First Look: Brine Bar Brings a Taste of New England to Edgewater

You won't find an ocean view along Clifton Boulevard, but chef Kevin O'Connell is bringing a little New England charm to Cleveland's Edgewater neighborhood.

Brine Bar (10431 Clifton Blvd.), which quietly opened Oct. 21 in the former Le Marche space, is the latest addition to O'Connell's growing restaurant group. Inspired by the raw bars and dives he encountered during a trip to Boston, O'Connell saw an opportunity to introduce the city's relaxed seafood culture to Cleveland's West Side.

“We thought it would be a great idea to bring something different to Edgewater,” says Megan DiGesare, the group's director of marketing, events and strategy.

Situated alongside O'Connell's French restaurant, La Ville Lumiere, and Italian sandwich shop, La Porta Rossa, the 36-seat space has undergone a transformation from its former life as an all-day cafe. While much of Le Marche's original color palette remains, bookshelves have been replaced with tables and chairs, and an extended countertop now serves as a nine-seat bar.

READ MORE: New England-Style Oyster Bar, Italian Sandwich Shop Opening in Edgewater

“We want people to walk through the doors and feel like they're in a New England coastal oyster bar, a little bit of an escape, especially with winter approaching,” says DiGesare. “We want it to feel warm and inviting. It's a small space, so naturally there's a lot of energy and interaction between the guests and our team. We want people to feel comfortable, meet friends, have a good time or make an entire evening out of it.”

Inside, the space pairs a black exposed-beam ceiling with pastel blue-and-white checkered floors, warm lighting and a long wooden oyster bar that stretches through the narrow dining room. 

Nautical touches include an oversized swordfish repurposed from the recently closed Naughty Mermaid and a Cleveland-inspired coastal mural by local artist Blake Neuhauser, who also hand-painted the restaurant's logo on the subway tile behind the bar. A handful of tables line the opposite wall, giving the restaurant an intimate, neighborhood feel.

At the oyster bar, diners can watch their selections being shucked. Brine Bar also plans to introduce live acoustic performances from local musicians in the front window beginning in mid-November, initially on Friday evenings.

Naturally, oysters are the main attraction. Brine Bar typically offers four to six varieties, with selections rotating based on freshness and availability. Guests can order them raw or opt for grilled and baked preparations, making the experience approachable for newcomers and longtime oyster enthusiasts alike.

The seafood-forward menu also includes hot and cold lobster rolls ($36), miso sea bass ($28), lobster pot pie ($39) and clam chowder ($14).  

The crab beignets ($24) arrive as golden, bite-size rounds with a dense yet fluffy interior and a delicate, flaky exterior. Shrimp, clams and a shareable seafood tower ($80) round out the offerings.

For those craving something other than seafood, options include steak tartare ($23), a Brine Bar burger ($21) and a Wagyu sirloin steak ($44).

The menu is designed to accommodate a range of budgets, whether guests stop in for a few oysters and a drink or settle in for a full seafood dinner.

For DiGesare, making oysters approachable is a priority. Staff members are prepared to guide guests through the different varieties and preparations, even offering a sample to someone hesitant to try one.

“I think it's really fun to introduce people to tastes and textures that they haven't had before, so we're all about educating the guests when they come in,” says DiGesare.

Brine Bar is open Monday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to midnight, with happy hour offered twice daily, from 4 to 6 p.m. and again from 10 p.m. to midnight. During those hours, oysters are available for $2 apiece.

For now, the restaurant is operating with a nonalcoholic beverage program while the team works to finalize its liquor license. The mocktail menu offers a colorful lineup of inventive drinks, each with its own distinct character. Espresso Yourself ($10) puts a playful spin on a dirty martini with a bit of bite. The Zen Dragon ($10) is another standout, topped with a luscious layer of vanilla matcha foam.

The decision to open on Mondays was deliberate, too. DiGesare says the team wanted to create a place for restaurant and hospitality workers, many of whom have Mondays off, to enjoy their own version of a Friday night. The restaurant operates on a walk-in-only basis, with a waitlist managed through Resy. During busy periods, guests may be limited to 90 minutes at their tables.

For O'Connell and his team, Brine Bar represents another piece of a growing culinary destination along Clifton Boulevard.

“I think we're creating this little culinary destination right on Clifton Boulevard,” DiGesare says. “You can have lunch at La Porta Rossa, stop in at Brine Bar for oysters and then have a fancy dinner at La Ville Lumiere, all within steps of each other.”

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