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A selection of wine on a table by the window.
Tonchin Brooklyn is one of several new spots for wine on this list.
Ashley Randall

Where to Drink Wine in NYC Right Now

These are the top restaurants and bars to drink wine by the glass or bottle in New York City

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Tonchin Brooklyn is one of several new spots for wine on this list.
| Ashley Randall

New York City has long been considered an epicenter of the global wine scene, and in recent years, it’s taken some interesting turns. Natural wine has taken over lists left and right, and large-format bottles are widely embraced beyond celebratory settings. Restaurant wine lists are more dynamic and experimental than ever, and it’s giving us lots to toast to. Here, find 15 places to drink wine in NYC right now: with lists one might describe as “funky” to more traditional options for those that prefer to stick with familiar varietals.

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Vinatería

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Longtime Harlem resident Yvette Leeper-Bueno opened Vinatería in early 2013, and in the years since, it’s become a neighborhood staple. Alongside Italian- and Spanish-inspired dishes, the wine offerings here trace the Mediterranean coastline, highlighting standout small winemakers.

The exterior of Vinatería with red table and chairs on the sidewalk.
The exterior of Vinatería.
Vinatería

Kaia Wine Bar

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Upper East Side’s Kaia is rare enough for its South African menu, rarely highlighted in New York. But it also serves one of the most extensive, exclusively South African wine lists in the city. Stop by after a long walk through Central Park.

A dining room full of people with wine lining the wall.
A busy scene at Kaia.
Kaia Wine Bar

Le Rock

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Though, as Eater critic Ryan Sutton writes, Le Rock can feel a bit like a restaurant “for your friend in accounting who’s thinking about ‘getting into food,’” one can’t deny the stunning Art Deco digs. In fact, one of the best ways to enjoy the restaurant is more casually at the bar, where you can enjoy the venue’s list of natural wines after the office, or even just for a novelty experience.

Bison au poivre sits on a plate, slathered in orange cream peppercorn sauce; a plate of fries sit on the side.
Biso au poivre with a glass of white, anyone?
Le Rock

Mercado Little Spain

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A bright, colorful, flavorful bite of the world of José Andrés still hums inside Hudson Yards in the form of a Spanish food hall. Mercado Little Spain is home to three different restaurants (Leña, Mar, and Spanish Diner) along with a handful of bars and kiosks. All wine lists are exclusively Spanish, its expansive cellar a representation of the country’s diverse offerings. Rioja, Catalunya, Galicia, Castilla y Leon, Jerez, Ribeiro, and the islands are just some of the pins on the map here, so for serious Spanish wine lovers — or even those looking to expand their Spanish wine knowledge — this is a place teeming with opportunity.

A dog sitting in front of the street entrance to Mercado Little Spain.
The exterior of Mercado Little Spain.
Alex Staniloff/Eater NY

Moonflower

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The team behind Jersey City restaurant Frankie crossed the water to debut this Bohemian ode to the West Village this spring. If you’re looking for a window into what the trendiest indie producers are right now, Moonflower will give you a kaleidoscopic view that matches the equally-colorful interiors. Moonflower is walk-in only.

Slanted bar shelving at Moonflower.
Moonflower’s colorful bar.
Erik Bernstein/Moonflower

Air's Champagne Parlor

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When it comes time to celebrate, no sound gets the party going more than popping bubbly. But even if it's not a special occasion, sometimes you just want to do some caviar bumps with a side of fries. Air’s Champagne Parlor is the haven just for that: walk away with more knowledge about Champagne, without it feeling like a school lesson.

Caviar sits on ice next to a pile of golden chips at Air’s, while a staffer, offscreen, pours Champagne.
A glass of Champagne.
Louise Palmberg/Eater NY

Pinch Chinese

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Wine director Miguel de Leon’s program at Pinch Chinese in Soho is equal parts approachable and unpretentious. His natural-leaning list caters to the wine geeks of the world without isolating the everyday drinker and dispels whatever lingering notions there may be about what kinds of cuisines pair well with wine.

A photo of the bar at Pinch Chinese during service, lined up with customers.
Inside Pinch Chinese.
Pinch Chinese

Ruffian

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This tight space East Village space packs in plenty of atmosphere. The wine list here traverses but places emphasis on Eastern and Central Europe. These days the menu is mostly all vegetarian — something harder to find in top-tier wine bars, with the only option as charcuterie.

The blonde wood bar at Ruffian.
The bar at Ruffian.
Ruffian Wine Bar

Coast and Valley

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Coast and Valley is a taste of California: all 60+ come from the West Coast, differentiating it from other wine bars that focus on what’s happening abroad. More than that, though, this Greenpoint bar is dedicated to highlighting wine lists that are entirely by women and POC-owned producers. From Monday through Thursday, the menu is vegan and vegetarian, while on the weekends, some meat options make their debut.

A white dining room with blonde wood chairs
An all-white restaurant.
Coast and Valley

La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels

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La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels is quite possibly one of the most hauntingly beautiful places to drink wine in lower Manhattan, with its intimate, cavernous interior made up of gold-splashed walls, exposed brick, and a melange of velvet, marble, and distressed wood accents, all bathed in soft light. Compagnie’s heavily French-accented list ventures beyond its native borders, too. Its wine boot camps are also a popular entry point for learning more.

A corner wooden table next to a mixed color wallpaper
Inside La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels.
Daniel Krieger/Eater NY

Tonchin Brooklyn

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This decades-old ramen spot in Manhattan opened a Brooklyn outpost this year. While the menu at both is quite similar, in Brooklyn the drink focus is on its natural wine list. As the weather drops and all we’ll be thinking about is warm broth, Tonchin is a rare Japanese spot to put natural wine at the center.

A selection of wine bottles on brown tiles.
Ramen with wine.
Ashley Randall/Tonchin

Chambers

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An urbane place to drink wine in Tribeca that holds its own as far as solid neighborhood restaurants, Chambers wine list offers “a maze of contrasting styles,” says critic Robert Sietsema, including more tradition-bound vintners as well as a selection of skin-contact-, natural-, and organic wines. By-the-glass prices started at $9 on one visit for a flinty French white blend. Seats at the bar and at the communal table are reserved for walk-ins after 6:45 p.m.

Parcelle

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If gaping at people in Dimes Square is your thing, Parcelle should be your move. When the weather permits, communal tables outside make it a see-and-be-seen people-watching spot. Inside the emerald green door is the dining room, which feels cozy and somewhat secretive, with just a few portholes looking to the outside.

The Four Horsemen

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The one thing basically everyone who knows the Four Horsemen knows, is that yes, it’s backed by LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy. But the restaurant is more than just a celebrity’s pet project. It’s one of the best restaurants in the city with a dedicated wine list, with food menus that change frequently. Stop by next door to its night club Night Moves after dinner.

The blonde wood bar at Four Horsemen.
The blond wood bar.
The Four Horsemen

On a quiet corner of Ridgewood sits what is easily the area’s loveliest newcomer for imbibing with wine. The wine list here is succinct yet stacked, with something to please every palate and price point. It’s rounded out with shareable snacks, which also makes Ester an ideal date-night setting (along with enviable warm lighting). There’s live music on Sundays and each evening, the first guests into the bar help select the wines that will make it on the by-the-glass list.

Vinatería

Longtime Harlem resident Yvette Leeper-Bueno opened Vinatería in early 2013, and in the years since, it’s become a neighborhood staple. Alongside Italian- and Spanish-inspired dishes, the wine offerings here trace the Mediterranean coastline, highlighting standout small winemakers.

The exterior of Vinatería with red table and chairs on the sidewalk.
The exterior of Vinatería.
Vinatería

Kaia Wine Bar

Upper East Side’s Kaia is rare enough for its South African menu, rarely highlighted in New York. But it also serves one of the most extensive, exclusively South African wine lists in the city. Stop by after a long walk through Central Park.

A dining room full of people with wine lining the wall.
A busy scene at Kaia.
Kaia Wine Bar

Le Rock

Though, as Eater critic Ryan Sutton writes, Le Rock can feel a bit like a restaurant “for your friend in accounting who’s thinking about ‘getting into food,’” one can’t deny the stunning Art Deco digs. In fact, one of the best ways to enjoy the restaurant is more casually at the bar, where you can enjoy the venue’s list of natural wines after the office, or even just for a novelty experience.

Bison au poivre sits on a plate, slathered in orange cream peppercorn sauce; a plate of fries sit on the side.
Biso au poivre with a glass of white, anyone?
Le Rock

Mercado Little Spain

A bright, colorful, flavorful bite of the world of José Andrés still hums inside Hudson Yards in the form of a Spanish food hall. Mercado Little Spain is home to three different restaurants (Leña, Mar, and Spanish Diner) along with a handful of bars and kiosks. All wine lists are exclusively Spanish, its expansive cellar a representation of the country’s diverse offerings. Rioja, Catalunya, Galicia, Castilla y Leon, Jerez, Ribeiro, and the islands are just some of the pins on the map here, so for serious Spanish wine lovers — or even those looking to expand their Spanish wine knowledge — this is a place teeming with opportunity.

A dog sitting in front of the street entrance to Mercado Little Spain.
The exterior of Mercado Little Spain.
Alex Staniloff/Eater NY

Moonflower

The team behind Jersey City restaurant Frankie crossed the water to debut this Bohemian ode to the West Village this spring. If you’re looking for a window into what the trendiest indie producers are right now, Moonflower will give you a kaleidoscopic view that matches the equally-colorful interiors. Moonflower is walk-in only.

Slanted bar shelving at Moonflower.
Moonflower’s colorful bar.
Erik Bernstein/Moonflower

Air's Champagne Parlor

When it comes time to celebrate, no sound gets the party going more than popping bubbly. But even if it's not a special occasion, sometimes you just want to do some caviar bumps with a side of fries. Air’s Champagne Parlor is the haven just for that: walk away with more knowledge about Champagne, without it feeling like a school lesson.

Caviar sits on ice next to a pile of golden chips at Air’s, while a staffer, offscreen, pours Champagne.
A glass of Champagne.
Louise Palmberg/Eater NY

Pinch Chinese

Wine director Miguel de Leon’s program at Pinch Chinese in Soho is equal parts approachable and unpretentious. His natural-leaning list caters to the wine geeks of the world without isolating the everyday drinker and dispels whatever lingering notions there may be about what kinds of cuisines pair well with wine.

A photo of the bar at Pinch Chinese during service, lined up with customers.
Inside Pinch Chinese.
Pinch Chinese

Ruffian

This tight space East Village space packs in plenty of atmosphere. The wine list here traverses but places emphasis on Eastern and Central Europe. These days the menu is mostly all vegetarian — something harder to find in top-tier wine bars, with the only option as charcuterie.

The blonde wood bar at Ruffian.
The bar at Ruffian.
Ruffian Wine Bar

Coast and Valley

Coast and Valley is a taste of California: all 60+ come from the West Coast, differentiating it from other wine bars that focus on what’s happening abroad. More than that, though, this Greenpoint bar is dedicated to highlighting wine lists that are entirely by women and POC-owned producers. From Monday through Thursday, the menu is vegan and vegetarian, while on the weekends, some meat options make their debut.

A white dining room with blonde wood chairs
An all-white restaurant.
Coast and Valley

La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels

La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels is quite possibly one of the most hauntingly beautiful places to drink wine in lower Manhattan, with its intimate, cavernous interior made up of gold-splashed walls, exposed brick, and a melange of velvet, marble, and distressed wood accents, all bathed in soft light. Compagnie’s heavily French-accented list ventures beyond its native borders, too. Its wine boot camps are also a popular entry point for learning more.

A corner wooden table next to a mixed color wallpaper
Inside La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels.
Daniel Krieger/Eater NY

Tonchin Brooklyn

This decades-old ramen spot in Manhattan opened a Brooklyn outpost this year. While the menu at both is quite similar, in Brooklyn the drink focus is on its natural wine list. As the weather drops and all we’ll be thinking about is warm broth, Tonchin is a rare Japanese spot to put natural wine at the center.

A selection of wine bottles on brown tiles.
Ramen with wine.
Ashley Randall/Tonchin

Chambers

An urbane place to drink wine in Tribeca that holds its own as far as solid neighborhood restaurants, Chambers wine list offers “a maze of contrasting styles,” says critic Robert Sietsema, including more tradition-bound vintners as well as a selection of skin-contact-, natural-, and organic wines. By-the-glass prices started at $9 on one visit for a flinty French white blend. Seats at the bar and at the communal table are reserved for walk-ins after 6:45 p.m.

Parcelle

If gaping at people in Dimes Square is your thing, Parcelle should be your move. When the weather permits, communal tables outside make it a see-and-be-seen people-watching spot. Inside the emerald green door is the dining room, which feels cozy and somewhat secretive, with just a few portholes looking to the outside.

The Four Horsemen

The one thing basically everyone who knows the Four Horsemen knows, is that yes, it’s backed by LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy. But the restaurant is more than just a celebrity’s pet project. It’s one of the best restaurants in the city with a dedicated wine list, with food menus that change frequently. Stop by next door to its night club Night Moves after dinner.

The blonde wood bar at Four Horsemen.
The blond wood bar.
The Four Horsemen

Ester

On a quiet corner of Ridgewood sits what is easily the area’s loveliest newcomer for imbibing with wine. The wine list here is succinct yet stacked, with something to please every palate and price point. It’s rounded out with shareable snacks, which also makes Ester an ideal date-night setting (along with enviable warm lighting). There’s live music on Sundays and each evening, the first guests into the bar help select the wines that will make it on the by-the-glass list.

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