Â They have to single-cup grind the beans that you order, toss them into the Clover machine, let it work its brewing magic. Â One. Â Cup. Â At. Â A. Â Time. Â zOMG.
But, on the other hand, I will say that the quality of the brew shines through after. Â No burnt taste. Â Just clean, fresh coffee that's worth a visit if you're in the neighborhood.
This is a fun spot to visit, esp for out-of-towners. I personally love the rustic interior with exposed brick and natural wood bar and tables.
I've had their fancy Clover-brewed coffee four times now. Each time I hope it will taste better to me or that I will have obtained the palate to appreciate it. So far, no success. Â The good: coffee isn't acidic and is almost tea-like in how delicate it is on your tastebuds. The bad: coffee tastes watered down and like the beans have been sitting out for too long. I'm used to a coffee that smacks me in the arse - like Starbucks - but this coffee doesn't do that.
The Clover brews like a french press, but the difference is that instead of pressing the grinds away from the coffee, the coffee is vacuumed through a filter and into your cup. The other benefits to the Clover relate more to the coffeemaker: you can set digitally the exact water temperature and serving size.
G&B sells specialty salt from around the world, like fleur de sel and black salt from Hawaii. They also sell jams that tell you what cheeses (i.e. Roquefort) they match with best. Â
Their bar spot by the window is now my favorite spot to sit in Alexandria on a sunny, cold day. You can people watch the outdoors but also enjoy the rustic interior of G&B.
Best. Coffee. Ever.
I could go on to say that I have always loved Starbucks and loved Cafe Misha and discuss that I am usually not a coffee snob. I could say that a cup of Folgers usually does the trick, but after today I am a born again coffee aficionado.
I suppose you have to drink a lot of cups to find the right one.
If you're a coffee snob, then this is the place for you! Â (I'm just as happy with a cup of joe from 7-eleven, so what do I know). Â Still, hanging around and listening to the patrons chat it up with the owner/operator, David, you feel like you pick up some of that je ne sais quoi through osmosis alone. Â :)
Definitely the place to go if you're looking for a gift for that hard to please person in your life.
Wine tastings Fridays from 5 to 7p.m., includes a selection of cheeses and meats.
p.s. If you're curious about the Clover coffee machine (world renowned single brew machine costing $11k), check out this article:
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.slate.com%2Fid%2F2185655&s=afa7278f5c3bb0bbf095df6d9f4af5f0f0ffd3c38a4f1e51bd965e317b163546" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.slate.com/id/…</a>
You probably know that I hate leaving DC. As such, perhaps the only thing I need to say about Grape and Bean is that it gives me reason to happily leave DC. If this doesn't sound like  a compelling reason to visit in and of itself I'll try to illuminate you.
Grape and Bean is a specialty shop in Old Town Alexandria, opened in February 2008, that puts the special back in specialty shopping. The emphasis, as the name implies, is on wine and coffee, and the store features the first Clover coffee machine in the DC-area. The selection of wines rivals other wine shops and the drink selections are rounded out by an offering of quality beers, sodas, and juices. Other offerings that don't feature into the Grape and Bean name: cheese, breads from Restaurant Eve (currently the only retail location to purchase yummy baguettes from the restaurant), chocolates from Kingsbury Confections, locally-baked cookies, mixed nuts, and fruit. In other words, a locally-focused shop to visit before your next dinner or beginning to a picnic on a beautiful day.
Although I've since returned, my first glimpse at Grape and Bean was an after-hours event where I was able to sample some of the aforementioned offerings. The Clover machine coupled with choice coffee beans sourced from Kenya, Columbia, and other far-flung coffee locales, does a nice job of turning this espresso drinker into a coffee appreciator. I also sipped a quite-tasty Barolo (Prunutto, 2003) and a white and sparkling wine. I won't attempt to describe any of the wines here in hopes of not embarrassing myself but I hope it'll suffice to say that I enjoyed them all immensely. Paired with the cheese, bread, chocolate, or really divine olive oil (San Patrizio), I momentarily wondered why I choose to obsess over cupcakes and not anything else I ate and drank that evening.
While all the employees are Grape and Bean are friendly and awesome, you'll want to make sure you chat with the owner, David. He's so well versed in everything stocked in the store (and rightly so) and more than happy to make recommendations, hand out samples, and surely do his best to fulfill special requests. It's obviously he cares tremendously for what he does and the items he carries; the store and neighborhood are all the better for it.
Though you'll want to make Grape and Bean a regular stop, make sure to visit during either their Friday evening wine tastings or Sunday coffee tastings to sample their offerings and tempt yourself into buying half the store.
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