Bacaro LA

On most nights, this intimate Downtown wine bar is hopping with USC sorority girls, graduate students and professors, as well as the nearby, after-work crowd. The wine program focuses on esoteric, terroir-driven Italian wines by the glass and changes as frequently as the attention span of its patrons—the chalkboard walls showcase a constantly rotating menu of eight reds, seven whites, two sparkling and two sweet, replaced after each case. The food is California-fresh tapas that’s churned out quickly from a busy kitchen and served by a staff so casual you might mistake them for self-serving patrons. The atmosphere is pure conviviality and serious wine geeks sit at the long, communal table at the newly expanded room to revel in the chance to make new friends and sniff what’s in their Riedel glass. Don’t miss Sunday brunch and Monday night happy hour (5-7pm) of $5 plates and half-off wines by the glass.