Sienna Wine Bar & Small Plates delivers precisely what it says it does, and more. Fact is, the name should come with a subtitle: All in the Cozy Confines of What Feels Like a Hip Friend’s Living Room.
The establishment — far more wine house than restaurant — serves the Congress Park neighborhood, hiding in plain sight on East 12th Avenue between Madison and Cook streets.
While a physically spacious place, dominated by a 13-seat bar and an exposed-brick west wall, there is a homey quality to Sienna that somehow shrinks the room into more intimate dimensions.
The decor furthers this, starting with the butter-yellow walls and deep-blue ceiling. Vintage settees and easy chairs provide conversational islands; small bar tables do the same. There’s also a tiny, free-standing bar that looks plucked from Don Draper’s den on the “Mad Men” set.
Fronted by expansive windows, Sienna is a lovely place to watch snow sift past the streetlights on a winter night. Or watch dusk slip into dark in the summer, take your pick.
This feel-good vibe — OK, a downbeat Billie Holiday tune occasionally drifts from the sound system — is fueled by an extensive wine list. Of 59 featured wines, 33 are available by the glass. Hops-heads can choose from 17 beers, ales and hard ciders.
The wine is served in old- fashioned, tulip-shaped glasses, akin to something your aunt in Des Moines might pull out once a year, along with her good china.
Wine options reflect the global nature of today’s grape biz. The first nine offerings of whites alone hopscotch the atlas: Portugal, Chile, New Zealand, Germany, Italy, South Africa, France, Austria and California. No, the latter domain isn’t represented by an over-oaked chardonnay but by a crisp Parducci “Sustainable White” blended from chenin blanc, sauvignon blanc, viognier and muscat grapes. Yours for $7 a glass.
Bubbly fans have 11 options. If you’re feeling generous and your wallet can stand it, there’s a Louis Roederer Cristal 2002 for $350 a bottle. (We assume they throw in a room at the Ritz-Carlton, too, but maybe not.) But there are plenty of sparklers in the for-the-rest-of-us range, such as a Lunetta prosecco from Italy for $7 a glass and a crispy, berry-driven Vilarnau rose cava from Spain for $11.
About the food: While tasty, the friendly waitstaff is quick to tell you that it’s largely not Sienna’s. Much of it is heat-and-serve fare purchased from their purveyors.
As the bartender put it: “We broil stuff, bake it and bring it to life, but we don’t actually create it.” Fair enough.
These offerings include the wild mushroom tarts, a baked brie with phyllo crust, spanikopita and a trio of empanadas: pork green chile; beef, green olives and raisins — a kind of take on Cuban picadillo — and green chile with rice and beans.
All this is tasty and savory, but people don’t go to Sienna for a fine-dining experience. Again, landing in this room is akin to dropping in on a neighbor, a fun host who uncorks a good bottle of wine and runs a couple of snacks from Costco’s party counter into the oven. This could not be pulled off without the friendly wait staff, a fresh-faced crew that is fast, attentive and quick to engage in conversation.
Some dishes are assembled at Sienna, whose bar features a small sink with a tiled backsplash and a vintage white refrigerator, the kind you saw in a kitchen-of-tomorrow showcase circa 1952, with chrome handles and rounded edges.
A caprese salad was artfully plated with thick slabs of fresh, tender mozzarella, plus ripe tomatoes and basil. Similarly refreshing was the bruschetta rustica, diced tomatoes with basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic — all spooned atop chunks of bread you tore from a baguette.
Desserts enjoyed star status, which might partly account for the high women-to-men ratio found on a recent evening.
An espresso crème brulee fused caramel toffee custard with cappucino. Dark and rich, it was the perfect dessert for a chilly night. Someone had fun concocting a Creamsicle sundae. Light and custardy, with the spot-on flavor of that orange-and-vanilla childhood treat, it was topped with mandarin orange slices.
And kudos for this: Sienna’s beverage list includes Mexican Coca-Cola, which tastes like Coke used to taste, since it’s made with cane sugar.
All told, Sienna is a welcome — and welcoming — addition to the Congress Park neighborhood. Raise a glass.
William Porter: 303-954-1877 or wporter@denverpost.com
SIENNA WINE BAR & SMALL PLATES
Transatlantic bar food
3422 E. 12th Ave. 303-355-2202, siennawinebar.com
** (Very Good)
Atmosphere: Hip and homey; akin to sitting in a cool friend’s living room. Open since midyear, it seems particularly popular with women.
Service: Friendly, prompt.
Beverages: Extensive wine list, more than half of them available by the glass. Beer, ale and hard cider, too.
Plates: Small bites and appetizers from $4-$12.
Hours: Sunday,Monday-Thursday: 3 p.m.-11 p.m.; Friday-Saturday: 3 p.m.-1 a.m. Daily happy hour 3 p.m.-6 p.m.
Details: Casual dress. Street parking.
Two visits
Our star system: **** : Exceptional *** : Great ** : Very Good * : Good
