After walking up the bar’s wooden steps, patrons at Chelsea Wine Bar open the door to an Old World ambience, displaying storied antiques and knick-knacks Owner John Devereux collected over the years, such as the hanging pendant light from Rice Hotel and the wooden bar top sourced from the Port Authority office of Galveston, dating back to the early 1900s.
Mural scenes painted by artist Shelley Shanks cover the walls and ceilings, including warm scenes Manager Bill LeMay said were inspired by Paul Gauguin’s depictions of Tahiti and Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s famous painting Luncheon of the Boating Party, a colorful impression of friends enjoying wine along the Seine.
When approaching the counter, guests will place their order next to a refrigerated glass case displaying assorted cakes like Red Velvet, Italian Cream and Oreo cheesecake, but the bar also has a robust standing food menu, with favorites such as baked goat cheese.
The overview
In July, Chelsea Wine Bar in El Lago will celebrate 19 years of pouring and creating a gathering space for people to connect and enjoy wine in a space staff said is unlike any other in the area.
Located off Nasa Parkway, the two-story bar and its attached patios overlook Taylor Lake, where guests can catch a sunset while enjoying a glass of wine with over 100 options to choose from.
Wine tender Susanna Martinez said the bar expands and rotates its wine list monthly, and recently added rarer finds, such as Lebanese blends, a white Pinot Noir and the “king of the reds,” an Amarone della Valpolicella from Northern Italy. The bar’s draft wall has 24 beers and serves 25 bottled beers.
"The more interesting wines that you have that are not within your specific palette, the more your palette expands, and it gives you the opportunity to really hone in and find what you actually like,” LeMay said.
Also of note
The bar hosts wine tastings on the first Wednesday of every month, except for December and January when champagne is served instead.
On weekdays, guests can rent the bar’s entire upper room for party rates that start at $400 and the adjacent covered patio for rates that begin at $300. Rates increase on the weekends and during the prime holiday season of November and December.
The bar hosts steak nights on Sunday, serving a 6 oz. Chateaubriand with a side of Demi glaze, mashed potatoes and green beans. Celtic fiddlers perform upstairs while the bar pours Guinness and serves shepherd's pie in a cast-iron skillet for $10 on Mondays.
In November, the bar launched a Tuesday night supper club serving homestyle meals for $11, such as chicken and dumplings, Irish stew and King Ranch chicken. Frosé Thursday pours $5 frozen rosés all day.
Going forward
LeMay lamented that many wine bars began replacing physical menus with QR codes and removing human connection from wine service, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, a practice he believes turns the intimate, social nature of wine service into an experience that’s akin to fast food.
"Technology has its place, but hopefully it will never have a major role here,” Martinez said. “QR codes and Old World charm just really don't mix."
