New York City’s ever-evolving wine bar scene offers locals and visitors a wide array of opportunities to sample wine from literally all over the map in a variety of fun and friendly settings. More casual than fine dining establishments but still serious about what’s in the glass and on the plate, wine bars are a good choice for either a quick drink and snack or multiple pours and a full-on meal. The best are owned and staffed by hospitality professionals who are well versed in offering selections that are intriguing to newcomers and wine-world veterans alike. They can offer a wine’s full back story if you’re interested or just pour and allow you to enjoy if you’re on a date or engrossed in conversation. We’ve chosen a mix of just-opened spots and long-running classics that will keep your palate refreshed the next time you’re out and about in the Big Apple.
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Ardesia
Image Credit: Joshua Bright This far west Hell’s Kitchen bar and lounge has been a neighborhood hotspot since it opened its doors in 2009. There always seems to be a crowd here, whether it’s just after the workday or an hour before curtains rise on Broadway. Owner Mandy Oser can be found here most weeknights pouring from the wines she hand-selects for Ardesia’s list, which changes twice per year. A focused group of interesting by-the-glass choices divided into sparkling, white, orange, rosé, red, and sweet styles is offered alongside bar classics such as deviled eggs and house made soft pretzels and welcome surprises like duck banh mi and lamb skewers. There’s also a 22-page bottle list that veers from the familiar to the astonishing in terms of regions and varieties. Between the airy double-height bar area, comfortable lounge up a few steps, and ample seasonal patio seating, there’s plenty of room for groups large and small. Dim lighting and well-curated background music make this a great spot for a date, whether your first or 50th.
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The Purple Tongue
Image Credit: Purple Tongue Just steps off Ninth Avenue and blocks from Times Square, the Purple Tongue is a new addition to the midtown scene. The mix of hardwood and white marble tables behind large plate glass windows offer a classic NYC brownstone view just past the outdoor gallery seating that doubles capacity in season. Owner Peter Cecere admits to having more of a food than wine background, so he’s brought in a consulting “sensory scientist” who helps him to taste and choose the wine served here. Peter is fond of interesting varieties and wines that “spark conversation,” and the options here definitely reflect that ethos. Choices by the glass include around 13 white and 12 red, with a larger assortment of white, red, rosé and sparkling by the bottle. The focused small plates menu offers delicious dishes such as cappellacci in butter and sage, grilled octopus with eggplant purée and meatballs with polenta and tomato sauce and not-to-be-missed short ribs with celery root purée. The daily afternoon happy hour features six small plates priced at well under $20, wines for $9 per glass, and $6 beer and allows you plenty of time to meander to your Broadway show.
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Corkbuzz
Image Credit: Corkbuzz Run by a dynamic team of beverage professionals, this Union Square-area space serves as a classroom for wine professionals and amateurs alike; in its off-hours it is often utilized for wine trade masterclasses and tastings, but the education doesn’t stop when the wine-loving public arrives. With Master Sommelier Laura Maniec at the helm and Master of Wine candidate Amber Rill and award-winning sommelier Ryan Totman working the floor and behind the long wooden bar, clients who are truly curious about what’s in their glass have an enthusiastic and knowledgeable team at their disposal. Whether you’re in the mood for charcuterie and cheese, a fresh green salad, cacio e pepe cavatelli or a Wagyu burger, this crew has the perfect suggestion from its extensive by-the-glass and bottle list. The full-page bottled Champagne list is broken out by region, and Champagne is offered at retail, not restaurant markup prices. The 22-page list is filled with familiar faces and wine world curiosities, and with bar seating up front, communal tables in the back, and a small but captivating food menu, Corkbuzz and its sister location in Chelsea market are ideal for a quick drink or a full dinner.
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Aldo Sohm Wine Bar
Image Credit: Francesco Tonelli A laid-back living room-style hideaway run by Aldo Sohm—who doubles as the wine director at nearby Le Bernardin—his eponymous bar’s showstopper is the impressive wine list, which features diverse by the glass selections including six high-end reserve pours that use the Coravin wine preservation system. It’s fun to be around for the “9 PM Pour,” a by-the-glass selection from a large format bottle selected by Aldo each day. That said, all of the servers here are trained sommeliers, and if you’re in the mood for your own bottle, there are myriad choices on a list that includes an entire page of white Burgundy, two more pages of whites from Europe and the USA and an equal showing of reds from around the winemaking globe. On a recent weeknight, classic funk and soul was playing at a volume that did not inhibit conversation in the neutral-toned room with bar height tables, a comfy sectional sofa, and brightly hued modern art displayed close to the double-height ceiling. Dishes such as black truffle arancini, bacon and caramelized onion tarte flambée, and braised short rib with sauce bordelaise are great for a quick shared snack or filling enough for a multi course paired dinner.
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The Red Stache
Image Credit: Jeff Eason This jewel box brick-walled storefront near Ninth Avenue features minimalist décor with 30 seats at tables and banquettes and eight more at the wooden bar. Open from 4 p.m. until late night and with simple offerings like charcuterie, cheese, and a handful of small plates, flatbreads and sandwiches including multiple vegetarian options, flatbreads and sandwiches, it’s ideal for a pre- or post-theater tipple and snack. The Red Stache’s small but mighty wine list offers has 10 by-the-glass pours and around 60 bottles of both popular styles and interesting varieties like Grüner Veltliner, Primitivo, Mencia, and Hondarribi Zuri, the main grape of Txakoli. Managing partner Shaun Dunn is a fine dining and hospitality veteran whose amiable personality is well suited to the welcoming space.
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Peasant Wine Bar
Image Credit: Clay Williams Chef Marc Forgione lived in the NoLIta neighborhood for more than 10 years and was a frequent patron at Peasant. He loved founding chef Frank DeCarlo’s cuisine so much that when DeCarlo and his wife Dulcinea decided to slow down, and they asked Marc to take over, he jumped at the opportunity. Forgione continues the legacy of cooking delicious rustic Italian food paired solely with Italian wine. Located on the lower level of the restaurant, Peasant Wine Bar has its own entrance that leads to a classic enoteca-style, rustic candlelit space with just enough room to accommodate 25 fortunate guests. The by the glass wine list has 11 exceptionally curated selections and the by the bottle list has 13 sparkling, 21 white wines, and over 50 red thoughtfully chosen Italian wines focusing on small producers and indigenous varieties. Whether your taste runs towards seafood or meat, Peasant has you covered with small plates like wood roasted oysters, clams oreganata, and Piedmontese steak tartare, while pasta lovers will rejoice with options such as rigatoni alla vodka and bucatini carbonara.
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The Ten Bells
Image Credit: The Ten Bells A natural wine and tapas bar located on the Lower East Side, the Ten Bells is a fun, dimly lit joint that’s known for its unpretentious atmosphere. It’s a great place to meet friends for a quick before dinner drink or for a few glasses of wine paired with innovative tapas that can stretch over the course of the evening. It’s also very popular on Saturday and Sunday in the midafternoon and right after the workday, when Oyster Happy Hour with $1 oysters and $18 carafes of wine from opening until 7 p.m. satisfies the craving for mollusks and vino. The by-the-glass list boasts five sparkling wines, one rosé, four orange, six white, seven red, and six sweet wines, but if you’re in the mood for a bottle or two, the 20-page list includes 750 ml standard bottles, magnums, jeroboams, and even one Mathusalem. Shining a spotlight on natural producers, the list features impressive options from legacy regions and more central and eastern European choices than we’ve seen this side of Prague. Delicious small plates include tuna stuffed piquillo peppers, salmon tartar, fois gras terrine, and raclette tartine.
