Bar Brava is Bowing Out (Kind Of)

Bit of a bummer from the folks at Bar Brava, the Twin Cities' first and only natural wine bar, which shared some news on Instagram yesterday: The next two weeks will be its final two weeks of full service.

"We had an amazing three-year run with many ups and downs, starts and stops," the post reads. "A huge thanks to all our customers and regulars that ultimately became great friends. And an even bigger thanks to all our staff that has supported us on this journey."

Chef-owner Nick Anderson and owner-slash-wine-slinger Dan Rice opened Bar Brava in late 2019, which means they were slingin' snacks and pouring juicy natural wines a few months before you-know-what. They chugged along through the pandemic, hosting small-group wine-tasting classes and acting as an incubator space for Marty's Deli while their kitchen was going unused, and they've been back in action since March of 2021.

I'll miss this iteration of Bar Brava; it was a playful place where you could also find some really nice food and wine. "Its menus bear the aphorism 'Keep it natty, keep it nice,'" I wrote for City Pages in early 2020, "and beneath a few lines explaining just what natural wine is, there’s a simplification: 'Nothing added, nothing removed, just fucking juice.'" The place had great vibes, perfect for a special night out that felt truly celebratory and not stodgy.

But! Bar Brava also isn't going away entirely.

"Starting July 12th we are switching gears to a Brava-Lite© model," their sort-of farewell reads. "That means wine and snacks on weekdays and pop-up events with guest chefs on the weekends." They're encouraging the curious to stay tuned for updates.

We've reached out for some more info about Brava-Lite© but haven't heard back yet. It seems like it's in keeping with their nice-and-breezy brand, and hey, after these last few years, we can all use a little change.

Bar Brava
1914 Washington Ave. N., Minneapolis
Tuesday - Saturday, 5 - 11 p.m. (kitchen closes at 10)