Review: Esters Wine Shop & Bar

What are your initial impressions of this place?
Esters is the wine bar of your dreams: ample seating, beautiful light, and a library ladder to swing through the floor-to-ceiling shelves stocked with bottles from around the globe.

Lovely. And who do you see here?
This is a sophisticated, unstuffy crowd.

What's on the drinks list?
There's a lovely cocktail menu, but the focus here is wine, including some cool selections from up-and-coming wine regions around Southern California, like Stolpman (Ballard Canyon) and Hocus Bolus (Lompoc).

How about the food menu?
Esters is a member of the Rustic Canyon family of restaurants, meaning that the food here is just as good as the wine. There are snacks, cured meats and cheeses, a raw bar, and plenty of great dishes meant for sharing.

How's the service?
The staff is incredibly knowledgeable yet un-stuffy—just what you want from a wine bar.

Cool. So what's the takeaway—why would you recommend this place, and what for?
One of L.A.'s best wine bars, Esters is a great place catch up with friends. It's especially lively during weekend brunch.