Atop a converted gas station lies a delightful little secret. The Mona Lisa Room is a wine bar located above Botta Boom Pizza. It’s a small but comfortable full-service bar with an extensive wine list. The cozy atmosphere makes it easy to lose track of time while you’re deep in conversation with your friends.

With the same owners as the gourmet pizza restaurant below, the Mona Lisa Room is the perfect stop either before or after dinner. It’s also just a great place to relax and enjoy the company of friends. Comfortable chairs, a great view, and pleasant music enhance the artsy atmosphere.

Besides the wine list, the Mona Lisa Room offers drink specialties as well. The menu features such drinks as mojitos and martinis starting at $7.50 for house ingredients. Unique drinks like the Mona Lisa’s Smile or Mona Lisa’s Eyes made with chocolate liquor, vodka, and a splash Cointreau spice up the menu.

Run entirely by a single, knowledgeable bartender, the Mona Lisa Room features a large, impressionistic painted version of its namesake. The bartender joked that it was the real copy, and the one in France was a fake. Light pours into the bar from a large window overlooking a rustic, wooded scene. It illuminates the infamous painting and the Tuscan red walls to bring special warmth to the surroundings.

Right now the Mona Lisa Room is only open on Fridays and Saturdays from 6 pm until. The bar closes at different times depending on the amount of business. Since it is a rather small establishment, it fills easily, but groups come and go. Little niches provide comfortable areas for you and your friends gather.

Upon our visit, we encountered Wake Forest students as well as locals. The wine bar and cozy place to hang out are obviously attractive to a wide variety of people, so you’re sure to have some interesting company.

The structure which houses the Mona Lisa Room and Botta Boom Pizza has undergone many changes over the years. Originally a gas station, it has housed different restaurants and bars. The Mona Lisa Room has had a diverse history as well; it has been a piano bar and a cigar bar before becoming the residence of one version of Leornardo da Vinci’s most famous artistic creation..

The Mona Lisa Room is definitely worth a visit. It would be great for a date or for pre/post dinner at Botta Boom, or even before heading on down Reynolda Road to Opera House. The cozy aspect of the Mona Lisa Room makes it a great spot to even just engage in relaxed conversation with friends while sipping a signature cocktail or a glass of fine, Italian wine.