Three-and-a-half-year-old wine-centric restaurant St. Vincent (1270 Valencia Street) has closed, as Inside Scoop reports, in order to remodel the space and turn it into more of a wine bar with a bigger retail component. Retail wine sales have always been part of the business, which was launched in 2012 by acclaimed wine guy David Lynch who previously worked as wine director at Quince, and at Mario Batali's Babbo in New York before that but the restaurant component has clearly had its ups and downs business-wise, though the critical reception was largely positive. (Most recently, Bauer gave it two and a half stars in December.)
The revamped St. Vincent, which appears to be retaining its name, will be an all-day affair with snacks and light lunches available on a more Italian/enoteca model. As Lynch tells the Scoop, "Not having lunch [has been] a mistake, but we also feel the neighborhood isn’t served by a great wine shop."
At its launch, St. Vincent's biggest draw was Lynch's innovative approach to wine service. There were 100 bottles under $100 always available by the full or half bottle if you wanted a half bottle, the staff would simply pour out and charge you for half, and serve the remainder at the bar by the glass. In recent years, that model shifted to only offering half bottles when that same bottle was part of the by-the-glass list. Also, the most recent list, while offering a number of options in the $40-$60 range, has lots more baller selections north of $150 and $200.
As always, wines will be offered at retail prices as well, to take home, or to enjoy by the glass at the bar.
The timing of the reopening is still uncertain, though Lynch is aiming for November 1. Stay tuned.
St. Vincent - 1270 Valencia Street at 24th - Closed until early November