Bacari PDR, A Cozy Wine Bar Just Steps From the Ocean

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• Photos by Elizabeth Daniels

If there's ever been a moment to enjoy the sun-soaked confines of Playa del Rey, it's right now, just a few months after the debut of Brooke Williamson's expansive Playa Provisions and with the opening today of Bacari PDR, which takes over the former Bistro du Soleil on the main drag. Nestled onto the hill, the oddly-shaped building is now a sleekly-designed wine bar from Robert and Daniel Kronfli, as well as chef Lior Hillel. After their first production in USC-adjacent Bacaro, the trio takes the formula to another level, this time with a full cocktail program by Adam Sandroni (Townhouse).

Featuring a menu comprised mainly of cicchetti, or Italian-style small bites conducive to drinking copious amounts of wine, Hillel likes to cook a cold bites like crab crostini, grilled romaine salad with roasted beets, and poached shrimp with a citrus chili sauce. Or consider something hot, like lamb-stuffed eggplant, oven-roasted bone marrow, or the Bacaro burger, served open face on pain de mie. If those aren't your jam, there are always a swell set of charcuterie, cheese, and sweets to round out wine time with friends.

And if wine time is something that's really on the mind, consider the innovative "open bar special,", which costs $20 per person (with one designated driver), which allows a 90 minute open bar with house red, white, sangria, beer, or champagne(!). If that's a little too intense, there's always the daily happy hour from 5 to 7 p.m., with $14 pitchers of sangria and cheaper bites.

As for cocktails, try the Black Manhattan, made with rye and amaro, or perhaps a Brazillian cobbler, which mixes aged cachaca, blackberry, raspberry, lime, and sugar. In general, the drinks tend to be less on the fussy side and more on the easy breezy side, which works perfectly in this venue.

Bacari PDR
6805 Vista Del Mar Ln.
Playa Del Rey, CA 90293
310-439-2100
Open daily from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m.
· All Bacari PDR Coverage [~ELA~]