Feel like you’re right off the streets of Paris at this new wine bar—has me reminiscing on my trip to France, pictured here. Photo via Miranda Shaffer for Bham Now

Owners of popular Birmingham restaurant The Essential and bakery Bandit Patisserie are setting out on their next business venture, Bar La Fête. The concept? A Parisian style wine bar with a full kitchen located within the new Mercantile on Morris development. Keep reading for all the tasty details on this exciting upcoming opening.

Introducing Bar La Fête

Birmingham Wine Deals — You can take a sip of wine and relax at the upcoming wine bar in Mercantile on Morris. Photo via Miranda Shaffer for Bham Now

La fête in French translates to celebration/party. That’s exactly what owners Kristen Hall and Victor King want their new wine bar and restaurant to be. Mimicking the atmosphere of the wine bars of Paris, this space will be playful yet moody with a quality selection of fine wines, beers and high-end spirits.

“Bar La Fête will merge our passion for great wine and great food into one space that allows guests to have the authentic wine bar experience we’ve come to know and love in other cities.”
Victor King, Restaurant Owner, Birmingham

Prepare to feel as though you’ve been whisked away to France with the creative minds of Hall and King creating a space that’s sure to be as aesthetically pleasing as both The Essential and Bandit Patisserie.

“Our goal with this project is to continue our mission of creating beautiful spaces that transport guests to a different time and place, even if for a moment.”
Kristen Hall, Restaurant Owner, Birmingham

Both Hall and King are very excited about Birmingham’s current food scene and how Bar La Fête will add to it.

The menu + another Bandit

Bar La Fête’s food menu will delight your tastebuds with Parisian-inspired shareable plates that are scalable based on party size. We haven’t heard any details on specific menu items yet, but if they taste anything like dishes at The Essential, we’re in for a treat.

Ready for some more exciting news? This 2022 opening will also be accompanied by a Bandit Patisserie retail location. Described by the owners as a “petite pâtisserie,” the new location is set to open adjacent to Bar La Fête. This is an exciting opportunity for Bandit Pâtisserie to grow its operations and retail.

Customers will be able to shop for a variety of their favorite Bandit breakfast pastries, croissants, cakes, pies and breads. Looking for a new spot to get your caffeine fix? The new location will also feature a full espresso bar.

The Timeline

The Mercantile on Morris. Photo via Olivia Moses for Bham Now

Construction for Bar La Fête will begin this month. The current plan is for the opening to occur in the first few months of 2022. Orchestra Partners is the planning and redevelopment advisory firm for the Mercantile on Morris development.

Their vision for the development is to create a space revolving around connectivity and creating a pedestrian experience for Birmingham.

“Once we were pitched the idea of Bar Le Fête, Orchestra Partners knew this would be an ideal concept for Mercantile. We were very excited to get everyone on board with the vision, and we are very excited to see the unique experience Bar Le Fête will offer to Mercantile on Morris.”
Eric White, Orchestra Partners asset manager, Birmingham

Are you excited for this new Birmingham wine bar? I know we are! Let us know your thought by tagging us @bhamnow