Kir

So sad to see that you have closed. Please, please open another location. Your food was spectacular and the wine selection was great. Can’t say enough, have been telling all my friends, then when I saw that you have closed, another great loss, same as Kin’s in NW Pearl. Please relocate!
Thank you so much for such an experience!
DTW

Went here on a whim while visiting Portland. It is definitely small (smaller than we expected) but it wasn’t an issue at all. There were only a few people there when we went for drinks before dinner on a Friday night, and the bartender was FANTASTIC! He gave great recommendations for wine and served us a delicious (Oregon) Pinot Rosé on tap. We also ordered the cheese plate, which was one of the most beautiful, delicious cheese plates I’ve ever been served! The chef presented it to us and told us about all of the components on the plate– each one was delicious! Absolutely loved our experience here.

The space is really small, but they pack ALL of the goodness into it that the fire marshall will allow.
I went on a Thursday at around 6 and was very lucky that someone was leaving, so you might want to try reservations. They have a couple tables outside on the patio of a side street, a small bar, and about 5 tables with just two seats per table. It fills up quite fast, and the noise level can get up there. It is still a bar after all.
The wine list is pretty nice. There are around 40 wines on pour it looked like, I had 4 different reds and some bubbly and all of them were really tasty. The young lady celebrating her birthday had about the same number and they were all good too. We didn’t have anything to eat, but the menu looked good and when they were cooking things they smelled pretty delicious too.
The staff were all beyond nice, and everything was fast. They gave us more free wine at the end of the night since it was her b-​day and we were having a great time all talking together.
It’s all romantic and stuff. Take someone you like here.

Great wine, great foods, great service.
Go here and drink something new!

Came here for a glass of wine and so glad that we did! Such a cute, quaint wine bar with friendly service and a great affordable selection of wine. We asked our waitress for two glasses — a dry white and a rose and both glasses were impeccable.
The dishes that came out of the tiny kitchen looked amazing and next time I’ll make it a point to try a couple!

I went to Kir Friday evening based on tips from you smart Portland Unilocalers. (Thank you!) I was comfortable at the bar, chatted with another solo diner who was friendly in a nice rather than creepy way. The owner Emalia was lovely. Maybe one reason I felt so at-​home here was that she reminded me of one of my dear friends who runs a small restaurant in the LES of NYC that’s not unlike Kir in the NE of Portland.
The wine-​by-​the-​glass selection was outstanding — lots of European vins. I had the dry, tingly, happy-​making txakoli.
Now. The gnocchi was positively divine. And I’m a tough critic when it comes to gnocchi. But it was served so nicely, with wild cress and pumpkin and a smattering of bread crumbs, and it was little enough that you could order other small plates, too, and not feel overwhelmed. The bartender (also very sweet) mentioned that he’d tried duplicating it at home, but to no avail. It was magic.
I enjoyed myself so thoroughly that I spent all of Sunday looking forward to going back that evening. After two great yoga classes, a relaxing bath, a few sips of wine as I got dressed to go out, I hopped in a taxi, so excitedly…
Only to arrive across the river at a dark, closed Kir. Closed on Sundays. The horror.
I had the cabbie drive me elsewhere. Sadly. Feeling lost.
That gnocchi will haunt me.
Portlanders, please keep this gem of a business alive and well until I can come back!

This is one of those key places that make Portland special.
It’s not for everyone– it caters to a thoughtful crowd that cares about food and drink and living life well. If you want a bar scene or a hipster haven then move along down the street– this is for drinking good wine and tasting good food and spending time with the people you love to be around. Not that Kir isn’t cool– it is, but that’s part of the beauty– it’s not trying to be, it just comes naturally.

Cute little wine bar with fantastic wine and food! I don’t know how they’re producing such good food from that little kitchen…

As I write this review I am dreaming of the Pâté, it’s absolutely fabulous…
I can’t say enough good things about Kir, the staff, the wine, and the food — all are tremendously wonderful. A great revolving wine selection, and food that is amazing. The intimate setting and closeness to the kitchen add to the overall appeal of the bar area, and it’s hard not to get hungry when the kitchen is cooking.
Kir was recently named one of the top 10 wine bars in America!

WHAT A FIND! :) A little cute place. Fantastic little spot.
– I had a glass of the Lambrusco (not many places have it)
– My hot date had the Guillot Broux Pinot from Burgundy
– The best thing ever was the salted cod with potato. You have to try it — it is to die for. Salted cod with potato — soooo yummers.
The bartender, Russell, gives excellent recommendations. He also hooked us up with a glass of white to try.

This is one of my new favorite places in Portland, hands down. I stopped in with a friend last night just as they were doing last call. They not only served us but provided with the most amazing snacks — gourmet olives and roasted pistachios.
The service was excellent even though they were trying to close for the night. The person who waited on us (may have been the owner) recommended a great Lambrusco and also gave us a sample of an amazing vermouth — Parucchi. Can’t wait to go back!

LOVE this place! I am so grateful I have friends with amazing taste or i would never find these places. And this little hole in the wall is worth finding! It has such a great location too but is tucked just enough away you would miss it and shouldn’t since it is one of the best wine bars I have been to. Amazing selection of wines and I nearly fainted seeing the quality of food that comes out of this tiny kitchen. Small but MIGHTY! The servers know their stuff but yet they are so friendly and approachable that you feel like you are chatting with an old friend. I even loved the music and décor.

Maybe this is just a wine bar for chicks, but the male server was a total dick. It was a full hour before closing and I had come in with a friend for a nightcap. I had the server pour me two samples. I didn’t like either of them– too dry. He audibly huffs and puffs and asks «ok, do you actually want anything?»
Seriously.
Because I was in the mood for wine and not in the mood to go home yet, I ignored his comment and ordered two glasses of wine.
My date and I sat down and choked down the wine (both glasses were overly dry… avoid all reds but Pinot Noirs here, it seems) over the course of a half-​hour. Mind you, we were not the only people in the bar– there were a couple girls getting drunk at the bar.
With a few sips left in our glasses, the server comes over and asks «are you done yet?»…I say «sure». His reply? «Good.» He then slaps down the bill.
You have got to be fucking kidding me. I will never return here and will advise all my friends to just go up the street to Noble Rot.

My wife and I have been regulars almost since they opened. I think the longest we’ve been away was a month. Amalie, the owner, is often in the kitchen whipping up delicious small plates to go with the fantastic and unusual selection of glass pours, mostly from the old world.
Most nights, Russel will be tending bar and taking care of the few small tables. We usually just ask him or Amalie what we need to try from the board, and we’re never disappointed.
This is a great place for a couple or a small group (4) to enjoy some great wine, food and talk. The service is genuinely warm and expert. Granted, it’s not for everyone… but that’s just one more reason to love it. You’ll feel like you’ve joined a private club when you cozy up to the bar or one of the small tables and sip a glass of rose’ that tastes like spring in a bottle.

My girlfriend and I headed downtown last Saturday, intending to go to the Noble Rot. Instead, we ended up parking closer-​in, on 7^th, and started walking toward Burnside. Mikki took the opportunity to fire up Unilocal and see what was nearby. The first thing to come up was Kir — we in fact were standing right in front of it. She took a look at the first few reviews and said «what do you think, shall we give this a shot?»
The end result turned out to be the best wine-​bar experience I have had in Portland or anywhere else. Heavily discounted bottles of Old World wines and amazingly tasty small plates coupled with one of the friendliest and most knowledgeable bartenders I’ve encountered in Portland. The chef was fantastic — she even gave us a recipe.
The ambiance was perfect and cozy — just the right amount of dark, just the right amount of soft, warm light. Their taste in music is impeccable. We sat at the bar and chatted with the bartender as we sampled two wines we’d never encountered before and most certainly will drink again. The ultimate testament to this place, for me, is that we arrived about 7:00 PM and didn’t end up leaving (despite feeling like we’d only been there an hour and a half or so) until 10:30. I’ve a good feeling Kir is going to become our Saturday night hangout spot for quite some time.

Kir is quite the gem. It’s so refreshing to find a spot with a stellar wine list AND inspired service, sans pretension. When I’m craving something cozy, warm & all-​around lovely, Kir is it.
Smoked trout with tomato green bean salad. Bring it! Preferably with an extra dry Cava.

MY review is mostly because the staff here are the business. seriously. I recently realized that I am allergic to wine and sadly I also recently realized how much I love it… isn’t that just like life?
Anyhoo went to Kir and explained that red wine makes me feel like crap and the great guy staff helped me order wines that were less mass produced which =‘ed less shitty morning the next day. The atmosphere was cozy, but not stuffy… perfect for a date or your parents! We ordered the cheese/​meat combo plate and it was super good… fig compote was awesome!
Really made for a laid back yet still nice place to spend an evening.

The place is cozy and romantic. It felt like that when i walked out of there I was going to find cobble stone roads with dark alleys and candle lit street lamps.
I love this tiny find. I don’t know wine, but I know what I like. I was able to explain what smells I enjoy and how I like to drink the earth when I enjoy wine, i wanted local… the bartendar delivered.
I highly recommend this place and I will be returning.

Oh, hello, fabulous tiny wine bar… I covet the things hanging on the walls. The knicknacks behind the bar. The stacks of cookbooks. The simple tiny tables and curtains.
Service was stellar. Wine selections are thoughtfully picked and changed frequently. A small selection of snacks get cooked up and assembled in the City’s Tiniest Kitchen. I remember this place pre-​Kir, when it was a teeny tiny French restaurant and thinking back then it was amazing they cooked on what was basically a set of hot plates.
Great spot for a date, drinks with friends, after work, or pre-​dinner nearby. Glass of bubbly and a big bowl of freshly-​roasted pistachios, that’s what I call a perfect nosh.

This wine bar is unassuming outside and in. But the simple elegance of the wine list featuring European and local wines paired with a seasonal menu of small plates that change on almost a daily basis, make this place a worthy destination.
Run with care and attention to detail by Amalie, just put yourself in her capable hands and she will give you a taste of something special.
I went in ready to order dishes recommended by other reviewers, but the menu changes based on the season and the best of what is available. My chilled corn soup with cilantro cream and a glass of fine French wine was the perfect way to enjoy a hot summer night.
Other wine bars in town have a more festive, lets go crazy atmosphere. At least half of the patrons were regulars and when I was there it had a very leisurely European vibe which I absolutely loved. No Happy Hour pricing, but the owner mentions periodic special offers in her blog…