clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile
A spread of food and wine from the Four Horsemen.
A spread of food and wine from the Four Horsemen
The Four Horsemen

15 Knockout Natural Wine Bars in NYC

The standout places to find funky, flavorful natural wines

View as Map
A spread of food and wine from the Four Horsemen
| The Four Horsemen

Natural wine, which is made without preservatives and chemicals, has changed the landscape. Tons of places in New York City now offer the increasingly popular style, so this list is a collection of go-to destinations where a wine director is consistently making a choice for natural wines.

Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission.

Read More
Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process. If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

Contento

Copy Link

The ethos and layout at Contento is “accessible for all,” including the wheelchair-accessible bar and the wide aisles. It’s inspired by beverage director and co-owner Yannick Benjamin, who recovered from a car accident, rejiggered a tray onto his wheelchair, and kept working as a sommelier. His wine list at Contento highlights wines that have a social impact, which showcases women, BIPOC, indigenous, and sustainability-driven winemakers. His partner, Oscar Lorenzzi, created a food menu that combines his Peruvian roots with the French techniques gleaned from working at Marseille and Nice Matin. 

Anfora, sibling to Italian pasta staple, L’Artusi, has featured a biodynamic and natural wine selection since it opened in 2010. The lineup is perhaps even more indebted to France than it was, with a vertical of Joly, listings from the likes of Henri Milan, and a whole clutch of natural Beaujolais. Current natural wine obsession Gut Oggau is also in the mix. In a place that is both a West Village watering hole and a darkly chic lounge, there is a long list of wines available by the glass.

A dark, low-ceilinged bar lit by soft yellow lamps and candlelight.
Anfora’s snug interior.
Anfora

Niche Niche

Copy Link

When a restaurant dictates “Wine should be fucking fun,” the edict must be followed through. Co-owner Ariel Arce does just that with hosted dinner parties — four courses of food and wine pairings led by the chosen host for the night (usually a sommelier or winemaker or distributor) — in a rug-laden space designed to evoke a friend’s living room. Arce also throws in weekly themed tastings that delve into wine-producing regions like Liguria, Italy or Madrid, Spain. The wines — and their complementary foods — change constantly so there’s always that element of surprise. Check the calendar for monthly updates.

A plate of food and a bottle of wine sit on a blue table at Niche Niche.
Niche Niche has roving wine hosts.
Matt Taylor-Gross/Eater NY

Ruffian Wine Bar

Copy Link

The Ruffian list makes a conscious display of diversity, where guests will find mead from Denmark, regular orange wine features, and plenty from Greece on offer. The list is also a testament to the inroads that Georgia, Hungary, and Croatia are making on wine programs around the city. It isn’t all natural, and the tiny place is more on the hip spectrum than on the natural spectrum. Ruffian is a good option for pre-gaming a night in the Village, where it’s easy to find something unusual to drink by the glass.

A curving, wraparound bar with overhead lamps fills much of the space in this East Village wine bar.
Ruffian in the East Village.
Ruffian Wine Bar

Gem Wine

Copy Link

This sibling to Gem that’s around the corner from the restaurant from Flynn McGarry (the guy who opened a tasting menu spot in 2018, when he was 19) specializes in low-intervention winemakers and small dishes like gouda with pears or lamb tartare with greens. But yes, you can go even more minimalist with an order of bread and butter or a larger plate such as mackerel with rhubarb ponzu. The wine menu is a rotating selection of by-the-glass and bottles, and like a neighborhood bar, is walk-in only.

A wood-paneled room features and open kitchen.
Flynn McGarry’s new wine bar.
Aaron Bengochea/Gem Wine

The Ten Bells

Copy Link

The Ten Bells has always been successful at being three places at once: a neighborhood choice lit by candlelight, a go-to late-night spot, and a natural wine shrine for those in the know. It was an early proponent of the style, and thus many sommeliers end up here to drink it. Brooklynites may want to visit the Bushwick location.

A wine bar with plenty of natural light and open bar space.
The Ten Bells’ airy space.
The Ten Bells

The Four Horsemen

Copy Link

The Four Horsemen is co-owned by an experimental musician and DJ, and for that reason guests might expect it to be divey, loud, and sceney. Instead, it can be — if there at the right moment (think off-peak) — almost sedate. The list is longer than expected, given the size of the place, and ventures out past France into some other countries for natural wines. Prices are often south of $100 a bottle, but plenty of times they are above that mark. In a way, the Four Horsemen represents a kind of gamble that the kids of Williamsburg have grown up some without losing their edge.

A bartender stands behind a light wood bar inside the Four Horsemen.
Inside the Four Horsemen.
The Four Horsemen

If Champagne guns shooting $70-plus wine into your mouth underneath a disco ball sounds like your thing, then Sauced could be your nighttime move. This Williamsburg wine bar opened in January 2020 and really hit its stride later in the pandemic, now as one of the area’s most essential party spots. The wine list here lacks pretension often synonymous with wine culture in the city, but that doesn’t come at the cost of a well-curated natural wine list that can back up the flirty fun of being here.

A dark space is lit up by some red light, there’s a shiny disco ball on the top right of the photo.
Sauced is always a party.
Briana Balducci/Sauced

Cherry on Top

Copy Link

Run by Cerise Zelenetz, a restaurant illustrator, Cherry on Top, which opened last summer, is not one of those cavernous, dark wine bars — instead known for its sprawling rooftop bar. Downstairs the — yes, cherry red — room is more intimate, well-suited for dates. But the upstairs has a decidedly Bushwick feel, perfect for birthday parties or other group occasions, no matter if you’re sipping by glass or bottle.

White chairs and tables are arranged on a rooftop deck slick with rain.
Rooftop wine bar Cherry on Top.
Jeffrey Schroeder/Cherry On Top

Rhodora Wine Bar

Copy Link

Back in 2019, restaurateur Henry Rich (behind June) converted Fort Greene wood-fired restaurant Metta into a wine bar that he claims aims to achieve a zero-waste model. Whether that can be proved aside, at Rhodora there’s plenty to love: find a wine list that varies from Loire to Sicily with shared plates like parsley-anchovy toast or pork rillettes. The corner location offers plenty of outdoor tables in the warmer months, ideal for people-watching, and kicking back after a stroll in nearby Fort Greene Park. The wine bar often hosts food pop-ups announced on its Instagram page.

A spread of snacks on a wooden board placed on a white marble table, such as tinned fish, green olives, and bread.
Tinned fish is often the go-to snack at Rhodora.
Liz Clayman/Rhodora

June Wine Bar

Copy Link

The June wine program has grown significantly: The wide spacing that was once featured on the wine list is gone now that many new options have made the list. Wine guy Nick Gorevic deserves credit for growing the options while still maintaining a progressive list. This is not the spot for the same old, same old natural wines, or classics of any stripe. Instead, this is where multiple bottlings from up-and-coming producers like Martha Stoumen and Christian Tschida can be found. And where support is given to the hard sells: Gorevic doesn’t hesitate to list eight sparkling reds, for instance. It would be doing June an injustice to not mention how much fun can be had for under $100. Most of the wine list is below that bottle price.

A dark wooden wine bar with a curved ceiling.
June’s wine program has grown significantly.
June Wine Bar

Casellula

Copy Link

Wine and cheese compete for the spotlight at Casellula. So hallelujah for cheese pairings that run the gamut from mild to “super, duper, crazy, stinky” artisan cheeses and 100-plus wines that include robust reds and crisp whites. The trademarked Pig’s Ass sandwich — with melty Emmental and cheddar cheeses and chipotle aioli — is another hit here.  

Plates of cheese from Casellula.
Wine and cheese compete for attention at Casellula.
Casellula

King Mother

Copy Link

Co-owners Erika Lesser and Katie Richey brought natural wines in an approachable setting to Ditmas Park when they opened lauded wine bar, King Mother, in late 2019. From varietal descriptions like “floral, fresh & pretty, like spring in NYC!” to its fondue that brings together groups of friends in a circle to dunk breads and vegetables in a molten combination of chardonnay-laced raclette, cheddar, and American cheeses, the spot emanates hip and convivial vibes.

A photo from the street of the front of a bar in Ditmas Park called King Mother.
The exterior of King Mother in Ditmas Park.
King Mother

Achilles Heel

Copy Link

This Greenpoint spot offers well-made cocktails, natural wine, and craft beers on tap to complement an unfussy food menu with dishes like burrata, bean toast, or chicken with peppers and onions. It’s the kind of place where you want to tell the bartender what you like to drink and they’ll find something that hits the right notes.

LaLou remains a stellar spot for sampling of-the-moment wines by the bottle and glass. The list from owner Joe Campanale —who also owns Park Slope’s Fausto and just wrote a book on Italian wine — and partner Dave Foss leans European, with representation from Spain, Italy, France, and a few options from the United States.

The sunny exterior of LaLou.
LaLou in Brooklyn.
Alex Staniloff/Eater NY

Loading comments...

Contento

The ethos and layout at Contento is “accessible for all,” including the wheelchair-accessible bar and the wide aisles. It’s inspired by beverage director and co-owner Yannick Benjamin, who recovered from a car accident, rejiggered a tray onto his wheelchair, and kept working as a sommelier. His wine list at Contento highlights wines that have a social impact, which showcases women, BIPOC, indigenous, and sustainability-driven winemakers. His partner, Oscar Lorenzzi, created a food menu that combines his Peruvian roots with the French techniques gleaned from working at Marseille and Nice Matin. 

Anfora

Anfora, sibling to Italian pasta staple, L’Artusi, has featured a biodynamic and natural wine selection since it opened in 2010. The lineup is perhaps even more indebted to France than it was, with a vertical of Joly, listings from the likes of Henri Milan, and a whole clutch of natural Beaujolais. Current natural wine obsession Gut Oggau is also in the mix. In a place that is both a West Village watering hole and a darkly chic lounge, there is a long list of wines available by the glass.

A dark, low-ceilinged bar lit by soft yellow lamps and candlelight.
Anfora’s snug interior.
Anfora

Niche Niche

When a restaurant dictates “Wine should be fucking fun,” the edict must be followed through. Co-owner Ariel Arce does just that with hosted dinner parties — four courses of food and wine pairings led by the chosen host for the night (usually a sommelier or winemaker or distributor) — in a rug-laden space designed to evoke a friend’s living room. Arce also throws in weekly themed tastings that delve into wine-producing regions like Liguria, Italy or Madrid, Spain. The wines — and their complementary foods — change constantly so there’s always that element of surprise. Check the calendar for monthly updates.

A plate of food and a bottle of wine sit on a blue table at Niche Niche.
Niche Niche has roving wine hosts.
Matt Taylor-Gross/Eater NY

Ruffian Wine Bar

The Ruffian list makes a conscious display of diversity, where guests will find mead from Denmark, regular orange wine features, and plenty from Greece on offer. The list is also a testament to the inroads that Georgia, Hungary, and Croatia are making on wine programs around the city. It isn’t all natural, and the tiny place is more on the hip spectrum than on the natural spectrum. Ruffian is a good option for pre-gaming a night in the Village, where it’s easy to find something unusual to drink by the glass.

A curving, wraparound bar with overhead lamps fills much of the space in this East Village wine bar.
Ruffian in the East Village.
Ruffian Wine Bar

Gem Wine

This sibling to Gem that’s around the corner from the restaurant from Flynn McGarry (the guy who opened a tasting menu spot in 2018, when he was 19) specializes in low-intervention winemakers and small dishes like gouda with pears or lamb tartare with greens. But yes, you can go even more minimalist with an order of bread and butter or a larger plate such as mackerel with rhubarb ponzu. The wine menu is a rotating selection of by-the-glass and bottles, and like a neighborhood bar, is walk-in only.

A wood-paneled room features and open kitchen.
Flynn McGarry’s new wine bar.
Aaron Bengochea/Gem Wine

The Ten Bells

The Ten Bells has always been successful at being three places at once: a neighborhood choice lit by candlelight, a go-to late-night spot, and a natural wine shrine for those in the know. It was an early proponent of the style, and thus many sommeliers end up here to drink it. Brooklynites may want to visit the Bushwick location.

A wine bar with plenty of natural light and open bar space.
The Ten Bells’ airy space.
The Ten Bells

The Four Horsemen

The Four Horsemen is co-owned by an experimental musician and DJ, and for that reason guests might expect it to be divey, loud, and sceney. Instead, it can be — if there at the right moment (think off-peak) — almost sedate. The list is longer than expected, given the size of the place, and ventures out past France into some other countries for natural wines. Prices are often south of $100 a bottle, but plenty of times they are above that mark. In a way, the Four Horsemen represents a kind of gamble that the kids of Williamsburg have grown up some without losing their edge.

A bartender stands behind a light wood bar inside the Four Horsemen.
Inside the Four Horsemen.
The Four Horsemen

Sauced

If Champagne guns shooting $70-plus wine into your mouth underneath a disco ball sounds like your thing, then Sauced could be your nighttime move. This Williamsburg wine bar opened in January 2020 and really hit its stride later in the pandemic, now as one of the area’s most essential party spots. The wine list here lacks pretension often synonymous with wine culture in the city, but that doesn’t come at the cost of a well-curated natural wine list that can back up the flirty fun of being here.

A dark space is lit up by some red light, there’s a shiny disco ball on the top right of the photo.
Sauced is always a party.
Briana Balducci/Sauced

Cherry on Top

Run by Cerise Zelenetz, a restaurant illustrator, Cherry on Top, which opened last summer, is not one of those cavernous, dark wine bars — instead known for its sprawling rooftop bar. Downstairs the — yes, cherry red — room is more intimate, well-suited for dates. But the upstairs has a decidedly Bushwick feel, perfect for birthday parties or other group occasions, no matter if you’re sipping by glass or bottle.

White chairs and tables are arranged on a rooftop deck slick with rain.
Rooftop wine bar Cherry on Top.
Jeffrey Schroeder/Cherry On Top

Rhodora Wine Bar

Back in 2019, restaurateur Henry Rich (behind June) converted Fort Greene wood-fired restaurant Metta into a wine bar that he claims aims to achieve a zero-waste model. Whether that can be proved aside, at Rhodora there’s plenty to love: find a wine list that varies from Loire to Sicily with shared plates like parsley-anchovy toast or pork rillettes. The corner location offers plenty of outdoor tables in the warmer months, ideal for people-watching, and kicking back after a stroll in nearby Fort Greene Park. The wine bar often hosts food pop-ups announced on its Instagram page.

A spread of snacks on a wooden board placed on a white marble table, such as tinned fish, green olives, and bread.
Tinned fish is often the go-to snack at Rhodora.
Liz Clayman/Rhodora

June Wine Bar

The June wine program has grown significantly: The wide spacing that was once featured on the wine list is gone now that many new options have made the list. Wine guy Nick Gorevic deserves credit for growing the options while still maintaining a progressive list. This is not the spot for the same old, same old natural wines, or classics of any stripe. Instead, this is where multiple bottlings from up-and-coming producers like Martha Stoumen and Christian Tschida can be found. And where support is given to the hard sells: Gorevic doesn’t hesitate to list eight sparkling reds, for instance. It would be doing June an injustice to not mention how much fun can be had for under $100. Most of the wine list is below that bottle price.

A dark wooden wine bar with a curved ceiling.
June’s wine program has grown significantly.
June Wine Bar

Casellula

Wine and cheese compete for the spotlight at Casellula. So hallelujah for cheese pairings that run the gamut from mild to “super, duper, crazy, stinky” artisan cheeses and 100-plus wines that include robust reds and crisp whites. The trademarked Pig’s Ass sandwich — with melty Emmental and cheddar cheeses and chipotle aioli — is another hit here.  

Plates of cheese from Casellula.
Wine and cheese compete for attention at Casellula.
Casellula

King Mother

Co-owners Erika Lesser and Katie Richey brought natural wines in an approachable setting to Ditmas Park when they opened lauded wine bar, King Mother, in late 2019. From varietal descriptions like “floral, fresh & pretty, like spring in NYC!” to its fondue that brings together groups of friends in a circle to dunk breads and vegetables in a molten combination of chardonnay-laced raclette, cheddar, and American cheeses, the spot emanates hip and convivial vibes.

A photo from the street of the front of a bar in Ditmas Park called King Mother.
The exterior of King Mother in Ditmas Park.
King Mother

Achilles Heel

This Greenpoint spot offers well-made cocktails, natural wine, and craft beers on tap to complement an unfussy food menu with dishes like burrata, bean toast, or chicken with peppers and onions. It’s the kind of place where you want to tell the bartender what you like to drink and they’ll find something that hits the right notes.

LaLou

LaLou remains a stellar spot for sampling of-the-moment wines by the bottle and glass. The list from owner Joe Campanale —who also owns Park Slope’s Fausto and just wrote a book on Italian wine — and partner Dave Foss leans European, with representation from Spain, Italy, France, and a few options from the United States.

The sunny exterior of LaLou.
LaLou in Brooklyn.
Alex Staniloff/Eater NY

Related Maps