Wine Bar NYC

Wine Bar NYC

Welcome to the Big Apple for a short oenophile getaway.

If wine bars have become very trendy and popular, they suffer, like all concepts, from a trivialization caused by their success, sometimes leading to very personal interpretations of their original missions. The wine bar comes from the concept of the wine counter, or "buvette," which finds its origins in the history of Greek and Roman taverns. These places were defined as commercial spaces where one could drink wine by the glass in a convivial "agora" spirit and social meeting. Over the centuries, they transformed into Comptoirs, Bistros, Pubs, Burgundy Bouchons, then into Restaurant-bars. But its current origin is closer to the Italian Oenoteca or Spanish tapas bars. But let’s be honest: the contemporary wine bar concept is not European in origin, but North American, as it was born in New York City, influenced by American bars that popularized the idea of establishments specialized in drinks and conviviality.

Introduction

Its pure concept

A good definition would be: A space where a significant selection of wines is offered by the glass, in a friendly place with no decorum (as opposed to a restaurant), where one can taste, discover, and share a pleasant moment with friends or family. The food choice remains simple and not elaborate. Contrary to other service establishments, the wine bar focuses on wine, not on cuisine, which must remain a secondary subject as in Dive bars, Cocktail bars, or Beer halls. Even though Greater Boston has some purist wine bars like Rebel Rebel or Georgie’s, most, although excellent, bet on more sophisticated menus; wine is indeed served by the glass, but the concept is based on food-wine pairings rather than wine-food. So, I decided to go back to the source and find those who still respect their original essence.

P.S. Although New York has dozens of wine bars, I chose those recognized for their originality and reputation.

Terroir

Dress code: Come as you are

Originality: The new ‘70s reinvented with a Heavy Metal touch.

Wines and selection: Incredible, deep, grandiose, and focused. The wine list, presented similarly to the magazine Blood of God, is a declaration of quality in marginality. The extra-dimensional selection offers only soulful winemakers, an exceptional tribute to pure and hardcore authors’ wines, with more than a hundred wines from around the world. The Riesling selection, by its quantity and quality, is exceptional

The menu: Small, concise, with a good share of snack-bar items, cheeses, and cold cuts, and a few heartier dishes like veal schnitzel, tacos, or hamburger.

The know-how: The team behind the bar is professional, courteous, and very knowledgeable. The good news is that, in this establishment, the typically arrogant New York pretension is completely absent. What a refreshment!

Recommendation: More than a yes, especially if you are a wine aficionado looking for "the Lost Ark."

Temperance

An institution in NYC that, sadly, does not age very well. The space is divided into two parts separated by a partition. The wine bar side consists of a bar and a medium-sized lounge. If you sit at the bar, which for a wine bar is the expectation, the view through the extra-wide pass-through window to the kitchen is not very welcoming.

Dress code: Whatever!!

Originality: The age of the establishment, where the wine list is far from promoting “temperance”.

Wines and selection: This list offers their entire selection of 100 labels by the glass. Woo!! Bravo. Well spread across the world, once again the American wine selection is so minimal you forget it exists. Especially since you must have a smartphone to access the wine list, as it is only available via a QR code. The formatting is static and forces you to scroll down the screen to read or find the country whose selection you want to see. So, like the decor, this format feels a bit obsolete. The selection reflects the current movement of low intervention wines, but I must admit that the 7 wines I selected on the flight were of very good quality and interesting.

The menu: Short and based on classics of a neighborhood bistro ($8 for a quarter baguette and butter): cheeses, cold cuts, and steak tartare with fries.

The Know-how: Our wine stewardess was on her second day at the establishment and told us, with a refreshing and friendly attitude, that her knowledge of the wine list was not very good because where she worked previously, she only had 6 wines on the list.

Recommendation: Although Temperance defines itself on their website as a restaurant–wine bar with a Wine Spectator Award, I recommend the dining room side for the atmosphere.

Moonflower

Dress code: Hipster young professional

Originality: Millennials 60’s décor

Wine list: Short, with 50 different wines but only about twenty by the glass. Includes cocktails and beers. The selection reflects the clientele and design. Natural, natural...natural without much surprise. The absence of domestic winemakers surprises me. How can this so organic and neo-hippy decor ignore domestic eco-responsibility?

Menu: Short, as you would expect from a wine bar.

The Know-how: Note: Like many wine bars in New York, Moonflower is closed on Mondays. But no matter, as we couldn’t experience it the next day anyway. The space is very small, with a bar seating about fifteen and five or six tiny tables against the wall, barely two feet of space between the bar stools and the tables. When we arrived at 6:30 pm, the place was overcrowded, the atmosphere seemed festive, and the wine steward behind the bar wore a big smile and a friendly, welcoming attitude. Good start, but then it went downhill... Two seats freed up at the bar, I moved forward to sit when, out of nowhere, a hipster waiter rushed at me to inform me, in a rude and pretentious style, that we couldn’t sit there because without a reservation, there was no place available for 45 minutes to an hour or more. Surprise!! Since when does a small bar (not a restaurant) operate only by reservation? And since it was raining, and there was a small spot to the left of the bar where we could wait and sip a glass, we decided to wait, but our man invited us not to spend money in that corner, but rather to go out in the rain and wait outside. Disappointed and frustrated by this welcome, we decided to spend our time and evening elsewhere because we seemed too old for the decor. Bye Bye... Addio e mai più.

Recommendation: Up to you to decide.

La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels

(There are two locations in NYC; we went to the one in Soho).
Dress code: City working look aka NYC’s upbeat.

Originality: A timeless space that absolutely did not put its energy into decor, making it a place for all ages. A long bar with a lounge area.

Wine list: A very nice international list with a strong specialization in Champagne houses beyond the classic normative selection, with many small exceptional producers. Sadly, little honor is given to North American Traditional Methods: 1/100. A nice selection of zero or low-alcohol wines, including Norïe and Unfined Ferments wine proxies. The rest of the list offers a concise world selection, including Canada. The by-the-glass list (for this location) is poor and disappointing.

Menu: Short and respectful of the concept.

Know-how: Although the host at the door welcomed us with a NYC attitude “… tourists again!!”, the table service was quite different. Friendly, unpretentious, and attentive. Knowledge of the products on the list was not their strength, but you come here knowing already what to choose and drink, so…

Recommendation: Yes, absolutely, especially if you love bubbles in your glass.

Four Horsemen

The Mecca of natural wine in NYC (Brooklyn).
Although this institution recently lost its spiritual father “Justin Chearno” (RIP), the space, energy, and atmosphere, made and created by the natural wine nerd of this world, remain intact. I do not expect to describe this cult place as everything has already been said. If you are looking for a true natural wine bar and everything that goes with it, run there quickly because you will be welcomed with joy and welcome to this natural wine cult. The list is as heavy as the natural wine encyclopedia can be. Take your time and your reading glasses, you will need them.

Recommendation: Yes, a must, especially if you are all “Natural”.

The best Wine restaurants where wine are the heart of the matter

Chambers

In a very beautiful contemporary yet timeless decor, lots of blond wood and clean lines. Here is the fiefdom of Pascaline Lepeltier, with a refined, fair, dynamic wine list that embraces in the plural not only origins but also styles while respecting the demands of an exceptional sommelier palette. This is a restaurant where the liquid takes precedence over the solids.

Dress code: Chic and appropriate, because you come here with a certain respect for this renowned house.

Originality: The chance to share a moment with a the greatest lady of Somm.

Wine list: The by-the-glass selection is very concise, almost too pared down if you want to choose different wines with your meal. But as for the bottle list… Silence… I read… it’s the bible.

Menu: Simple, short as learned in culinary school, 5 starters – 5 mains – 2 desserts.

Well executed without fuss. Here, it’s not a chef ego trip.

Know-how: The team, including the sommeliers in the room, is extremely educated and friendly. The floor service is established on the rules of great classic houses. Precise, silent, discreet, which makes the atmosphere and decor of the room a bit uncomfortable by its attitude, somewhat discordant with the intention described on their online presentation page. If you know Pascaline, relaxed, accessible, friendly; it’s a bit surprising.

My recommendation: If you understand that you are pushing the door of an upscale establishment, then yes, yes, yes, but remember, this is not a wine bar.

Place des Fêtes

This establishment is a neighborhood restaurant that has completely understood the expectations of a neighborhood restaurant in 2025, in the heart of Brooklyn. This Place des Fêtes is an “agora” offering a dynamic and eccentric menu, executed with great precision, with a friendly, courteous, unpretentious, yet professional and attentive service.

Wine list: This list reflects the atmosphere and expectations of the neighborhood by its diversity, dynamism, edgy, political, trendy and quality side, offering more than 80 natural or low intervention wines from around the world without really caring about established rules or what you might think of it. Here, it’s taken it or leave it, because diversity and inclusion for all and by all are the order of the day. Refreshing.

My recommendation: One of the most interesting upcoming wine-restaurant places in NYC in the moment.