Jennifer Klein has closed her wine bar Wine & Roses at 286 Columbus Avenue between 73rd and 74th after 10 years, despite recently winning a drawn-out lawsuit that gave her control over the bar.
Klein tells us she wants to focus on her other nearby bar: The Dakota at the corner of the Dakota and 72nd street. She’s also considering opening another venture in the former Wine & Roses spot.
Wine & Roses was a celebrity hangout for awhile, though it also catered to locals. We asked Klein why she wants to move on now, after finally prevailing in the bitter lawsuit against her former partners that the New York Post dubbed “The War of the Roses.”
“We all need to fight for truth, justice, and to set the record straight. But life is short and creating change is more fun and exciting and necessary, especially in our business. Nothing is ever certain, but we are very lucky to have a longstanding relationship with a wonderful landlord who really cares about our neighborhood as much as we do. So we are confident that whatever we all do will be for the best.”
Good luck with your ventures Jennifer!
Bummer about Wine & Roses. That was a lovely place, especially outdoors during summer. The Dakota Bar stinks. The loud music makes it about as pleasant as a chainsaw.
Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!
Could never go by the place without negatively associating it with the movie of that title.
i.e., “The Days of Wine and Roses”
Wine & Roses was a celebrity hang out? Please provide proof.
My partner and I have a very busy theater around the corner from Wine & Roses. We ofteen brought various celebrity cast members over for drinks, snacks and the congenial hospitality of Jennifer & Todd.
We’ll miss W&R but look forward to seeing both
Jenn & Todd at The Dakota Bar!
Ricardo & Peter
Dear NO NO…perhaps your “name” says the truth about your disposition? FYI, my husband is a celebrity; he’s a television news guy who every New Yorker “knows”, respects and loves. He often brought in the news “team” after a broadcast, to Wine and Roses. New Yorkers “know” them too! We saw SJP and Matthew Broderick there several times.
And…BTW…we don’t have to prove anything to you. Celebrities DID hang out there…but the beauty of Wine and Roses was the privacy that Jenn and Todd ensured for them.
I googled “SJP” and found that those are the initials of Sarah Jessica Parker.
Privacy? It looks like they took photos of them and splashed them on your website. If I were a “celebrity” that’s the last time I’d go to a place.
wineandrosesbar.com
So sad!
lovely place but just bad luck or maybe bad management. so beautiful but empty while the other wine bars are thriving.
Todd & Jen,
Congratulations on your victory. It is nice to see the good guys win!
Rich & Cindy
It was a nice bar, always easy to get into. But the website was awful, just pictures of Jennifer and celebrities. No real info about their wines or menus, it would not draw new customers. It’s not surprising people stopped going.
Sadly, W&R was never the same when the original owners took it back a year ago. We used to love to go there under the other management. Always a great buzz there, menu was fabulous (loved the gourmet pizzas!), and servers were so great! We went twice early on when Jennifer took it back over last fall and it was awful. Not surprising there was never anyone there. Menu was horrible, food was bad, service was bad, etc. Very sad. It used to be one of our favorite places. We had become regulars under the other owners/management.
You do realize that the “other management” that you support so ardently was in control for several years? Particularly during the time period that you mentioned, and up until the date of the establishment’s closure?
Peoples’ inability to do their homework — even on their favorite places — never ceases to amaze me. The whole conflict was nothing more than a grudge match among wealthy fat-cats.