Hotel Biron

08/08/08

Service Lacking

by Phaetone at Citysearch

I went to Hotel Biron for the first (and only) time on a weeknight. The place was not busy - about a third of the tables and the diminutive bar were occupied. We took a table 5 feet from and directly in front of the bar and bartender, but service never arrived. Eventually I made my way to the bar and as I expected, having observed and overheard an unwelcome, loud and inane exchange going on between the bartender and two male and rather obnoxious patrons, was ignored by the aforementioned for some time, despite physically disposing myself between the two dilletants on my side of the bar. As it became increasingly apparent that I would not likely be asked if I cared to spend any money at this establishment before closing, I butted into their conversation and ordered some wine of all things, along with olives, cheese, and water. I was later surprised to discover the bartender was, according to him, the owner. Friendly enough when later in the evening as he passed by our table I struck up a casual intro/ Caucuses wines conversation, but nevertheless laissez-faire in every respect. I won't be heading back. For comparison, I enjoyed a better product and much more enthusiastic and attentive service at Amelie.

11/29/06

Overrated, cooked wine

by enjoynapalife at Citysearch

this place does have great ambience, but a good rating comes with a total package, and service is above everything else. i went in on a tuesday evening at 9:12pm, and it looked like no one was in charge of the place. i was hoping to make my way to the end of the bar where there's a cosy little room, and it was a mess in there. there was a girl behind the bar but she just didn't seem to care. and here came the $75 dollar bottle of pinot, and it was warm. obviously the wine had been sitting in the kitchen for a while. i wasn't expecting a wine cellar environment but if you call yourself a wine bar you better have a good storage system - it was as if you were ordering a half cooked sashimi. what a disappointing experience i must say.

• Pros: Ambience
• Cons: Service

07/14/05

Great Little Wine Bar

by lolasmommy at Citysearch

Love this place. Great wine, nibbles, and atmosphere have made it one of my new favorite places. The laid-back vibe and 30s-ish crowd makes this a perfect spot to throw back a few glasses. It gets a little crowded as it gets later, so get there on the earlier side. It's a great place to start the night! Oh! And the staff is really cute, too!

• Pros: Cute boy staff, Good Vibe, Couch in back
• Cons: parking