July 29, 2009
My favorite local joint that I attend as much as possible. It’s got some positives and some negatives that I’ll try to share as fairly as possible. The selection is second-to-none. The taps aren’t posted anywhere but be sure to ask what they have. Sometimes they have exceptionally rare stuff, othertimes they’re quite normal but always interesting and always changing. The bottle selection is about as good as anywhere and I like that you can peruse the bottles yourself to read the label before you make a choice. Also, if you’re in the mood for something exceptional (and extra expensive) be sure to ask because they usually have a few high-end bottles (vintage stuff, lambics, etc.) on their paper menu that aren’t out and visible. Everything is served in appropriate glassware right on down to the Kwak glass. It’s also a nice, quiet retreat from the loud, neighboring bars. I also don’t agree with the knocks on the food. They don’t have a full menu, but not all places desire to be a sports bar. They have amazing cheese and dried fruit plates (at a pretty decent value) that often pair extremely well with your beer of choice. Now for the bad stuff... the place is no bargain. A bomber that would cost you $10 in the store will be $15 or $18 or sometimes even more. The draught stuff is usually $7 or $8 for the more rare stuff. If you’re bargain shopping your best bet is to take stuff to go, where the price is usually several dollars cheaper per bottle. Also, weekdays are a great time to go but the service on weekends can be rough at times. The staff is extremely knowedgable about beer and wine, but there are never enough people working and sometimes you have to wait awhile or be real aggressive to get someone’s attention. They also do all their checks by hand and it can take awhile to pay. Despite its drawbacks, though, it’s without question a can’t-miss when coming to the Cleveland area.

July 19, 2009
Low-lit basement wine/beer bar in Cleveland. Nice atmosphere with a good mix of hipsters, couples, groups of friends. Only 6 taps, but lack of quantity is made up for in quality. When I went, taps were Unibroue Trois Pistoles, Lagunitas Pils, UFO Raspberry Hefeweizen, Tommyknocker Black Powder Stout, Weyerbacher Hops Infusion, and Hitachino White Ale. Bartender really knew his stuff. Great bottle selection, with about 5 coolers and hundreds of solid choices. Some bottles were way overpriced, others seemed to be very good values.

July 7, 2009
First stop here was tonight. Ordered from the cooler a Great Divide Hercules IPA and the Brie and Blue cheese board to split. The cheese was excellent and the beer was pretty good. This place is MAD DARK, I could barely see the menu but then again it is la cave. Coventry area is very popular among Clevelanders and has some nice spots for food. La Cave is located next to the Grog Shop which attracts an inordinate amount of hipsters which makes me nauseous but La Cave is nice and isolated once you descend into it. The beer list has some decent beers but the cooler is where it’s at - only downside is the 750s are going for $20-30 and up which is ridiculous for some of the things they’re offering. On tap I believe was North Coast Old Rasputin, Southern Tier Unearthly IPA, Duvel Green, Victory Prima Pils, Unibroue Ephemere and Flashback Anniversary Ale. The place itself is like an old cellar with almost no lighting and lots of candles, only 4 other people at the bar ranging from mid 30s to late 60s. Really wish they served more food but it’s essentially a wine bar with some sweet beers.

September 3, 2008
Jen and I went early on a Friday evening. The place was a surprise after you walk down what appears to be a disused industrial stairwell. However, when you open the door you are greeted with a pleasant surprise. Dimly lit surroundings, wood and stucco walls give way to a sizable bar and full wall beer fridge. A large variety of wines and beers litter the shelves and their selection is so large they reportedly only list what they are pushing that week. You have to discover the rest on your own. Great beer selection and the Cheese plate we got was excellent. Manager was very helpful. Service was fine. My only complaint was the price. However, I suppose you get what you pay for, and you get a lot here.

September 3, 2008
Went in the dark (cave like indeed) place and instinctively walked to quiet corner which happened to be a table directly in front of the beer cooler windows. Made a quick search and selected a Marriage Parfait. Things were only momentarily quiet and then the music was slowly turned up and then a stream of customers paraded before me, making their own beer selections and knowingly or not, letting me eavesdrop of their commentaries. Eventually Eric (pretty sure that was his name) came from the bar to assist a customer and I waited to get his attention. As he was telling one person that their selections indicated that they really didn’t actually like beer, I figured we might get along. He was very cool, helpful and accommodating in getting me many beers to carry out. Great place, if not cheap.

May 14, 2008
Basement. I walked down the stairs and faced many closed doors. I tried a few and then one opened up to on of the most amazing pub I’ve ever been to. With only 6 taps the draught selection is somewhat limited but they are carefully selected. I had the Bam Noire on tap. But the main reason to visit this bar is the bottle selection. The cool thing is that there is no beer menu. Instead there’s a huge fridge with many doors (similar to a beer-store) where all the bottle are lined up with the price underneath. Big, very big selection, I’m talking hundreads of bottles. 2/3 of the bottles are American craftbeers from well known breweries (large array of Bells, Avery, Stone, Lagunitas) to the more obscure. The other third are imported bottles mainly from Belgium. Some of these Belgium imports I had never heard of before and I like to think I know my Belgium beers. While the tap was a bit pricy ($7 for my glass of Bam Noire) I thought the bottles were very reasonably priced (a little over twice the beer-store price). The ambiance of the place is really quite something. Classy and trendy yet cavernous and with an underground feeling. You sit there surrounded by a huge wine and beer cellar (yes, this place is as much about wine as it is about beer) that you can physically touch (not behind a counter). Crowd is mid-20s to mid 30s and a bit trendy. Just one of those place you have to be there to really get the feeling.

April 27, 2008
Amazing selection, cozy quiet beer bar. Beer geeks welcome. Some of the most knowledgeable staff around, all of whom are looking to spread thier love for suds with anyone who will listen. La cav has tons stored away in thier cellars from the last ten years and has great customer service. Never too crowded, just a great place to enjoy a wide selection of rares, locals and imports.

January 2, 2008
There can be only one. This is the best bar in Cleveland.

January 2, 2008
This is a great little gem hidden in a strip shopping complex. Once you go through the deceptive double doors you’ll be in a true cave. Bottles of wine and beer cover the walls. Many are of older vintages though there are newer bottles in a cooler along the back wall. Prices can be high unless there is a discount for takeout. The selection however can’t be beat. When I was there the tap offerings included Rodenbach Grand Cru, Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence, JP Bam Noire and Od Rasputin. Browsing around can reveal some treasures like a ten year vertical of Gale’s Old Prize Ale, 2005 Alaskan Smoked Porter and more. Parking can be a pain unless you happen to arrive close to the time they open. If you do come be aware they have bar hours - don’t expect to drop in for a post-lunch drink.

August 8, 2007
This a nice little spot to stop and have a nice Belgian Draft after a good meal at any one of the good restaraunts in this neighborhood. I’m very surprised that I’m the first person who posted anything about this spot on this site. Food is limited but made to match the beer and wine they sell here.