But of all of the spots on this stretch just north of Prospect Park, it’s LaLou that has the best wine program. There’s a long menu of mostly Spanish small plates, but eating a full-blown meal here is unnecessary. Pick the perfect spot for every situation. American Bar at Brasserie Zedel. There are plenty of spots in the city where you can deep dive into Slovenian orange wine or French pet-nats, but if it’s California wine that you’re looking for, go to Coast And Valley. Vetro is an Italian Wine Bar, Lounge & Restaurant in Soho London, near Oxford Circus and Regent St. 100+ wines by the glass, the best variety in the West End. We may share information about your use of our site There's a great Happy Hour until 8pm daily with $5 wine and well drinks - and seeing as how everyone seems to know this, it can be hard to find a seat here. The Garret Nolita is probably the “coolest” bar in the area, and for that reason - plus the fact that it’s just one small room - it can get pretty packed. Harder to find are comfortable, laidback places for a nice glass of wine. Don’t worry about the fact that you can’t pronounce the name of this place, and get yourself a drink. Alex at 161 Food + Drink, formerly of Toast in … More than a wine bar, Blue Ribbon Downing Street is a date bar. with our advertising and analytics partners. That’s what The Gordon Bar is for. Get a couple of slushie drinks, then try to claim a booth along the wall or one of the alcoves up front. This spot in the basement of an apartment building is quieter than your average LES bar, but it still has a laid-back, downtown feel. And then there are wine bars. Picture a big wine cellar in the bottom of a castle that someone decided to renovate and turn into a lounge. There are only a few tables inside, but there’s a long bar where you can hang out, and it’s a great option for date night. Ruffian. Ever heard of The Ship? That’s what this bar feels like. Botanica is a dive, and it's the kind of place where you bring a group of friends or coworkers when all you want to do is drink something cheap in a room that gets very little natural light. Don’t see your city? Franks Wine Bar is worth going to just for the food, because you can get anything from the menu next door at Frankies 457 or small plates specific to the wine bar, like burrata with pike caviar, salt cod croquettes, and bread with phenomenal olive oil. These neighborhoods aren’t known for their abundance of great bars, but if you know where to look, you can actually find some good ones. 159 Duane StThe super-fresh potions in this amber-lit, retro cocktail lounge are simply delicious, and the suspendered bartenders will happily whip you up something special if you don’t see what you like on the menu. If you’re unfamiliar with those spots, you can expect a mostly-Italian wine list that includes more than 100 natural wines by the glass. Rated. Disrepute. If you don’t want to go through the long, international wine list yourself, the servers are always happy to recommend flights as well. Food insecurity should never prevent someone from voting. It’s a little bit smaller, but it’s a similarly useful spot for when you’re going on a date and aren’t sure if you want to order food. This wine bar is so small that it feels less like a room and more like a hallway. Whether you meet someone here during Happy Hour or for a nightcap after seeing a show at the Comedy Cellar, you should drink some wine. The food is solid, too - get some of those homemade pretzels. Fortunately, wine bars don’t have to be sad, pretentious, scary places. Or maybe you think of the place you went on a date with someone who lectured you about grape varietals. Bring a date, get comfortable, and enjoy the cozy yet totally un-cheesy environment. It gets extremely busy, but that’s kind of the point. That’s a shame, because this place is great. If things go well, you can order some meatballs and octopus, and either way you can drink some wine. For one, it has an excellent daily Happy Hour (until 7:30pm), during which normally pricey bottles are $28 and glasses are $8. It’s good for a first date or some low-key drinks with friends, and if you decide you want to get a little less responsible afterward, all those other LES bars are still right there. Maybe you’re a fan of natural wines and you order funky pet-nats whenever you see them on a menu - or maybe you’re just tired of drinking the same four bottles from the sale rack at your corner wine store.