Instagram Worthy

City Winery opened Saturday in City Foundry with serious vibes

Written by JESSICA ROGEN

Every time one visits City Foundry STL these days, there’s something new to check out: the Alamo Drafthouse, Big Shark Bicycle Company and Sandbox VR are a few of the new additions.

As of Saturday, the Foundry just got one more new thing to see: City Winery, a winery, restaurant and concert venue combo, which held its official opening this past weekend.

The 225-seat venue is located adjacent the Food Hall (and can also be entered through the hall) at 3730 Foundry Way, Suite 158. For visitors entering the Foundry from the front entrance, its bold yellow brick painted with the City Winery St. Louis logo is impossible to miss.

Those entering through the main door are greeted by an open, modern, renovated industrial space with a large square bar and the dining area. The space’s high ceilings allow for a loft over the bar that seems ideal for more private events. Perhaps the most standout piece of decor is a large wall of backlit golden, empty wine bottles.

City Winery is not a winery in name alone. The chain, which has 14 other locations, produces its own house wines from grapes sourced at 30 vineyards in the U.S., Argentina and Chile. The 20 vintages served in St. Louis include riesling, cabernet franc, and a fortified port-style dessert wine as well as other varietals, and the winery pours them all from an eco-friendly steel keg system.

City Winery offers glasses, bottles and flights of wine featuring four 2-ounce pours for $20. Glasses range from $10 for a sauvignon blanc to $15 for pink bubbles cava. Bottles range from $40 to $70. The venue also serves “old world classic bottles,” a.k.a. wine from other wineries.

The venue bills itself as having upscale dining, and its menu aligns with that promise. There are soups and salads; several charcuterie and cheese boards; shared plates, which include a decadent and worth-it mushroom and goat cheese arancini; entrees such as burgers, steak, pan-seared grouper and ratatouille; pizzas; sides and desserts. Prices range from $8 for french fries to $43 for a grilled flat-iron steak.

A large part of City Winery’s draw is not the food and drink alone: It’s about the shows. The restaurant has an adjoining concert space that can be fully separated from the bar and dining area by a sliding, soundproof door. The venue has already

Closed for Good

Llywelyn’s former space on South 9th Street in Soulard is for sale

Written by RYAN KRULL

The closure of Llywelyn’s Pub in Soulard appears to be permanent. Commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield has listed the 7800-plus-square-foot space Llywelyn’s used to occupy at 1732 South Ninth Street as for sale.

The Soulard pub has been closed for business as of late, but its official Facebook page lists the closure as temporary. On February 18, the bar hosted an afternoon DJ event following the Mardi Gras parade.

However, with the announcement of the property being on the market, the closure seems like it will be for good.

announced an initial lineup of shows, which can be viewed at citywinery.com/stlouis.

City Winery founder and CEO Michael Dorf has a serious local connection: He attended Washington University as an undergraduate.

“Opening City Winery in St. Louis is something that I have wanted to do since I started the brand in 2008,” Dorf says in a statement. “Having spent several years living in the city while I was in college, it feels right to once again join this incredible community within the historic building of City Foundry STL.” n