RiNo Champagne bar to open Labor Day weekend

One of our most-anticipated new restaurants of the year is planning to open its doors in RiNo, just before the end of summer. 

La Vie En Rose, the Parisian-inspired cocktail and champagne bar we first learned about nearly a year ago, says it will finally open Friday, Sept. 4. The project from owners Scott and Nicole Mattson takes over the former Noble Riot space and adds an elegant counterpart to the adjoining Nocturne Jazz & Supper Club, which the pair also owns. 

“La Vie En Rose is so much more than a well-known song,” says Nicole, referring to the Edith Piaf classic for which the bar is named. “It’s an optimistic view of the world. In a world full of increasing noise and worry, we feel compelled to create moments of simple pleasure and levity.”

Upon opening, it will boast one of the largest by-the-bottle Champagne lists in the state at over 120 options, along with a long list of wines by the glass. The craft cocktail program is focused on French spirits, like cognac and armagnac, all named after and inspired by classic French poems, stories and places, such as The Vieux Marais or Le Petit Chapeau.

The food program is designed to complement the beverage program, with a selection of hors d’oeuvres and small plates that are “approachable and Champagne-friendly,” according to the team. Think savory petit fours served on tiered platters, steak tartar and a “grand gougere” with mornay sauce. And, since this is Champagne, after all, we’re excited to see “popcorn fried chicken” on the list, as well. 

But perhaps most notably will be the Art Nouveau style, designed in partnership with Kevin Nguyen of Regular Architecture. Plush seating, velvet curtains and a bar curved around a built-in Champagne bowl all mark a significant departure from not only the jazzy Nocture, but also its more gritty predecessor, Noble Riot. 

“We use the phrase ‘finesse over flash’ when talking about how we want the experience to feel,” Scott says. “We want to create moments that are joyful, light and personal. I think of so many beautiful scenes unfolding at once: a sommelier guiding a table of friends to the discovery of their new favorite wine, the first sip from a flower-adorned coupe, perfectly chilled Champagne poured tableside, breezy French music filling the air. It should be a very lovely thing.”

The transition from the punk-graffiti aesthetic of Noble Riot to the elegant French Art Nouveau decor of La Vie En Rose is a metaphor of sorts for a RiNo neighborhood undergoing an identity evolution itself. The art district’s early pioneers occupied the area’s existing industrial spaces, turning them into bohemian-style craft businesses. 

But over time, new construction has taken the baton, bringing shiny new buildings occupied by slick inhabitants, like the troubled Rose & Thorne and the fabulous Dear Emilia. And this year we’ve seen a number of exits from businesses that have been there for years, most recently including the pending closure of The Block Distilling Co., Filipino hotspot Magna Kainan and the venerable Port Side cafe and breakfast spot. 

La Vie En Rose is located at 2636 Walnut St. Starting Sept. 4, it will be open from 5 to 10 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, 5 to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 5 to 10 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, visit lverosebar.com.