There's a brand-new French wine bar and wine shop in town. Called Verjus, the new arrival is located at 550 Washington St. in the Financial District, and is focused on French wines and accompanying foods.

Owned by Michael and Lindsay Tusk, who also operate Italian restaurants Quince and Cotogna, Verjus' menu changes daily. Expect to see a selection of cheeses and charcuterie, as well as classical French fare like hot foie gras or pithivier (a filled pie made of two circles of puff pastry).

Per its website, the wine bar does not accept reservations or "cater to dietary restrictions or food allergies," but prospective diners can view a sample version of the extensive wine list here. For those who'd rather sip the selection at home, a bottle shop offers wine for retail purchase. 

With a 3.5-star rating out of six reviews on Yelp so far, the new bistro is still finding its feet, but it's early days.

"The pastry-encrusted pate was a stand out. I haven't had anything like it in SF," wrote Yelper Victor W. "The pithivier... is phenomenal. It's like a chicken pot pie, but done elegantly with different kinds of meat and no cream sauce."

However, Samir P. was critical of some service misses and an eye-popping $80 corkage fee explicitly intended to discourage bringing outside wine. "It has potential, but they still need to work out the numerous kinks ... Two people said 'I'll be right with you,' but then disappeared."

Verjus's wine bar is open from 5-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday and from 5 p.m. to late at night on Friday and Saturday. (It's closed on Sunday.) The wine shop, meanwhile, is open from 11:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, and is closed on Sunday and Monday.