The 10 best natural wine bars in NYC

Located on the sixth floor of Williamsburg's Wythe Hotel, this French-style bar from chef partners Aidan O’Neal and Jake Leiber (Le Crocodile, Chez Ma Tante) serves a seafood-forward menu, unobstructed views of the Manhattan skyline and a natural wine list with bottles hailing from well-known wine regions like Provence and Penedès to up-and-comers like Patagonia. 

This Scandinavian-fitted watering hole has been a favorite of natural-wine enthusiasts since it opened back in 2015, standing out from the wine-bar pack with its laidback elegance and fuzzy, genre-blurring soundtrack. (Former LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy is one of the founders.) A focused small-plates menu by ex-Franny’s chef Nick Curtola and wine curations by Chearno and general manager Amanda McMillan cater to an easygoing, thick-frames-sporting crowd. Though there are usually only a dozen by-the-glass varieties listed on the menu at any given time, intrepid oenophiles and first-timers alike can explore one of the city’s most comprehensive selections of 250 natural and biodynamic wines. 

In 2022, the acclaimed seasonal tasting menu restaurant from former teen-wunderkind chef Flynn McGarry closed its doors on the Lower East Side and reopened as Gem Wine, a self-proclaimed "local neighborhood wine bar" that focuses on low-intervention winemakers with small productions, mostly hailing from France, Germany and Austria. Alongside an ever-changing by the glass selection, visitors can enjoy food menu focuses on mostly local vegetables and seafood plates focuses mainly on local vegetables and seafood: think ramp "lasagna," Lion's Mane schnitzel and sorrel sorbet.

Taking its name from Lalou Bize-Leroy, a "trailblazing" Burgundy winemaker, this Prospect Heights wine bar and restaurant highlights lesser-seen European natural wines. The space is simple yet elegant in it’s small details: even the light fixtures made from mycelium by MushLume feel fancy and are a nod to restaurants focus on sustainablity; the concrete bar is meant to reference the material often used to age wine. Bar food includes fried olives, zucchini escabeche and potato dumplings with lemon Sorrento butter sauce,  among others. Dishes are meant to pair well with the of 150+ bottles and by-the-glass wine options.

The former site of Mettā—the Fort Greene restaurant that specialized in wood-fired Argentinian cooking—has been revamped with a new name and concept at the same space. Now called Rhodora—named after the Ralph Waldo Emerson poem—the newer iteration is a relaxed wine bar focused on being an industry leader for sustainability. That zero-waste goal manifests itself in a tapas-style food menu (tinned fish, marinated olives, nettle pesto) paired with a robust program of natural wines. From the Oberon Group (behind other Brooklyn hits like Rucola and June), the bar pledges to only source ingredients that can be recycled, upcycled or composted.

Tompkins Square gained a notable addition in Ruffian Wine Bar & Chef’s Table, a tiny, 19-stool resto with what’s sure to become an outsize presence in minds of the city’s many oenophiles, thanks to a carefully curated wine list that changes almost daily and excellent sommelier service. Overseen by beverage director Patrick Cournot, the team work in behind a 3,000 pound cream-colored concrete bar, producing small shared plates that pair nicely with the long list of food-friendly wines. Ruffian has already carved out a reputation for esoteric vintages, and even offers a few cloudy orange wines by the glass in response to the ever-increasing trend toward Georgian varietals.

It's a wine bar without much fuss: they don't take reservations, there's no physical menu, and you can swill that earthy orange wine in a backyard done up with string lights and table tennis. The lack of a set wine list means that you'll have to get friendly with your bartender, but with knowledgable pourers like the ones at Sauced, that won't be a problem: simply reveal your vino preferences and they'll find the perfect bottle for you. Just like at the team’s other concepts, Loosie Rogue and Etiquette, you can order snacks alongside the wine—think chips with creme fraiche, caramelized onions, and caviar.

You’ll need a magnifying glass to navigate the chalk-drawn wine list at this dimly lit vino depot, oddly named for Jack the Ripper’s hunting grounds. Happily, knowledgeable servers are there to help, and the collection of global organic wines—about 15 glasses, most for around $15, from Croatian rosés to German pet nats and Oregon-bred oranges—rewards your troubles. Snacks are basic tapas but tasty: papas bravas, jamon croquettes, salt-cured sardines, and the like. 

Oeno-evangelist Paul Grieco (Hearth, Insieme) preaches the powers of terroir—grapes that express a sense of place—at this sparse wine haunt. The superknowledgeable waitstaff aptly helps patrons navigate the proudly "overwhelming" wine menu that features a whopping 100-plus by-the-glass options. Equally compelling is the food lineup, which ranges from usual finicky wine-bar fare like duck rilettes and ramp toasts to Korean-inspired options like chicken wings flavored with sambal and scallions, and tteokbukki (rice cakes) with purple kale and wax beans. Stellar sips and a menu to match: Hallelujah!

Contra already had an understated, almost mumblecore approach to wining and dining, but Wildair is even more low-pressure, set with sardine-packed bar tables, a fuzzy midaughts soundtrack and neighborhood affability. The wine list is cerebral but economical, focused on offbeat natural varietals and expanding from the usual Spanish and French suspects to also include Canadian, Mexican and Hungarian options. And though Wildair’s snacky, à la carte menu has less sharp-edged experimentation than Contra’s, there are low-key innovations at play here: the simple bistro pleasure of breakfast radishes with soft-churned sweet butter are smacked with the funk of smoked Comté, and beef tartare is laced with tangy umeboshi plum and walnut pesto.