4 ½ George Washingtons (out of 5)

We only wish the space were larger.  Or that they were open later on Friday or Saturday nights—they close shop at 10, and good luck getting a seat at 9.  But these complaints stem entirely from the fact that we adore this little wine and coffee bar.

Grape and Bean is as much a wine shop as it is a bar and restaurant.  They have a large and carefully-curated selection of bottled wines, from around the world, and also have periodic wine tasings with importers and growers.  We attended a tasting months ago with a grower from France, and found the experience to be both educational and a great deal of fun.

Above all, though, we enjoy coming here for a glass of wine in the evening.  The shop has a bar at the front, and a small selection of tables in the back nestled in among the wine bottles.  The selection of wine is usually excellent; it’s rare for us to try a wine that we don’t like here, and the breadth of taste and textures among the offerings can often yield some delightful novelties and surprises.  The glasses are reasonably priced (considering what you get).  And the servers are quite knowledgeable, and will help you find the wine to suit your palate.  If you’re nice, they’ll usually let you taste a few of the wines before ordering.

If you’re looking to eat with your meal, the food here is sparse but very good.  It’s our suspicion that their only cooking equipment is some sort of hot plate or Panini press (at the very least, we highly doubt they have an oven), but they use top-of-the-line ingredients and everything they can make tastes fantastic.  We particularly recommend the flatbread, which changes periodically but at the moment comes topped with your choice of prosciutto or a combination of peppers, olives, and basil.  The signature salad, with almonds, cucumber, and citrus dressing, is excellent.  And the cheese plates offer a good selection (again, the waiters will generally help navigate the choices) and are on the generous side.

If you come in the morning, they won’t make you a latte, but they do have a nice selection of made-to-order drip.  We would say that they should add pastries in the a.m. or desserts in the evening (apart from the delicious pre-wrapped chocolate bars that they do have for sale), but we suppose that people linger long enough already.

Four and a half George Washingtons is a strong rating.  This is one of our favorite places in Old Town, and we would come more often if only it were easier to find a place to sit.