New York’s many extravagant restaurants offer plenty of once-in-a-lifetime wine experiences, but sometimes even the fussiest wine lovers crave something a bit more relaxed. These 16 Wine Spectator Restaurant Award winners around the city deliver quality and top-tier wines in a laid-back atmosphere. With value-driven lists and menus, each of these low-key spots is destined to become your go-to for nights out.
Discover more New York wine destinations in our guide to the city’s 12 top restaurant wine lists, and browse all the Restaurant Award winners scattered across the boroughs.
This is just a small sampling of standout wine spots that have earned Restaurant Awards. For more food-and-wine destinations around the world, check out Wine Spectator’s more than 3,800 Restaurant Award winners, including the 97 Grand Award recipients that hold our highest honor (64 of which are in the United States).
Do you have a favorite restaurant or wine bar you’d like to see on this list? Send your recommendations to restaurantawards@mshanken.com. We want to hear from you!
Manhattan
Casa Mono
52 Irving Place
Telephone (212) 253-2773
Website casamononyc.com
Best of Award of Excellence
Open windows add to the casual, Catalan-influenced allure of this wine-and-dining spot. (Courtesy of Casa Mono)
Not far from the bustle of Union Square, the Gramercy Park neighborhood is a beacon for great dining. On the corner of Irving and 17th is Best of Award of Excellence winner Casa Mono, which specializes in the cuisine of Spain’s Catalonia region prepared by chefs Jonathan Melendez and Andy Nusser. The menu primarily consists of small and shareable plates, such as bone marrow with trout roe, scallops with serrano green curry and skirt steak with onion jam. Meat from animals raised on small farms is used in several specials, including duck breast with maitake mushrooms and pork belly with a spring onion crema. Wine director Danielle Pappas oversees a 600-selection list that highlights some of the finest producers in Spain, including Priorat’s Álvaro Palacios, Ribera del Duero’s Bodegas Vega Sicilia and Rioja’s R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia.
Cathédrale
Moxy East Village hotel, 112 E. 11th St.
Telephone (212) 888-1093
Website moxyeastvillage.com/cathedrale
Best of Award of Excellence
Cathédrale provides a stunning yet intimate space for dinner. (Courtesy of Cathédrale)
Inside the East Village’s Moxy hotel, Best of Award of Excellence winner Cathédrale lives up to its name with striking triple-height ceilings and dramatic Gothic architecture. The restaurant is in Tao Group Hospitality’s portfolio, which includes the Award of Excellence–winning Tao location in Chelsea as well as dozens of dining establishments in the U.S. and beyond. Chef Jason Hall’s French- and Mediterranean-influenced menu offers appetizers such as Wagyu beef tartare with gaufrette chips, grilled octopus with tomato ragout and a potato chip omelet with white sturgeon caviar. For entrées, look to Faroe Islands salmon with shiitake mushrooms, grilled Mediterranean branzino with a pine nut gremolata and Maine lobster rigatoni with squid ink pasta and cherry tomatoes. Overseen by Nikki McCutcheon, senior director of beverage for Tao Group Hospitality, Cathédrale’s list of 450 selections showcases well-known producers from California and France, including Bordeaux’s Château Lynch-Bages, Burgundy’s William Fèvre and Napa’s Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. The program also boasts impressive values from Oregon, Spain’s Rioja and the Italian winemaking regions of Lombardy, Piedmont and Tuscany.
Crown Shy
70 Pine St.
Telephone (212) 517-1932
Website crownshy.nyc
Best of Award of Excellence
Crown Shy is one of many fine-dining gems from Kent Hospitality Group. (Chris Payne)
A five-minute walk from Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange, Crown Shy is a Best of Award of Excellence winner known for plates inspired by culinary traditions from around the world. Chef Jassimran Singh has helmed the kitchen since the 2024 death of his mentor, James Kent, a beloved figure in the New York City restaurant scene. Crown Shy’s lunch offerings (available à la carte or as a prix fixe menu) are tailor-made for busy Financial District workers and tourists alike, with a to-go dessert option to complement dishes such as grilled citrus-marinated chicken, a pork katsu sandwich and a potato and brown butter tandoori flatbread. Notable dinner items include barbecue eggplant with shishito peppers and jerk octopus with morcilla (a Spanish blood sausage) over rice and beans. Wine director Kristen Goceljak’s 900-label program shows strength in France and Italy, with offerings from François Raveneau in Chablis and Krug in Champagne. The list also highlights selections from lesser-known regions, such as Argentina’s Patagonia, France’s Jura and Portugal’s Dão.
Lelabar
422 Hudson St.
Telephone (212) 206-0594
Website lelabar.com
Best of Award of Excellence
Lelabar offers premium wines in a laid-back setting in the West Village. (Courtesy of Lelabar)
A few blocks east of the Hudson River, Best of Award of Excellence winner Lelabar in the West Village delivers tapas-style dining in a relaxed yet refined space. Guests can reserve a high-top table or sit at the large oval bar, which is warmly lit and staffed by a knowledgeable team of sommeliers. In addition to customizable cheese and charcuterie plates, chef Oscar Del Rosario’s menu features pressed sandwiches and small bites such as salted Marcona almonds, fried potatoes with spicy mayo and baked phyllo-wrapped feta. Wine director Chris Martorano’s list of 1,000-plus selections is strongest in California, France and Italy. In addition to verticals from Bordeaux’s Château Pontet-Canet, Piedmont’s Aldo Conterno and the Rhône’s Guigal, the program spotlights wines from lesser-known regions in Chile, Croatia and Mexico. A fun aspect of the by-the-glass list is the mystery wine challenge—if a guest correctly guesses the wine’s grape or region, their next glass of wine is half off.
Noreetuh
128 First Ave.
Telephone (646) 892-3050
Website noreetuh.com
Best of Award of Excellence
Spam musubi is just one of many delights that make Noreetuh an enticing culinary stop. (Courtesy of Noreetuh)
Named after the Korean word for “playground,” Noreetuh has held a Best of Award of Excellence since 2021 and occupies a sleek yet casual space in the East Village. A block from Tompkins Square Park, the Polaroid-adorned space on First Avenue is a haven for Hawaiian food lovers. Chef and co-owner Chung Chow’s menu shows Asian influences and is divided into small plates and entrées, with notable dishes including the chow noodles with five-spice tofu and the mochiko chicken (Hawaii’s take on fried chicken) with macaroni salad. There’s also a section dedicated to musubi, a traditional Hawaiian snack comprising a protein (commonly Spam), rice and other ingredients all wrapped in nori. Wine director and co-owner Jin Ahn has built a value-packed, 400-label program that primarily focuses on German Rieslings, with a strong showing from Joh. Jos. Prüm and Keller. France is also celebrated throughout the list, with picks from Burgundy’s Louis Jadot and Champagne’s J-M Sélèque.
Temple Court
The Beekman hotel, 5 Beekman St.
Telephone (212) 658-1848
Website templecourtnyc.com
Best of Award of Excellence
Temple Court offers a casual yet refined atmosphere for enjoying great wines. (Jose Portillo)
Steps from City Hall and the Brooklyn Bridge, Best of Award of Excellence winner Temple Court in the Financial District is a destination in and of itself. Housed in the historic Beekman hotel, which was built in the 1880s and frequented by literary icons Edgar Allen Poe and Mark Twain, Temple Court is owned by celebrity chef Tom Colicchio. The kitchen is helmed by executive chef Travis Sowards, who serves a seasonal à la carte menu of American fare with European and Asian influences. Recent dishes include burrata with beets and turnips, braised lamb shoulder with black Mission figs and tomato tarte Tatin with Niçoise olives. Wine director Kevin McElheran’s 480-label list primarily focuses on France and the United States, with offerings from Antica Terra and Eyrie in Oregon’s Willamette Valley as well as Napa’s Robert Mondavi, Shafer and Spottswoode.
Terroir
24 Harrison St.
Telephone (212) 625-9463
Website wineisterroir.com
Best of Award of Excellence
Terroir offers a lot for fans of German Rieslings to look forward to. (Courtesy of Terroir – Tribeca)
Roughly equidistant from the Ghostbusters Headquarters and Hudson River Park’s piers 25 and 26, Terroir in Tribeca holds a Best of Award of Excellence for its expansive and educational wine program. Opened in 2010, this lively wine bar is housed in a former cheesemaking facility and many of the original wood and metal interior elements are still intact. Chef Bryce Sorem’s seasonal menu draws from American and Canadian culinary influences, with recent plates including grilled eggplant with a cilantro sauce, carrot gnocchi with blistered corn and steak tartare with egg yolk. True to its name, Terroir celebrates diverse winemaking regions across its values-heavy beverage program, showing particular strength in Austria, France and Germany. In addition to showcasing German Rieslings from Joh. Jos. Prüm, H. Dönnhoff and Wittmann, the list of 1,200 bottles includes four of the five first-growth Bordeaux houses and all the E. Guigal La La wines.
Ardesia Wine Bar
510 W. 52nd St.
Telephone (212) 247-9191
Website ardesia-ny.com
Award of Excellence
Ardesia Wine Bar offers an oasis for wine lovers amid the bustle of Hell’s Kitchen. (Courtesy of Ardesia)
Award of Excellence winner Ardesia Wine Bar offers a relaxing escape from the bustling nightlife of Hell’s Kitchen. Chef Bernardo Garcia’s tapas-style menu showcases shareables such as deviled eggs with pickled jalapeños, patatas bravas (crispy fingerling potatoes) with pimentón aioli and spiced lamb skewers with a mint-yogurt sauce. There’s an entire page dedicated to cheese and charcuterie, inviting guests to mix and match items for customized boards. Above the dining area is an eye-catching balcony, made almost entirely of glass, that’s backdropped by horizontally displayed bottles of wine hand-selected by owner and wine director Mandy Oser. Her 200-label list shows strength in California and France and is accessible and fun, with reds and whites sorted by country in addition to various wines grouped under categories such as “Aroma Therapy,” “Zesty & Zippy” and “Not Champagne.” The list is interspersed with helpful recommendations and information, including an FAQ about orange wines.
Bangkok Supper Club
641 Hudson St.
Telephone (646) 344-1733
Website bangkoksupperclubnyc.com
Award of Excellence
Bangkok Supper Club is the second restaurant from the team behind Thai destination, Fish Cheeks. (Evan Sung)
True to its name, Bangkok Supper Club marries the cuisine of Thailand with the communal atmosphere of an old-fashioned supper club, with a stylish space that fits right in with its trendy West Village neighbors. A hit since opening in 2023, the restaurant won an Award of Excellence in 2025 and serves modern takes on Thai cuisine from chef Max Wittawat. Broken into small and large plates, the menu includes items such as uni and crab tartlets with a lemongrass-coconut relish, deep-fried octopus with fried onions and a chargrilled rib eye with a Thai herb salad. Over the summer, Bangkok Supper Club launched a kitchen counter tasting menu ($150 per person, with an optional wine pairing) that’s limited to four guests a night. The 145-selection wine list is overseen by head sommelier Jove Tripp-Thompson, who says he aims to “challenge preconceived notions about Thai cuisine and wine pairings.” In addition to picks from heavy hitters such as Burgundy’s Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Provence’s Clos Cibonne and Egon Müller from Germany’s Mosel region, the program offers lesser-known varieties such as Lagrein from Elena Walch of Italy’s Trentino–Alto Adige and Schioppettino from Napa’s Matthiasson.
Forsythia
9 Stanton St.
Website forsythianyc.com
Award of Excellence
Forsythia offers Roman-inspired dishes and hosts pasta-making classes. (Kate Pauley)
Situated between Bowery and Chrystie on the Lower East Side, Award of Excellence winner Forsythia is a chic destination for handmade pastas and well-curated Italian wines. Owner Jacob Siwak started Forsythia in 2020 as a pop-up in the East Village before moving it into its permanent home on Stanton Street. Items on chef Alex Palazzo’s Roman-inspired dinner menu can be ordered à la carte or as part of a four- or six-course tasting menu ($98 and $129 per person, respectively). Recent dishes include cacio e pepe supplì (fried risotto balls), short rib–stuffed agnolotti with duck jus and grilled octopus with fried potatoes. (On Wednesdays, Forsythia hosts pasta-making classes that include a prix fixe dinner and unlimited wine for $235 per person.) Managed by wine director Charlotte Mirzoeff, the exclusively Italian beverage program comprises 135 labels and represents producers from up and down the boot, including Sicily’s Feudo Montoni, Trentino–Alto Adige’s Foradori and Umbria’s Paolo Bea.
Nudibranch
125 First Ave.
Website nudibranchnyc.com
Award of Excellence
Nudibranch takes a playful approach with its dining menu and wine list. (Courtesy of Nudibranch)
The name of chefs and co-owners Jeffrey Kim and Matthew Lee’s Award of Excellence–winning restaurant was inspired by nudibranchs—tiny, colorful sea slugs they had encountered during a scuba diving trip in Indonesia. The slugs “reminded us of what food can be: playful, bold and full of character,” they say on their restaurant’s website. On First Avenue in the East Village, just across the street from Best of Award of Excellence winner Noreetuh, Nudibranch offers a prix fixe menu for two ($72 per person) and à la carte plates that show Korean and Spanish influences. Recent menu items include duck confit croquettes, gooseneck barnacles in brine and gochujang-glazed pork chops with maitake mushrooms. Beverage manager Sammi Schachter’s 100-label list shows strength in France and the Iberian Peninsula, with gems from Portugal’s Luís Pato and the Loire Valley’s Denis Meunier.
L’Express
249 Park Ave. S.
Telephone (212) 254-5858
Website lexpressnyc.com
Award of Excellence
L’Express is one of several award-winning French restaurants from owner Simon Oren. (Courtesy of L’Express)
Serving bistro fare and classic French wines on Park Avenue South, L’Express offers a little slice of Lyon in Gramercy Park. Owned by restaurateur Simon Oren, it has held an Award of Excellence since 1999 and is one of several wine destinations under the Chef Driven Hospitality umbrella, including fellow Award of Excellence winner Le Monde and Grand Award winner Nice Matin. Executive chef Amitzur Mor serves French staples such as escargots in garlic butter, steak frites and croque madame sandwiches, with crème brûlée and a signature tarte Tatin with crème fraîche among the dessert offerings. Aviram Turgeman, director of beverage for Chef Driven Hospitality, oversees a 335-selection wine list that champions France, with picks from Bordeaux’s Lynch-Bages, Provence’s Clos Ste.-Magdeleine and the Rhône’s Paul Jaboulet Aîné.
Peasant
194 Elizabeth St.
Telephone (212) 965-9511
Website peasantnyc.com
Award of Excellence
Peasant specializes in live-fire cooking. (Courtesy of Peasant)
A couple of blocks northwest of the historic Bowery Ballroom music venue, Nolita’s Peasant is an Award of Excellence–winning Italian spot from chef and restaurateur Marc Forgione. (His namesake restaurant in Tribeca has held a Best of Award of Excellence since 2015.) Head chef Greg Thomas serves an à la carte menu of antipasti and pasta dishes, including bucatini carbonara and baby octopus with hot chiles, as well as a selection of seafood, meat and vegetarian plates from the restaurant’s wood-fired grill. Wine director Michael Laudenslager’s 100-label list primarily focuses on smaller wineries practicing sustainable techniques. Italy is a core strength of the program, with offerings from Piedmont’s Marchesi di Barolo, Trentino–Alto Adige’s Cantina Bolzano and Tuscany’s Tolaini.
Vinatería
2211 Frederick Douglass Blvd.
Telephone (212) 662-8462
Website vinaterianyc.com
Award of Excellence
Vinatería blends Spanish and Italian dining in Harlem. (Courtesy of Vinateria)
A roughly 10-minute walk from the famous Apollo Theater, Award of Excellence winner Vinatería in Harlem is a cozy, minimalist spot serving Italian- and Spanish-influenced cuisine. Owned by lifelong New Yorker Yvette Leeper-Bueno, the Frederick Douglass Boulevard restaurant serves dishes such as grilled lamb chops with roasted fingerling potatoes, cauliflower soup with chimichurri and Grana Padano–topped black spaghetti with octopus, scallops and mussels. Wine director Thomas Patrick Odeen’s 135-label list predominantly features Italian wines, with picks from Barolo’s Giacomo Borgogno & Figli, Montalcino’s Camigliano and Trentino–Alto Adige’s Alois Lageder. Spain and France are also well-represented, with options from Bordeaux’s Château Phélan Ségur, Provence’s Château Simone and Rioja’s R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia.
Brooklyn
Nerina
35 Commercial St.
Telephone (718) 509-9339
Website nerinanyc.com
Award of Excellence
Nerina serves approachable mezze alongside a Greek wine list. (Courtesy of Nerina)
A stone’s throw from the East River and Newtown Creek, Nerina is an Award of Excellence–winning Greek destination in Greenpoint. The restaurant’s interior is airy and bright, with floor-to-ceiling windows allowing ample light to flow over planters, marble tabletops and wood furnishings. Chef Timothy Hixson serves elevated but approachable mezze-style plates, such as grilled octopus with fava (a traditional Greek dip of yellow split pea puree), honey-roasted carrots with saffron yogurt and whole-grilled lavraki (aka branzino) with ladolemono (a lemon–olive oil sauce). Nerina’s entirely Greek list of 95 wines spans orange, sparkling, red and white varieties, with picks from Argyros, Lyrarakis and Tselepos. On Fridays, the restaurant hosts classes centered on Greek winemaking, complete with wine tastings and complimentary cheese plates.
Winona’s
676 Flushing Ave.
Telephone (718) 388-4900
Website winonasbk.com
Best of Award of Excellence
Plants and an open space create a lively atmosphere for enjoying farm-to-table cuisine and French wines at Winona’s in Brooklyn. (Liz Clayman)
Best of Award of Excellence winner Winona’s in Bedford-Stuyvesant is owned by partners Emir Dupeyron and Cressida Greening, who launched the New American restaurant to build upon a supper club they regularly hosted in their neighboring apartment. Past the small entryway bar, the main dining room is bathed in natural light, with an eclectic mix of plants and a wood-paneled ceiling imparting cozy, outdoorsy vibes. Chef Cameron Wells serves a seasonal menu of shareables and entrées, with recent plates including raw oysters with a red currant mignonette, Japanese yams with a jalapeño aioli and roasted chicken with wild mushrooms. Wine director Henry Mermer’s 400-label list showcases natural wines and producers from France, with picks from Alsace’s Julien Meyer, Champagne’s Tarlant and the Loire Valley’s Nicolas Joly.
Edited by Julia Larson, Cassia Schifter, Greg Warner and Megan Tkacy
Keep up with the latest restaurant news from our award winners: Subscribe to our free Private Guide to Dining newsletter, and follow us on Instagram at @wine_spectator.
Dining and Cooking