Colina, an Intimate Wine Bar and Bistro, Bound for Western End of Larchmere Boulevard

Colina, an intimate wine bar, to open this fall on Larchmere Credit: Google Maps

Adrien Aeschliman, who attained success in Baltimore with his restaurants Bottega and Colette, will attempt to do the same in Cleveland. Along with his wife Margaret and chef-partner Stefano Porcile, Aeschliman will open Colina on the western end of Larchmere Boulevard (12104 Larchmere Blvd.). The plan is to have the doors open sometime this fall.

Aeschliman, who is Swiss-American, met his wife, who hails from Cleveland Heights, in Switzerland. The family moved back to town a couple of years ago. Porcile, who is Peruvian-Italian, was a key figure at both Bottega and Colette.

“We are still formulating the menu structure and identity, while enjoying the process of making a welcoming space,” Aeschliman explains.

What he does know is that Colina will be an intimate wine bar with chef-driven, ingredient-focused small and large plates that will change frequently. Diners can look forward to South American and Northern Italian influences on the menu – a style they are calling “Gaucho Italian.” The double storefront will seat approximately 35 guests in two rooms, one for walk-ins, the other for those with reservations.

“I like small restaurants with a strong owner imprint,” he adds. “We really are trying to avoid the traditional restaurant.”

Aeschliman says that he’s eager to join the Larchmere neighborhood, one that has seen its stock rise in recent years thanks to a bevy of new condos, restaurants and more.

“We don’t want to be perceived as a bougie little spot,” he says. “We want to be very neighborhoody, with the idea that it’s an everyday place.”

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