Nowadays, every hot restaurant needs a hot bar scene.

Walk into any new dining destination and it's the first thing you see. The bar has become the place to eat, the place to be seen and, obviously, the place to drink.

With the bar on my mind, I checked out three new Minneapolis restaurants -- a two-level behemoth downtown, a reimagined Uptown institution and a neighborhood gem. Here's how they stack up.

The bar: The stylish bistro (named after the Kingfield neighborhood) has become home base for this bar-starved pocket of south Minneapolis. Not only is it a haven for local musicians, but the intimate restaurant hosts trivia nights, beer dinners, CD listening parties and a book club.

Thumbs up: This wine bar has the soul of a coffee shop. Good vibes abound. Also great: The background music is all local -- a mega playlist curated by HowWasTheShow.com founder and Kings' No. 1 fan, David de Young. You'll hear bands like Mercurial Rage, Solid Gold and the Twilight Hours.

Needs work: A proper entryway would block the winter chill from slipping in when the door opens.

Drink this: A lot of thought went into the wine and beer lists (no liquor here). But for something different, try a sake-tini.

Pedigree: Sisters Molly Barnes and Samantha Loesch are first-time restaurant owners who filled their staff with rockers. Music scribe Jim Walsh seats diners on weekends. Jayhawks bassist Marc Perlman bartends. So does drummer John Schreiner of the Spittin' Cobras.

Impact: Walsh calls Kings his church. De Young calls it his second living room. People in this neighborhood act like they've never had a bar to call their own. Now they do.

4555 Grand Av. S., Mpls.

612-354-7928. www.kingsmpls.com.

The bar: After 25 years inside Calhoun Square, Figlio was put out to pasture. Its remodeled and rebranded successor (the Italian name means "The Cat") has opted for a completely different three-room setup, with each space divided by towering wine racks. After 5 p.m., the long wooden slab of a bar is the most coveted seat in the house.

Needs work: If you loved Figlio's worn-in atmosphere, the sleek (bordering on sterile) decor is only going to make you miss it more.

Drink this: Never has ordering a shot of lemoncello been such a spectacle. The bartender pours the yellow elixir from a large bottle that's been frozen along with a dozen lemons inside an even larger bucket. Hard to explain -- but a sight to see.

Eat this: Check out the hand-tossed pizzas, baked in a wood-burning oven.

Pedigree: Phil Roberts and his Parasole empire own Chino Latino, Manny's, Burger Jones, Salut and others.

Impact: Il Gatto is red hot. But will it replicate Figlio's quarter-century of success? Time will tell.

www.ilgattominneapolis.com.

The bar: This huge upscale Indian-fusion restaurant was designed with nightclub flourishes and is located smack-dab in the middle of the Warehouse District club scene. But from Day One, its operators have pushed it as a restaurant rather than a Bellanotte-style hybrid.

Thumbs up: Om's street-level lounge is a fun starting point for a night on the town. Sit in front of the large corner window for the best view of weekend warriors running amok on 1st Avenue.

Needs work: Just a suggestion -- embrace the nightlife. Bring in DJs on the weekends.

Drink this: The Kamasutra will catch your eye on name alone, but try the Amber (gin, Alphonso mangos and lemon juice over crème de cassis).

Pedigree: Owner Vik Uppal brought together Randy Norman (Bellanotte, r.Norman's) and award-winning cookbook author Raghavan Iyer.

Impact: Om has opened at a time when the 1st Avenue strip is more club central than dinner destination. But weekends are busy and the Twins are coming. Baseball fans like Indian food, right?

401 1st Av. N., Mpls. 612-338-1510. www.omminneapolis.com.

thorgen@startribune.com • 612-673-7909