As explained on their website, the two partners hope to create “an unpretentious meeting place where guests can enjoy delicious beverages that are made by people, not companies.” The exposed brick walls help define the space as modern and progressive, but the warm lighting and bright pops of turquoise are reasons this inviting wine bar is perfect for friendly gatherings or after-work drinks. And the bar’s alphabet backsplash where tabs are hung by last name is sure to become Camerata’s trademark.
When you come to Camerata, be prepared to spend a little more than you might at another neighborhood wine bar. Most of the bottles of wine are $40 or more, and the average price per glass is around $11. But what you can expect is to find a wine you love. As the website states, “Someone loves every single one of the wines on this list. You will love at least one of the wines.” And I certainly did enjoy my crisp Sauv Blanc that was recommended by the bartender.
Come in between 4 pm and 2 am any day of the week and pair a lovely glass of wine with a charcuterie and cheese plate. Camerata also has a small selection of beers, including two beers on tap, but it is obvious that the real reason to come here is for the 100-plus labels on the wine list. Wines by the glass change daily, but the bartender advised that roughly 75 percent of the wines are consistently found on the list. The wine-by-the-glass list offers a 3-ounce or 6-ounce glass in addition to the option to buy the bottle.
The wine-by-the-glass list is also where you find Camerata’s happy hour menu, which consists of by-the-glass leftovers at half price. So depending on the number of opened bottles from the night before, happy hour could last just two hours or well into the night.
Now this is not the place to come to enjoy a fine glass of wine and a lovely dinner. But they do offer some tasty meats and cheeses. There are four meats to choose from: fennel salami, Parmigiano-Reggiano prosciutto, Borsellino dry spicy sausage and Fra’mani salametto. There are also four cheeses on offer: Bayley Hazen Blue cheese, Clothbound Cheddar, Purple Haze Chèvre goat’s cheese and Challerhocker. You can pick and choose four of the cheeses and meats for $25 or order all eight for $45.
When the plate arrives, you may be disappointed in the size of the cheese slices. But what they lacked in size, the small cubes make up for in flavor. A favorite: the goat’s cheese flavored with lavender and fennel pollen. The goat milk flavor is not overwhelming, and the added ingredients create something unexpected and mature in flavor. The meat and cheese plates also come with a few pieces of bread, nuts, some pickles and olives and a tiny jar of tasty jam.
While I may not head back to Camerata for its unpredictable happy hour, the next time I have dinner and drinks at Paulie’s I do plan to slip next door for the perfect nightcap.
CAMERATA 1834 Westheimer 713-522-8466 pauliesrestaurant.com/camerata