In the past decade, the definition of a wine bar has evolved before our eyes. Rather than simply serving as places to enjoy stellar glasses (or bottles) of wine, many newer spots blur the line between restaurant and bar, offering a selection of mouthwatering dishes to sample alongside your preferred pour. Some of them have even earned Michelin Guide recognition for their high-quality cooking, drawing guests in with their culinary prowess in addition to their enticing wine lists. In short, the wine bar has transformed into a top destination for not just oenophiles, but gourmands, too.
Here in New York City, there is no shortage of amazing wine bars with standout food menus highlighting offerings beyond the standard cheese plate and mixed nuts. Expect options like warm bowls of beans, exceptional deviled eggs, mussels in deliciously drinkable broth, and even steak frites. This abundance is precisely why we’ve sorted through all of the amazing wine bar bites out there to identify 15 of NYC’s very best.
From personal pizzas enjoyed in cozy corners on the Lower East Side to fried chicken sammies at newly opened Brooklyn hotspots, here are 15 of the best wine bar snacks in NYC.
Badaboom: Roasted Chicken
Credit: Badaboom on Instagram
Opened in Bed-Stuy in June 2025, Badaboom is one part wine bar, one part chicken shop, and all parts fun. Owned by Charles Gerbier of Frog Wine Bar and Henry Glucoft of Henry’s Wine & Spirit and Sunrise/Sunset, the wine list leans natural, though the food menu might be its main draw. Given the focus on rotisserie chicken, it should come as no surprise that the roasted chicken is one of the best things on the menu, available in both half and whole sizes. The chicken arrives with perfectly crisped skin and meat so juicy it practically melts in your mouth. Be sure to order the basil sauce, which also perfectly complements the accompanying side of roasted potatoes.
Chambers: Sesame Pizza Bianca
Credit: Hot Chefs on Instagram
Named for the street on which it resides, Chambers is a beloved NYC wine bar that took over the former Racines space following its closure in 2021. Master sommelier Pascaline Lepeltier, a holdover from the previous establishment, curates a masterful wine list that pairs beautifully with dishes crafted by executive chef Jonathan Karis. Regardless of whether you’re stopping by for a meal or just a quick glass, you won’t want to miss the sesame pizza bianca. Rather than the flatbread you might expect, the pizza bianca is a chunky piece of ciabatta-like bread with a crispy sesame seed and olive oil-coated exterior that gives way to a fluffy, cheesy interior. Pro tip: Should you opt for a full dinner, it arrives gratis.
Disco Birdies: Spicy Chicken Sando
Credit: Disco Birdies on Instagram
Is there any better pairing than fried chicken and Champagne? The team at Disco Birdies certainly doesn’t think so. The Champagne bar was opened in April 2025 by Matt Lunette and Matt Diaz, the same names behind fellow Bed-Stuy establishments For All Things Good, Bar Birba, and Disco Bottles, the wine shop just across the street. To soak up all the bubbly, be sure to order the spicy chicken sando, which is easily one of the best renditions we’ve had. The chicken itself is juicy and crispy, slathered in harissa hot honey, topped with pickles, and nestled between two perfectly buttered buns.
The Four Horsemen: Warm House Bread
Credit: The Four Horsemen on Instagram
The Four Horsemen is arguably the most influential wine bar in New York City, if not the world. The beloved spot kickstarted the wave of wine bars with incredible food slash restaurants with incredible wine, continuously billing itself as a wine bar despite the fact that it was awarded a Michelin star in 2019. Given its accreditation, it seems silly to call the warm house bread one of the best wine bar bites, but let’s be honest — it is. Despite the regularly changing menu, the soft, fluffy bread remains a mainstay, with coveted Rodolphe le Meunier butter arriving on the side to smear on top.
La Compagnie Center Street: French Onion Grilled Cheese
La Compagnie (formerly La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels) is a global wine bar that first opened its doors in Paris in 2011. Today, the bar operates four locations, including the Paris flagship, a London outpost, and two in New York City. The newly opened Flatiron spot serves a number of fantastic light bites, but you’ll want to head to the city’s OG location on Center Street to try one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches we’ve ever had. Jammy, caramelized onions are the main attraction here — but they don’t arrive in the format you might be expecting. Instead, the alliums are folded into a mayonnaise that’s spread onto the two slices of bread used to envelop the gooey, melted gruyère. Crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside, it’s an elevated take on a childhood classic — and it’s damn delicious.
Lei: Pickled Pearled Onion, Radish, Celery
Credit: Lei Wine on Instagram
Chinatown is quickly establishing itself as one of the best neighborhoods to enjoy wine in, with a slew of new openings demonstrating that yes, wine does pair with Chinese food. Among these recent entries is Lei, a cozy spot on Doyers Street opened by Annie Shi of Jupiter and King in June 2025. The wine list is extremely expansive, featuring established producers alongside those from smaller winemakers working in underrated regions like Jurançon. Wine is certainly the star of the show at Lei, but the food menu should, under no circumstances, be overlooked for even a moment. While offerings shift around slightly, a selection of pickles is almost always on offer, and you will not want to miss your chance to try them. The current iteration includes pearled onions, radish, and celery, the last of which rests in a green Szechuan peppercorn brine. Crunchy, acidic, salty, and, above all else, fresh, we dare say it’s the perfect wine-bar bite.
Liar Liar: Steak Frites
Credit: Liar Liar on Instagram
Liar Liar in Gowanus is a new wine bar that opened in January 2025 from the same team behind Bed-Stuy’s Bad Luck Bar. The welcoming space is an ideal spot for cozying up with a few glasses of natural wine, the bar’s focus, though its food menu is a true delight. Affordable bites abound, including melt-in-your-mouth steak frites for just $36. The steak arrives cooked to perfection and layered with a velvety peppercorn sauce that doubles as the perfect dip for the crispy fries. Order it alongside a glass of red — all priced at $20 and under — and go to town.
Parcelle: Chunks of Fancy Parm
Credit: VinePair Staff
Parcelle originated as a wine shop in Hell’s Kitchen in 2018 before adding its popular wine bar location in Chinatown in 2022. Two years later, the team opened a second wine bar in Greenwich Village, giving those on the west side the opportunity to try its famous chunks of fancy parm. While cheekily named, the moniker could not be a better reflection of what arrives on the plate: thick hunks of decadent, aged Parmigiano Reggiano. Pair the dish with a bottle of crisp white wine, tack on an order of prosciutto, and enjoy your afternoon.
Penny: Ice Box
Credit: Penny on Instagram
Opened in March 2024, Penny is an East Village raw bar helmed by chef Joshua Pinsky and sommelier Chase Sinzer of Claud, which happens to be located right downstairs. Alongside a massive, 98-page wine list chock-full of reds, whites, and sparklings is a superlative food menu featuring everything from mackerel and long hots to beets and trout roe. We tend to gravitate toward one of Penny’s three ice boxes, its trend-setting version of a seafood tower. Keep things simple with the approachable option containing oysters, clams, shrimp, mussels, and crudo, or level up to the Ice Box+ that adds razor clams and live scallops. Feeling wild? Go a step further with the Ice Box++ with lobster, vichyssoise, and seafood sausage.
Place des Fêtes: Bangs Island Mussels en Tinta
Credit: Place des Fêtes on Instagram
Place des Fêtes was opened in Clinton Hill in 2022 by the same team behind the now-shuttered, Michelin-starred bistro Oxalis. The French-named spot takes inspiration from both France and Spain, particularly the Catalan region, showcasing an ever-rotating food menu alongside bottles thoughtfully selected by beverage director Piper Kristensen. Order a sparkling wine to drink alongside the Bangs Island mussels, which tend to remain on the menu even as other items are shifted off it. The mussels themselves are thick, voluptuous, and doused in a savory ink sauce that will have you licking your fingers (and thinking about licking the plate) once you’re done.
Plus de Vin: Frites + Aioli
Credit: Plus de Vin on Instagram
In a world where wine bars are more like restaurants than ever before, Plus de Vin has maintained the essence of a true bar through one very simple practice: you order at the bar. As such, you can expect a fairly limited food menu mainly consisting of small, sharable plates. While the spiced popcorn and roasted beets are great options, we have a soft spot for the fries, which arrive crisped to perfection alongside a heaping serving of garlic aioli. If there’s an option to add a sausage link, say yes. We promise you won’t regret it.
Rhodora: Cannellini Beans
Located on the corner of Adelphi Street and Willoughby Avenue in Fort Greene is Rhodora, a zero-waste, natural wine bar opened in 2019. The team offers a decent selection of light bites to enjoy alongside a glass or two, most of which feel right at home in the wood-paneled space. We’re talking cheese plates, marinated olives, and, of course, an obligatory bowl of beans. Rhodora’s take on the classic wine bar snack knocks it out of the park, with warm cannellini beans swimming in a pool of herbaceous rosemary broth and black pepper mayonnaise. While they’re topped with crunchy breadcrumbs for texture, we’d recommend ordering an additional side of bread to soak up all the leftover broth.
Somm Time: Cacio e Pepe Personal Pizza
Opened in 2016 by wine director Maria Rust, Somm Time got its start in Midtown East before relocating to its current home on the Lower East Side. Upon entry, the space immediately feels homey, with exposed brick walls and a fully open kitchen beckoning guests in and encouraging them to stay awhile. While sipping glasses of under-the-radar wines from small producers around the world, be sure to check out the wealth of food options from chef Angie Berry. Our favorite is the personal pizza, currently served in a cacio e pepe flavor. The thin-crust pizza arrives soft and buttery, topped with a plethora of melted mozzarella cheese and, of course, cracked black pepper.
Stars: Deviled Eggs
Credit: Stars on Instagram
Led by the same team as Penny and Claud, Stars is a brand-new East Village wine bar with just 12 seats. Where Penny and Claud can be viewed as either wine bars or restaurants (depending on whom you ask), Stars lands firmly in wine bar territory with an impressive, 70-plus-page wine list including an ever- changing selection of 88 bottles under $88. But that doesn’t mean the food should be overlooked. You’ll want to place an order for the deviled eggs, which arrive beautifully piped with a gorgeous, star-shaped potato puff on top. The only downside is that there’s only two per serving, so don’t be afraid to order a second round if you’re craving more. We know we did.
With Others: Marinated Castlevetrano Olives
Credit: VinePair Staff
Located along Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg is With Others, a natural wine bar established by Shanna Nasiri, who left her tech job to open the bar in March 2024. It’s a lovely little spot that’s ideal for enjoying a glass of wine from niche producers around the world or furthering your education at its Sunday Wine School program. The bar also offers a selection of small plates, and while we don’t hesitate to order the crab toast, we won’t leave without ordering the marinated Castlevetrano olives. Coated generously in fennel and marinated with lemon peels, the olives are tart, salty, and savory — the perfect snack if you ask us.
The article 15 of the Best Wine Bar Snacks in NYC appeared first on VinePair.