I’m spending a weekend near NYU and was wondering if any locals have a favorite place to spend a late afternoon drinking good wine. I’ll be staying near SoHo, but have dinner plans closer to West Village. I’ve done some research on well-regarded wine bars in the area, but would love to lean a little on someone’s personal experience and preference.
What do you like to drink, Matthew? Most of the wine bars have a point of view. I like the ten bells in the east village, but take a look on the website and you can see what they are all about and if it appeals to you. There is a also a terroir in tribeca, which is south of where you will be but not by much, and you can see the list on line. Hard to go wrong with Morrell and Aldo Sohm if you are willing to venture to midtown.
A
Charlie Bird is excellent.
I really don’t have a fixed mindset when it comes to wine, other than perhaps a not-quite-ideological preference for winemakers that lean artisanal. I’m also unaffiliated on the ripeness spectrum, all styles appeal on occasion. I’m thinking though that I’ll be breaking in shoes all that morning and early afternoon, so will be looking for refreshing wines with a clean, mineral profile and a light atmosphere to drink in.
Thanks, will check it out.
You’re not that far from Racines. It’s in Tribeca, and it shouldn’t be more than 15 minute cab ride from Soho, depending on where in Soho you are, then it wil be shorter than 15 minutes.
What a list! That’s a potential option. I can see our group stopping in for some of that Chevillon Vieilles Vignes.
+1
Great spot. It’s got it all – wine, service, scene…
I strongly echo Charlie Bird in W Village. Its a restaurant, but you can sit at the bar, or otherwise, and drink. Almost every bottle on the list is avail as a half bottle as well (sparkling and whats poured by the glass excepted).
Pearl and Ash down in the Bowery also has a killer list and works for drinking or eating. Is close to east village. Racines in Tribeca has a great list that leans geeky. Like Charlie Bird is a restaurant.
And of course Terroir, also in Tribeca, is a terrific option and closer to a ‘wine bar’, a bit below the W Village.
Enjoy.
Pearl & Ash in the Bowery neighborhood is worth every penny of your cab or uber fare.
Pearl & Ash - amazing overall list.
Charlie Bird - you can order half bottles of any wine on the list. Strengths in Italy and Burgundy
Ten Bells - natural wine.
DBGB - good list with some nice values and a good front bar area
CorkBuzz is my go to spot in the neighborhood.
http://unionsquare.corkbuzz.com/
13 East 13th street (between 5th Ave and University)
Friday Happy Hour from 5-6pm is always a lot of fun.
More recommendations for Pearl and Ash and Charlie Bird. Great places, great food, and wonderful wine programs at both.
Momofuku Ssam Bar 13th St and 2nd Ave also has a great BTG program, but I think that the bottle markups are among the worst in the city. Had a great reisling sekt the last time there which was a real eye opener.
Bottles at Balthazar are reasonably marked up and has some very good stuff (all french) but the BTG stuff neither special or well priced.
Contra (rivington and orchard) has a wonderful natural wine program going on and always has nice BTG and bottles (almost all <100$). You can get a la carte at the bar or there is a 55$ prix fixe in the main dining room.
Not a ten bells fan. Cool spot, great people and bar bites, but for a wine bar, not too many btg options…also whatever they served me there last time represented what i hate most about natural wine. carbonic and rustic to the point that it tasted like fizzy grape juice soda.
Uptown, Aldo Sohm wine bar, bar @ eleven madison park, The Modern, and Bar Boulud are all places where you can drop some coin on some nice BTG options.
People say nice things about Ravines NYC and Bacchinal, but I haven’t been to either.
Great insights, thanks everyone.