Raise a glass at Swirl Wine Bar

I was a little bit surprised when I walked through the rain–so long freshly straightened hair–a few blocks from the Merch Mart and into the welcoming arms of Swirl Wine Bar.

I was expecting–well, I’m not sure what I was expecting. Most of the wine bars I’ve been to have a very obvious theme. D.O.C. is lush and richly colored with a speakeasy kind of vibe. Bin 36–clean, minimalist, all about the wine.

But Swirl. I mentioned to my girlfriend (who went with me to Wine and She’s Wednesday) that I couldn’t pinpoint the theme and wasn’t quite sure what they were trying to do … but our consensus: whatever it is, it’s working. Loved it. Here’s a couple of (not so great, sorry) photos of the interior.