LITTLE ROCK — The first thing you might notice about the latest nightlife venture in downtown Little Rock: It's got that new bar smell.
By that, we mean fresh paint, drywall and other construction material smells.
And Zin Urban Wine and Beer Bar does employ many materials in its decor. A concrete floor, wood tables, one brick wall, exposed ceilings and a stainless steel bar all lend a modern feel to the wine bar. Those materials, in a mostly neutral palette, are brightened with splashes of color in bright orange lampshades, blue lighting behind the bar and white waves over one wall.
A large, colorful abstract painting near the entrance with shades of blue, green, purple and orange seems to be the inspiration for the bar's color scheme. It sits over a couch with throw pillows that echo the painting's green and blue tones.
For those lulls in conversation, one television, tuned to the Travel Channel for most of our visit, sits near the bar, though it's only visible to half of the room.
It all seems carefully and deliberately decorated.
Probably just as much thought went into the menu and wine list. The former consists of cured meats, cheeses, olives and other things meant to be paired with wine, as well as more esoteric items like the stuffed figs, truffles and "salad on a stick." All menu items come in bite-sized portions and seem to be meant for sharing.
The wine list has 13 whites, three each of chardonnay, pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc as well as a miscellaneous category of reislings, etc. Five types of sparkling wine can be purchased but only two are sold by the glass. Three pinots, three merlots, three malbecs, five zinfandels, five cabernets and a beaujolais, shiraz and a few others round out the reds. Zin Urban also offers two ports.
The menu's 10 beers, all sold in bottles, range from Miller Lite to Diamond Bear Blonde to Boddington’s Pub Ale.
Prices seem fair. Often one of the stumbling blocks for most people ordering wine while dining out is knowing the retail price and being acutely aware of the restaurant's mark-up. However, Zin Urban carries labels wholly unfamiliar and therefore this reviewer could order in blissful ignorance.
In fact, as kind of a sparkling wine junkie, we were intrigued to try something called the Carousel Classic for $7 a glass. It was a tasty combination of sweet and dry.
A dining companion opted for the Dr. Loosen Riesling ($8 per glass) and was not disappointed. A third diner, and red-wine drinker, tried the Jacuzzi Pinot Noir ($9 per glass) and called it light and drinkable.
All of our wines were served in long-stemmed glasses, with the red wine glass being the largest of our group. (We watched the waiter twirl the pinot noir glass to aerate the wine before bringing it to our table.)
Overall, the experience at Zin Urban was what a wine bar should be: relaxed and casual with a touch of swank. Located a block or two from the expanding River Market area and around the block from the instantly popular Dugan’s Pub, Zin Urban seems perfectly primed for success. The only hindrance to growth could be the restaurant's small size and limited seating, but there may be room for expansion in the block. Only time will tell.
The Dish:
Stuffed figs ($7 for an order of 6): These goat cheese stuffed figs served in what we guessed was a balsamic reduction, are a good mix of salty and sweet, though we wished the figs would have been a little sweeter. The goat cheese was creamy and so fluffy, we almost mistook it for whipped cream cheese. It all went well with our sparkling wine.
Stuffed peppers ($6 for four): The peppers, stuffed with provolone and proscuitto and served in a drizzling of oil, would perfectly complement a red wine. The marinated green peppers had a vinegary and peppery kick. It took a minute to figure out how to eat them because they're too big for one bite. We ended up carefully slicing them in half with a butter knife, praying to the tapas gods that the slippery oil didn't send half a pepper flying across the room. Once the logistics were worked out, though, we declared the stuffed peppers to be delicious.
Info to go:
Zin Urban Wine & Beer Bar
300 River Market Ave., Suite 1
(501) 246-4876
Hours: 4 p.m. to close Monday to Saturday and 3:30 p.m. to close Sundays.