I attended a soft opening for this intimate wine bar tucked inside the front of Vroman's bookstore. A much needed addition to the Playhouse district. The menu has something for everyone. The entire menu is well thought out and very much an "experience". The servers are attentive and well versed with the menu. There are many pairings to choose. Love the focus on local LA wines. I enjoyed the French press sangria and GSM flight. The Barata salad and cheese plate more than met my expectations. Simple, clean and tasty. They aren't over reachin Totally worth a visit. They are delivering a great tasting experience for both the wine novice and expert. It's a small space, not noisy and certainly not quiet. Great place to meet friends, go on a date or just kick back and enjoy a book (forget Amazon, they have nothing over Vromans). read more

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As if Vroman's bookstore and café wasn't cool enough already, it now has a classy wine bar. They have a robust selection of drinks and snacks, inviting mid century modern vibe, and friendly service. And everything is literature themed! So happy we have this new addition in Pasadena. Looking forward to returning again and again. read more

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I've come back several times now, mostly on Sunday afternoons. It's never been too busy then. The beers are available - yay! And the people are just as sincere and cool as ever. read more

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A super cute wine bar inside of a bookstore! The wine options seemed a bit limited but it was still good regardless. The service was great as the staff were all super helpful and friendly. The bathrooms are located upstairs and we're well kept. read more

Been wanting to try this place out the minute I saw a bar was opening in Vromans. We were there at 6.30 and there was quite a wait. Seating is limited. If you are more than a party of 2, you have a significant wait as most are two seaters. This is not the kind of place that you can spend a lot of time chatting because there are people just staring you down to finish, So that they can get your table. Couple of suggestions: A proper sign in sheet rather than scratching off on a piece of paper. Extra servers. There were 4 servers incl behind the bar. This place needs definitely 5, maybe 6. Parties left but servers were so busy, it took some time for them to clear the tables, meanwhile there are people looking at the empty tables getting irritated that they can't get it. Service though was friendly. There is no tall barrier to shield you from the patrons at the book store. Either the patrons were staring at your food or reaching over and asking to see the menu. A taller barrier would shield patrons inside the bar but I'm wondering whether a taller barrier would make this place look more tiny On to food. We got the creme Brie With waffle bits.....omg. Insanely good We got the three Cheese board. I wasn't so impressed with this. I loved the Pinot wine flight and my bf liked the Chardonnay flight he got. Cute wine glass holders. I also like the fact that they have 2oz pours. Perfect for those days that you just want a little more wine but not a whole glass. read more

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The 1894 was an amazing experience. The wine was delicious, the staff was really nice and knowledgeable, and the ambiance inside the bookstore was really unique and fun! read more

Delightful addendum to the oldest independent bookstore in So Cal. Always a touchstone for any LA book fiend. Great venue for book club meetings, literary liquid lunch or bibliophilic breakfast. They have creative cocktails, juices and kombuchas and locally sourced beer and wines. Great menu of fun food choices, from fruit laden Waffles to salads, smoked salmon, quiche, hummus, olives and cheese/meat plates. Plus a whole page of sweet tooth selections. I got the beerflight of four local breweries; my favorite was definitely Kinky Blonde by Frogtown. My only wish is that this bar was not half-walled and relatively well-lit. I prefer darker, more intimate drinking places. Being open to the rest of the bookstore, you can't quite overcome the coffee shop ambiance. Plus I don't like to drink within sight of non-imbibers....feels a bit like you are on display or possibly obnoxious. I prefer privacy and low profile drinking. Other than that, I really dig the concept and execution of 1894. Live long and prosper! read more

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A very cute place but a bit challenging to find since it's located in the library. However, once you find it, it's a cute gem. The prices are reasonable and the popcorn was stellar. Would love to return! read more

My new favorite place!! I've only had snacks but the wine selection and service are exceptional. And A+ for atmosphere since I love books and a historic bookstore! read more

This place is about as perfect as you can get. The drinks are delicious, they have a nice selection of wine, and the food is yummy- I definitely recommend the toast! The book store is also fun to walk around, great book selection! read more

I made my second visit to 1894 today at about the same time as last week: the result was like the difference between night and day. Yes the main Bartender was someone different, Barry. And i'm thinking that this is why the adherence to good service was so much better than last week. To be fair at 12-ish it was pretty slow and there was no sudden influx of about 15 customers as there was last week. I would say that you can look at this two ways: one...people were turned off with the bad or inept service last week or two: business was geared to arrive later today based on any number of factors. In any event: Barry's service was on point and contributed greatly to a pleasant early afternoon visit. I ordered: a flight of Chardonnay: both oaked and unoaked an order of flavored popcorn a 3 cheese plate of Brie, Lavender cheddar and smoked gouda Mixed Nuts as in last week glass of Pinot Noir The Chard selections are interesting but the San Simeon from Monterey County was Oaky, fruity with earthy notes and the winner as far as i am concerned. The flight selection is interesting: going from non-oaked (grassy, light, notes of apple though w/o too much body), "lightly' oaked (more interesting than the non oak as the chard grape in my book blossoms in oak casks adding deep tones of pepper, citrus and even melon) and heavily oaked (robust, cherries and pecan tones). The Cheese plate is iffy as the cheeses were variable in quality and taste with the Brie winning the horse race after i asked Marcus to mildly nuke it for 8 seconds. Cold Brie is w/o taste. Room temp or heated Brie is much better.The plate also comes with tasty olives and gigantic capers. The crackers served were average though i would have preferred bread. And where is the spread as in mustard? The Nuts as in last week are a bargain at 5 bucks and feature the good stuff: macadamia, pecans, walnuts plus) All-in-all a much better visit than last week due to the positivism and personality of Barry and chill personality of Marcus. But the food selections are an issue as is the plating/presentation on the several that i have ordered particularly the cheese plate. I did have a chance to speak to the GM, Bentley about wine, food, She is a positive person who seems like someone who is looking to improve amd open to suggestions. Since this place is inside Vroman's and next door to the Laemmle Movie theater, i will definitely be back. Cheers! read more

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Great place for a drink and a small bite after book shopping or as a meet up for a cocktail before heading out to dinner! Cocktails with literary references and great wine. The vibe is great too! read more

Great stop after shopping for a little pick me up with good wines, simple hors d'oeuvres and fabulous staff.

located inside vromans. cute decor and nice little bookstore wine shop. their menus are so cute, it's in a book! cute place to catch up with a friend. we also got the charcuterie board which was pretty good, def not mad about that! good wine selection as well. you can park in the vromans lot behind the shop, or across the street in the target lot. read more

What a great idea! My friend Denise and I decided to try out Vroman's latest endeavor, The 1894 Wine Bar, on its second day. We arrived about 4:30, grabbed a free table and were on our way to a new literary adventure. I ordered a red wine from a California winery and Denise had a flight of white wines. We shared the olive dish and an avocado toast, then proceeded to discuss the merits of several books we'd been reading. Before we knew it, it was 6:30 and the only two seats available were at our table. We invited two ladies who were waiting for a table to join us. Kudos to Vroman's for opening the 1894 and doing everything right the first time around. It's evident that a lot of planning has gone into the 1894 and we definitely plan on coming back again. read more

What we have here on the left is "The Jungle book"a soft yet bitter Taste of the jungle. To the right based on "Forgotten Cocktails" we have the forgotten sour a sherry bitter and softness that tickles the senses. Created by Bartender Barry and cheese charcuterie by Brandon. read more

The 1894 - Wine Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

This place was okay. Happy hour offering was lackluster but the wine flight was good. If you get the rose make sure you drink it first because it tastes terrible warm. read more

We tried this new place last night and it was awful. We sat at the bar and a tallish blonde lady took my husband's wine order...and then never came back. We were simply abandoned. It felt pretty insulting as she was just looking at us from afar and washing glasses. WTF. The other bartender, a guy, was extremely busy. So we got up and left. Never going back. The vibe in there was weirdly negative (and wine selection was boring). Nope, I'm done. BTW, we love Vroman's bookstore, which is where the wine bar is located, and will continue to support them. But the wine bar...no. read more

The 1894 a fun, friendly, neighborhood place that adds a new dimension to great existing Pasadena institution -- Vromann's Bookshop. Yes, a wine bar in a bookshop! A great place for weighty discussions of their considerable wine and beer list, as well as intellectual conversations of great literature. While the second is optional, the first will surely please, plus there are great appetizers (nothing too exotic, but well prepared and presented charcuterie, cheese, hummus plates, etc. + desserts). Finally, they are really creative in how they create wine-based cocktails. Our bartender David was awesome and crafted a special cocktail to my specification. Delicious. We will be back! read more

The 1894 - Local LA Wines flight, red pepper hummus plate - Wine Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Some of the wine was good. Some not good at all. My brie came with a human hair on the plate. I'm not excited by this place.

Wine bar in a bookstore! Very fun atmosphere and nice wine selection. They do have beer too.

This place is a gem! Delicious thoughtfully and sustainably curated wines served by warm and knowledgeable folks. The decor is inviting and the lighting is lovely. Try their spicy kimchi popcorn and charcuterie offerings. They feature talented female wine makers from all around the world. It's the perfect spot for a friend hang, date, or solo evening with a book. I'll definitely be back! read more

The service here is incredible!!!!. These gals are so funny, down to earth and knowledgeable about wine. They're all different ages, young hip folk, and some wiser more traveled bartenders with great stories for your grandchildren. Overall great choices of wine from all over the globe, only a few duds, and I mean like one or two, probably just one. You've gotta try the orange wine, african rosé, and bordeaux if they still got it. This place is a vibe and a half, and its great for learning about wine, or exploring your great new novel while not paying attention to what you're drinking, or how much. read more

Was really excited about this place, but was very disappointed to learn that NO ONE UNDER 21 is allowed, regardless if you are sitting in the "restaurant" part. Not sure how a family bookstore plans on enforcing this, but it was pretty inconvenient. We roll up with a small child hoping to grab a light snack and an adult beverage but we're immediately turned away. When I asked for clarification on the restaurant part, I was informed I WAS speaking to a manager and that they are not a family establishment. Okay, boomer, we are on our way out! read more

Our first visit after watching the construction in Vromans. What a great addition! The wine and cocktail menu is succinct but well curated. We shared the meat and cheese plate. The quality was very good at a competitive price. Brandon and Dominique were very attentive and on top of refreshing our drinks. This is going to be a great place to relax and read the first few chapters of your new Vroman's purchase. read more

I heard about this spot opening from a friend, and thought that a wine bar in a bookstore was something I'd be ALL about. I came about a week after they opened, and I absolutely love this place. Management and staff are always super accommodating and very attentive. Definitely my new go-to spot. read more

The 1894 - Salmon platter and white wine flight - Wine Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Never in all my days have I had such a luxurious experience in a book shop. Sipping wine, eating cheese, snuggling up with my favorite author. Dominique was an absolute DELIGHT. I will definitely come back! read more

Really great spot! They have cool non alch. Beverages too and free wifi. Been coming to Vroman's for years and was pleasantly surprised to find this little place tucked away inside such a great bookstore. Staff so nice! Will be back. read more

I grew up shopping at Vroman's which has been my favorite store for most of my life. I could go on and on about how lovely it was to have the expansion (years ago), the addition of the coffee spot, the Laemmle moving next door, etc., but today is about the long-awaited wine bar. I've been twice so far. I met a friend there the second day it opened, at around 11:30. We planned to have a glass of wine and a snack before going to a movie next door. It was lovely. Our server was terrific and we enjoyed our wine and cheese board. We also enjoyed the clever, literary touches in decor and such. The following week I met another friend there in the afternoon. It was nice when we stopped in but quickly became kind of rowdy. There were, one or two people at the bar and they and the bartender were having a spirited conversation. It was a positive conversation but loud. Because of the small space, it was difficult to tune them out and have our own conversation. Another person joined them and they became even louder. It seemed to be inspired by the attitude of the barkeep. Again, it was a positive conversation, but intrusive. Perhaps this is fine. Perhaps it is me, but it seemed out of place in a bookstore as the space is open and surrounded by books and browsers. The atmosphere seemed more suited for a pub or, you know, the set of "Cheers". That can be very enjoyable but this seemed out of place. In addition, when we ordered the popcorn trio to go with our glasses of dry wine (just to have something in our stomachs) we fully expected the popcorn to be salty (as that was our default expectation especially since the stuff was not described as sweet on the menu). We figured the popcorn was on the menu to accompany beer but we wanted some anyway. All three popcorn varieties served were sweet. It seemed odd to us that at least one of the three was not savory. When my friend mentioned this to our server (he was terrific, by the way) he replied "Duly noted." which was appropriate, and we hoped he would mention it to the management. The bar filled up as we sat there enjoying our drinks but did remain quite loud. When it was time to go there had been a shift change. My friend suggested to the new server that they consider adding a savory popcorn choice. The server actually argued with my friend, telling her the expectation is that the popcorn will be ordered along with beer, not with wine (Umm, yeah because everyone knows you always have sweet popcorn with beer?). The server also told us they have limited storage room so no room for savory popcorn. Really? Maybe switch-out one of the popcorn bags? Maybe not argue with the customer? I don't know if it is growing pains issue, a staff training issue, or that in expecting a more sophisticated ambiance I am simply not part of the target group for this venue. I want to love this place. I will try again as I'd like to explore the nice offerings of libations and snacks. I hope to update my impressions after a time. Perhaps they are still figuring out what they want to be and whom they want to serve (hopefully a larger demographic). read more

My friend and I went to check this place out recently and had a great time. The book theme was really fun and well executed! They were pretty full when we got there but luckily a table opened right as we got there. Even with all the people though, it didn't feel super crowded. I had a James and the Giant Peach and my friend had a Rose Spritz. Both were very refreshing, but mine was a little sweet for my taste. They also have some really unique foods that like the creme brielee that I will definitely be coming back for. Definitely a must-visit for book and wine lovers. read more

I'm going to give another chance because the food and wine were great. Loved the creme brielee, unfortunately they're a little unorganized and it could be because they just opened. They really don't have a "please wait to be seated" so when we were looking for a place and found a table we were approached by a waitress and told us nothing was open just for her to realize there was a table behind her (which we were on our way to sit there anyway) my friend and I ordered our drinks and cheese and my drink was taking a very long time when I asked about my drink I was told the bartender had to step outside to throw the trash, this was said in a very crude way and not very apologetic. It took way too long to get the check, even though the waitress acknowledged me several times. It even took longer for her to get my card I had my hand up and she still wouldn't come. Lastly and I think this is the worst is that they are not ADA compliant, I don't see how they will be able to accommodate someone in a wheelchair. Again, the food and drinks are great, and planning on going a second time with hopes of better service. read more