Two weeks ago, chef David Gunawan and Dara Young of Farmer’s Apprentice picked up the wee space next door at 1537 West 6th Avenue (between Fir & Granville). With it, they’ll be opening a 25 seat wine bar called Grapes & Soda. If it’s half as good as Farmer’s Apprentice (which is to say still pretty darn good), it’ll be a significant gain for the South Granville neighbourhood. I trust that it’ll be as good, so congratulations to all who work or live nearby. Lucky you.

I took a look at the construction site yesterday with Gunawan and Evan Creedon of Milltown Contracting. They’ve got plenty of reclaimed wood to play with (similar to Farmer’s Apprentice), a short bar, and a long banquette. As you can see from the shots above, much of the framing is already done.  Save for a few possible delay points, it appeared to be a pretty straightforward build from here on out. It should be ready – if nothing goes awry – by early/mid-summer.

Come that good day, Grapes & Soda will be pairing five to six bottles of natural wine with five to six seasonally determined dishes each night (in addition to a selections of cheese and charcuterie). If you imagine it as sort of like a cross between The Sardine Can and Notturno in Gastown, you’ll not be far off. And if you’re unfamiliar with Farmer’s Apprentice next door, take a closer look below…

ALL ANTICIPATED OPENINGS