Best Wine Bars in Manhattan

Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels

A Nolita basement French wine bar — Centre Street entrance, low-lit, French-classical-leaning by-the-glass program with one of the deeper Burgundy bench in downtown Manhattan.

Because Compagnie des Vins runs a genuinely serious by-the-glass list with old-vine producers from the Cote d Or that the rest of the borough only pours by the bottle, and the somm staff actually pours blind tastings if you ask.

Order Sancerre by the glass, plate of charcuterie, cheese flight to share.

Sit at the bar at 5 p.m. — the room fills for dinner by 7, but the bar at the open hour is empty and the staff has time to walk you through the by-the-glass program.

The Ten Bells

A Lower East Side narrow-format wine bar on Broome Street — chalkboard list above the counter, oysters at the bar, French-natural-wine-leaning since 2008.

Because The Ten Bells was the first Manhattan wine bar to seriously commit to natural wine before the category was fashionable, and the chalkboard format means the list rotates faster than any printed menu in the borough.

Order Whatever Loire white is freshly open, dozen East Coast oysters.

Order whatever the bartender just opened — the chalkboard updates as bottles open and close, and the freshly-opened pour is usually the most generous.

Le Dive