Fans of the now shuttered Two Sisters Bar & Books in Hayes Valley can rest assured that they can still find a bit of that magic across the Bay, in the form of new wine bar and cafe Les Arceaux, in Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto (in the former Bistro Liaison space on Shattuck). The name, which means "the arches," is a reference to the ancient aqueduct arches of Montpellier, France, a place that chef-partner Alana O’Neal holds dear for her memories of its terrific farmers' market, as she tells Eater.
Co-owner Mikha Diaz, who opened Two Sisters in 2011 with sister Mary Elliott, was similarly inspired by spaces in Europe's older cities like she described it at the time, "an incredible bookstore in Krakow; a quintessential coffeehouse in Vienna; a neighborhood bar in Paris."
Les Arceaux, by contrast, is large, sleek, modern space clocking in at 1700 square feet, but the team is apparently using a lot of the space for prep and catering, with just about a third devoted to the wine bar. In the morning they'll be serving pastries and homemade English muffins, which can be topped with eggs, sausage, or just butter and jam. The daily menu will include things like a seasonal soup with baguette, salads, sandwiches, and charcuterie and cheese platters, and at night some heartier offerings will include mussels cooked in gose beer, and a Marin Sun Farms bavette steak. See all the menus here.
As for wine, there are 25 being served by the glass, in addition to beers and a selection of wine and vermouth spritzes.
The grand opening is tomorrow, Friday, October 27, and the hours are as follows:
- Breakfast menu served from 7:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- Lunch menu served from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- Happy hour menu served from 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.
- Dinner menu served from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Note that, at least for now, they are not open on Sunday, so, no Sunday brunch.
Les Arceaux - 1849 Shattuck Avenue (the former Bistro Liaison) - Open Tuesday to Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
