New Wine Bar near Alexandria

Sep 26, 2011 by jessica

A week ago I posted about Cafe Caturra opening and last weekend I had the chance to spend an entire evening there. We arrived at 6:30 and the place was hopping. At first we thought there were no seats at the bar until we realized the bar is an oval and the whole back side was free. To my husband’s college football loving delight it turned out that the flat screens are also on that side of the bar. We were greeted immediately by friendly and extremely attentive bartenders. Yes, multiple people were waiting on us so we were never without a glass of wine. We surmised that Cafe Caturra must have brought in personnel from Richmond to help with the opening. One of the bartenders told me they are already set to open another location, on Duke Street across from Whole Foods, some time this fall. They will make a killing in a location like that.

Hard to believe we in the Giant parking lot

You can taste anything on the wine list and then choose from a 3, 6 or 9 ounce pour. The bartenders were very encouraging about the tasting. Maybe a little too encouraging….We tasted quite a few wines and I decided to pace myself by sticking with the 3 ounce glasses. We ordered the charcuterie and cheese board and it was delicious. After about an hour of tasting, my brother, in town visiting from NY, met us (he’s single by the way) and we continued the sampling. Note to myself: 3 ounce glasses add up quickly.

They have a great selection and the prices are reasonable. Most of the 3 oz glasses were only 4 dollars. We decided to try some small plates and shared the crab wraps, lamb meatballs and sliders. Everything was perfect but the sliders were really a standout. The three of us were in agreement that they were the best sliders we had ever tasted, perfectly cooked oozing with cheese and a fat piece of bacon between a soft buttery bun.

It was a fantastic evening and we will most definitely be back.

Cafe Caturra