We were on the wrong Fifth Avenue and walked right past the Total Wine Bar at first. When we were practically at Flatbush we backtraked, finally finding it near St. Marks/

It is, quite simply, a completely charming place: elegant, cozy, dark. I felt like I was walking into the perfect small party: beautifully lit, friendly people, intense conversations, welcoming hosts offering glasses of good wine…

Perfect.

Our friends weren’t there yet and my husband kept joking, "Are you sure her birthday party is tonight?  Are you sure this is the place."

"Stop doubting me," I said."

But it didn’t really matter. I was blissed out to be in my new favorite Park Slope bar. Because it’s not really a bar – you’d never order a Cosmopolitan there – it’s a wine bar with an interesting list of wines from all over the world and wine, cheese, sausage and pate supplied by Blue Apron Foods.

Need I say more?

At first we sat at the bar. The bartender, a friendly fellow with punky platinum hair asked what kind of wine I like. He seemed really interested. "I  like red but not a really deep, heavy wine. Something on the light side." 

He gave me an organic Pinot Noir from Chile and it was delicious. Just my style.

Then he asked my husband: "You know what she just said. Well, I want the complete opposite. I like a wine that’s big and loud." And he poured him a big, loud Argentinean wine. Perfect.   

When our friends arrived later, we were sitting on banquettes near the front window with a view of a tree in white flower bloom. In front of the banquettes there are low table cubes that are lit from within. The wine glasses are egg shaped without a stem.

We shouted "Surprise!" when the birthday girl arrived and she glowed with her newly dyed reddish hair. It wasn’t really a surprise but it was most special way to be feted by friends on your birthday, at this most special place on Fifth Avenue on a rainy night in April.