La Buvette is the kind of place the New York Times notices: a wine bar and grocery on a brick Old Market corner that feels transplanted from a French village. The Times called it “charmingly un-American,” and the description stuck because it’s accurate — chalkboard menus, bottles stacked to the ceiling, regulars who treat it as their second living room.
It’s been here since 1991, and the formula hasn’t needed changing: honest wines by the glass, simple food done well, and a grocery section for taking bottles and provisions home. The patio in good weather is one of the Old Market’s best seats.
Come for a glass and a plate before dinner elsewhere, or make it the whole evening. Either way, you’ll understand why Omaha is possessive about this place.