The 14 best wine bars in NYC

Back when it opened in 2015, June helped put natural wine on Brooklynites’ radar. Today, interesting bottles continue to add to the allure of the ’20s-era Midnight in Paris vibes. With its curved oxblood banquettes, globe light fixtures and stemmed glasses hanging over a marble bar top, June is endlessly romantic.

Look beyond the tongue-tying menu of grapes, and you’ll discover a bar that’s sophisticated enough for snobby oenophiles but still approachable for the rest of us. Drinking Champagne during Tracksuit Tuesdays as we snack on the Wagyu Cheesesteak Éclair? Pour us another one.

Sitting across the galleria from Chef Eric Ripert’s celebrated three-Michelin-starred seafood restaurant Le Bernardin, Aldo Sohm’s annexed vino hub is far less buttoned up than its big brother. Though there’s no reservation or jacket required, the level of detail here proves that this apple didn’t fall far from the tree. And that’s food included — nosh on Vegetarian Mushroom “Bolognese or Duck Foie Gras Torchon as you sip from your magnum of Bordeaux. 

By today’s standards, natural wines are hardly innovative. But Ten Bells was one of the first to set the trend with a roster of global pours. This vino depot is, oddly, named for Jack the Ripper’s hunting grounds, but you should be safe in the hands of the spot’s knowledgeable bartenders.

Even in places like Los Angeles, wine programs that focus only on California-grown natural pours are surprisingly rare. Now, New York has gained a natural-wine destination that’s a love letter to the Golden State—and  it has 100-plus bottles to prove it. On top of that, the food menu is entirely gluten-free. (Natch.) 

Alphabet City Wine Co. owners Nora O’Malley and Phoebe Connell have opened a cozy den next to their East Village shop. Here, it’s not about wine-label graphics or foamy champagne pours—wine is served on tap without pretension. What follows is a bar that’s great for conversation and cuddling up.

Founder Mandy Oser offers a balanced selection of old and new world wines at her Hell’s Kitchen stunner—by the glass or bottle—from around the globe. The menu of small plates including Chorizo Croquettes, Chicken Liver Mousse and Salt Cod Fritters is just as stellar. 

You can find a slice of la dolce vita at this restaurant–wine bar with a short but impressive list that’s focused on lesser-known producers. Owned by a Harlem native, this homey neighborhood spot could be your new best friend.

When Terroir first opened over a decade ago, it was unlike any other bar—the wine lists were presented in three-ring binders covered with stickers and cartoons. Sommelier Paul Grieco, decked out in tattoos and a goatee, expounds upon the virtues of the then-maligned riesling. Today, fans keep coming back for whatever he pours, seven days a week.

Located at 91st Street and 3rd Avenue lies Kaia, a nondescript South African wine bar and restaurant bringing great joy to Upper East Siders and beyond. Open daily, Kaia offers a menu of regional fare including The Gatsby, a Portuguese roll stuffed with garam masala pulled chicken, pickles, mayo and fries—a Capetonian street food delicacy. The extensive wine list of South African wines holds up to the food; hit up their very affordable happy hour on the weekdays.

Natural wines are what you’ll find at this sleek stunner on bustling Vanderbilt Avenue in Prospect Heights. Indeed, the list contains over 150 wines with an emphasis on biodynamic and small producers. The food is just as attractive; start off with a charcuterie board or a heaping bowl of marinated olives before moving onto mains like Duck Leg Confit or Monkfish grilled on the plancha.

The brainchild of James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem fame, one-Michelin-starred Four Horsemen is almost as good as a wine bar gets. Expect a cool setting with a killer playlist (not surprising), and a rotating menu singing songs of the season. (Think Braised Leek Toast with whipped ricotta or Squid Ink Farfalle with nduja and littleneck clams.)

New Yorkers don’t have to leave the city to hit up wine country—instead, they can head to Rooftop Reds, an urban rooftop vineyard in the Navy Yard. Brought to you by way of Cornell University and industry leaders from the Finger Lakes, Rooftop Reds features 42 custom planters covering the span of its 14,800-square-foot rooftop facility. Wines on tap, beer, cider and alcoholic beverages are all on offer, and hungry guests have the option of ordering a brick oven pizza from nearby Il Porto.

It’s a wine shop-wine bar hybrid at this establishment in The Market Line at Essex Crossing; grab a glass of one of the many interesting wines on offer at the 20-seat bar before choosing one of the hundreds of bottles in the adjacent store to take home with you. The ideation of chefs Jeremiah Stone and Fabián von Hauske (the duo behind wildly popular Contra and Wildair), the ever-changing menu consists of inventive fare like Candied Dried Squid and Shrimp Toast with Pineapple Glaze.