Bar l’etranger: Ambiance is all that matters

Well, perhaps not ALL that matters, but certainly ambiance is the foremost selling point for this vintage French-themed haunt which took over the vacant space left by the Bristol Bar on the corner of Summit and 5th in November of last year. Helmed by Jeff Mathes of Barrio and Due Amici fame, Bar l’etranger strives to be described as eclectic, chic, vintage, and existential, and nearly succeeds on the surface, but it takes more than naming your bar after an Albert Camus novel to achieve such lofty goals.

The interior design is undeniably attractive and unique. Vintage chairs, couches, and unusual seating fill a well-planned out space designed for intimate moments and quiet conversations. The elegant décor reaches for the French Riviera or Marseilles of nearly a century ago, mixing the voluptuous seating of a turn-of-the-last century parlor room with an intentionally worn and battered bar and fixtures. The hardwood floors and brick interior walls are softened by old oriental rugs and velvet and sheer drapes angling over much of the walls and ceiling. Unique touches such as a twelve foot palm tree and a rope-suspended swing bed keep the feel interesting and whimsical and keep the environment from becoming too doughtily Victorian or shabby-chic. All the rough edges and much used pieces are transformed by cleverly romantic lighting from several beautiful art nouveau light fixtures, vintage chandeliers, and liberal use of real candlelight. Despite the eclectic and unusual nature of the setting it all comes together so well that even the most pedestrian visitor soon feels comfortable and at ease.

Although Bar l’etranger is clearly designed to be a French wine bar first and foremost, they wisely offer a wide variety of vintage and house cocktails as well as a standard stock of spirits and a few interesting import beers including Fin du Monde and several Belgians, Duvel and Hoegaarden among them, and a few microbrews. A small food offering consists of a few shareable items such as a charcuterie and a cheese plate (both really very good, and large enough to deserve the $16 price tag), a few salads and an olive tapenade.

The wine list is exclusively French, ranging from $32 to $165 a bottle, with many offerings by the glass in the $8 to $14 range. There is a good selection of both whites and reds, including a Perrin Cotes du Rhone Rouge (an outstanding French red for the price-$32) and an Alsace Riesling from Trimbach that sets the standard for the highest quality of that grape you can buy under $100 ($48 here). Setting the wine list apart however is a nice selection of champagne, three available by the glass, with bottles half price on Wednesdays. I have to say it made for a great experience to be lounging on a vintage couch when a server brings you a bottle of champagne on ice with two flutes and you know you’re only paying $16 for you and a companion to each have three glasses of bubbly.

The cocktail list is interesting and includes such vintage standards as the French 75 (named after a small but powerful French artillery piece from World War I), Sidecar, and Hurricane, as well as a few hard to find recipes like the Kir (sometimes called a Kir Royale) and the Sazerac (the first cocktail invented in America). The house cocktails include an Orange Blossom, Hendricks Cucumber, and OYO Manhattan (nice to see them using our local vodka). All the cocktails run $9 or $10. I’ve tried the French 75, Hurricane, Kir, Sazarac, Vieux Carre, and French Martini. None were objectionable, but none were outstanding, either. Perhaps I’ve been spoiled by Mouton, which offers a number of fantastic cocktails at a similar price point just down the street (but without the pleasant environment of l’etranger to be sure). The French 75 has long been a favorite of mine, it’s a made with gin, champagne, orange or lemon, and simple syrup. Here they substitute the simple syrup out in favor of a sugar cube, which makes for nice presentation as it bubbles away in your glass, but definitely makes an already brisk drink a bit too sharp. The French Martini was the drink most of the people in my group preferred.

The staff at Bar l’etranger is a mixed group. The bartenders I’ve had have been universally friendly but a bit unpolished for such a swanky place. They also spent some time consulting the recipes when making drinks, and had to look up answers to questions about ingredients. The cocktail servers I’ve seen have all been great—very attractive, friendly, and professional. They help the look and feel of the place by dressing either in vintage cocktail dresses or corsets and skirts. The several times I’ve visited the bar have all been good experiences, with one truly excellent customer service story-we arrived at the bar just after open and they were having trouble with their fusebox, and were powerless for over an hour. Since we were already in the bar, the manager bought our two drinks for us, but said he’d have to close after dark if the power wasn’t fixed. We had more friends meeting us there and he was kind enough to unlock the door for them, and bought them all a round as well. A tough situation that was dealt with very well. We will definitely be back.

The bar is open from 5pm to 2am Wednesday through Saturday, and offers free valet parking. They are closed Sunday through Tuesday. Bar l’etranger runs happy hour Wednesday through Friday from 5pm to 7:30pm, during which four of their cocktails as well as one of each wine and champagne option are offered at $5 a glass. And half-price champagne bottles are a great reason to go on a Wednesday night.