National Wine Day is rapidly approaching, do you know where you’re spending it? Yelp uncorked their data to fill us in on the best wine bars in New York City so you can celebrate in style this Friday.
While you don’t need an excuse to break out a bottle of wine in the evening, especially on a Friday after a long work week, National Wine Day is the perfect excuse to shake things up. Instead of your standard hole-in-the-wall halfway between your office and the office of your BFF, set a date to meet up at one of these spots that earned the title of best wine bars in NYC. You might just find your new go-to watering hole for when you need to wind down (and wine down) after a long day at work.
Best wine bars in New York City according to Yelp
Yelp dug into their data to make sure these spots are worthy of the best wine bars in New York City title. They sifted through the ratings and reviews from thousands of customers just like you to see which ten would rise to the top. Check them out below and start planning how you’ll kick off your Friday: red or white, sweet or dry, glass or bottle?
bibi
211 E 4th St
(212) 673-2424
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File this under best wine bars in New York City for happy hours — because the one at bibi is even offered on the weekends. Among the enticing happy hour offerings you’ll find $22 bottles of wine ($7 a glass) and bar bites for just $5 a plate. The bar earned high marks from Yelp reviews not only for their food and special but also for their kind customer service and their willingness to let you linger over your wine.
Amélie
22 W 8th St
(212) 533-2962
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Bookmark this as your go-to of the best wine bars in NYC if you know you’ll be dying to dine. Yelp diners give the French food high marks, raving about game changing crème brûlée that’s topped with caramelized bananas. The dim lighting is a plus here, with customers calling it cozy and intimate. But if you want to talk booze, you should know about their happy hour special: a wine flight for just $12.
The Owl’s Head
479 74th St
(718) 680-2436
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Wine and cheese are a natural pairing and they should be your order when you hit this Brooklyn bar. Customers on Yelp complimented every dish that included the cheese, from a straightforward cheese plate made up of the rotating offerings to the panini stuffed with three different types of the gooey ingredient. They also offer a rotating beer menu, so your friend who’s not so into the vino will be happy, too.
Lelabar
422 Hudson St
(212) 206-0594
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Even Yelp users who have worked their way through the menu speak highly of all the food; some even claim you can’t go wrong no matter what you order. Luckily, the happy hour discounts don’t only apply to the drinks. You’ll find deals on charcuterie and cheeses to pair with your glass of vino while you catch up with a friend in an intimate environment.
Ruffian
125 E 7th St
(212) 777-0855
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Want some wine that you don’t see on the menu of every spot? This might be the perfect fit for you among the best wine bars in New York City. Diners called out the longer-than-average list of less common wines offered, like orange wine or wine from regions such as Georgia and Slovenia. The only downside? It’s understanbly popular, so you might have to wait for a spot at the bar — which, to its credit, boasts knowledgeable bartenders customers loved.
Briciola
370 W 51st St
(646) 678-5763
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The exposed brick exterior and bottles on display give this Hell’s Kitchen bar a cozy hideout feel. The seating is all communal, but past customers on Yelp wrote about how easy it was to tune out the other conversations and still feel like you were having an intimate catch-up with your friend or significant other. Although many of the tapas plates earned high praise by diners, people kept highlighting the pasta options as truly extraordinary.
Kaia Wine Bar
1614 3rd Ave
(212) 722-0490
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Adventurous eaters bored by pairing bottles with cheese or charcuterie platters should come to this Yorkville spot which features an eclectic menu. Let your friend get the comforting and familiar lamb burger while you pair your pinot with wild boar sliders or hearty oxtail stew.
Sofia Wine Bar
242 E 50th St
(212) 888-8660
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If your work week was extra stressful, bring out the big guns and knock out lingering anxiety with a one-two punch from a glass (or two or three) of wine and this bar’s molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. The midtown bar should also be the favorite of the best wine bars in NYC for pizza lovers; pies ranging from margherita to sausage were all praised by Yelp diners.
Lois
98 Avenue C
(212) 475-1400
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What you see is what you pay at this Alphabet City spot that boasts a no-tipping policy and features wines on tap. The on-tap set up also means the bartenders are great about letting you sample a wine before you commit to a glass, or more. Want to look at wine a new way? Go ahead and order their wine Jell-O shot, which impressed past drinkers and diners.
Jadis
42 Rivington St
(212) 254-1675
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Yelp diners loved that this cute spot is less well known in the area, meaning (for now) the crowds aren’t bad. That’s a feat considering, as one customer pointed out, their happy hour deals are solid for the area. You’ll find glasses of wine for $5-6 (beer, too, for your friends who love hops) and a you-pick-four cheese and meat board for $22.
