The best natural wine bars in NYC for funky pours and zero pretension

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Wildair (@wildairnyc)

What is it? A casual LES wine bar staple with small plates. This sister bar to the nearby cocktail bar Contra helped kick off the whole natural wine craze in the first place.

Why we love it: The wine list here changes often, so being a regular here means being game to tour terroirs. The staff are keen to guide and make suggestions, so if you're more of a wine enjoyer than enthusiast, the pressure is off. The food menu is small plates meant to accompany the drink. That doesn't mean they're an afterthought; the food is tasty—in just about a bite per morsel, each bears enough flavor and texture to assert itself, leaving you excited for the next. Wildair has been around for more than a decade; its staying power and a raft of citations like this one mean it's almost always crowded. This place gets loud and cramped. But if you were expecting any different from a place like this in a neighborhood like this, that's on you.

Time Out tip: Reservations exist, technically. But a decent chunk of the room is held for whoever shows up first—the line is a common form of cheap advertising. If you're trying to avoid standing around like a doofus, show up good and early or just plan ahead and get a res.

Address: 142 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002

Opening Hours: Tue–Thu, Sun 5:30–10pm; Fri, Sat 5:30–10:30pm

Expect to pay: ~$14–21/glass of wine; ~$16–20/cocktail; ~$17–23/small plates; ~$31–165/mains

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ruffian (@ruffian_nyc)

What is it? An itty-bitty East Village wine bar and chef's table with outsize personality.

Why we love it: Ruffian offers over 250 natural wines, most of which hail from Eastern Europe. Big numbers, yes, but the place is more jewel box than kitchen sink. Its cozy room isn't stuffy; it's casual, as laid-back as a place this serious about its output could be—a sentiment reflected in its numerous Michelin Bib Gourmands. Ruffian offers guests a higher degree of attention and intention than your run-of-the-mill bar, with enthusiastic staff ready to guide or just nerd out about wine. The seasonal, mostly vegetarian food menu is inventive and tasty, with verve on full display every night. The atmosphere is bright and lively—there are no dark corners or shadows to retreat to. Of course, if you'd rather just space out and sip wine, nobody will breach your peace, but if you want it, Ruffian's warmth and passion are close at hand.

Time Out Tip: Don't be shy—the intimacy is part of the draw; staff is happy to guide you through tastings, food pairings, and recommendations. Happy hour (Mon–Fri 4pm–6pm, Sat and Sun 3pm–5pm) gets you $5 off all wines by the glass, 10 percent off all bottles, $5 off any food item.

Address: 125 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009

Opening Hours: Mon–Fri 4pm–midnight; Sat 3pm–midnight; Sun 3pm–11pm

Expect to pay: ~$18–26/glass of wine; ~$12–30/small plate; ~$27–42/main; ~$60/tasting menu

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Ten Bells (@thetenbells)

What is it? With a second location now in Bushwick, the original Lower East Side Ten Bells serves quality without pretension by keeping an eye on the working class.

Why we love it: The Ten Bells is a natural wine bar known for its wine list anchored to small-scale, unglamorous producers—the list tips into terroirs often overlooked by the power players. The place borrows its name from a bar in London's Spitalfields neighborhood, one made famous for its connection to the Jack the Ripper murders. It's dark, sure, but it's not themed or gloomy, and the food menu is mostly, but not exclusively, Basque. They carry the super expensive, name-brand bottles if that's your thing. But this is the rare wine bar that does away with all of the things people tend to dislike about wine bars, namely prissiness, pretension, and preoccupation with pedigree. They even serve beer.

Time Out tip: The happy hour is more than a gesture: every day until 7pm, a house carafe goes for $22 and oysters for a buck apiece.

Address: 247 Broome St, Manhattan

Opening hours: Mon–Wed 5pm–midnight; Thu, Fri 5pm–1am; Sat 3pm–1am; Sun 3pm–11pm

Expect to pay: ~$9–16/glass; ~$26–300+/bottle; $7–19/small plate

What is it? A natural wine bar on Bedford Avenue that seeks to highlight women winemakers and features weekly wine education classes.

Why we love it: The by-the-glass list covers a nice range of options with something for everyone. And the list changes often, so regulars here will find themselves learning a little something, if only what they're personally into. The room has a clean aesthetic with lots of straight lines and neutral color fields; decorative accents emanate from the food and wine itself. There's a nice backyard that feels perfect on a warm evening. The place offers class in every sense of the word: it's more refined than a wine dive, and you can sign up for its educational programming on their site. Small, well-composed, photo-ready plates of food feature, and chef residencies give the menu wide variety.

Time Out tip: This probably isn't a place for dinner unless you're ready to shell out. If you are, you'll likely be pleased; the dishes are beautiful and the flavors are clean. But if you're planning a more casual night out, this is a great before/after meal kind of spot.

Address: 340 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249

Opening hours: Wed & Thu 5pm–midnight; Fri 4pm–midnight; Sat 3pm–midnight; Sun 3pm–11pm

Expect to pay: ~$16–20/glass of wine; ~$68–225/bottle of wine

What is it? A Michelin-starred wine bar and restaurant in Williamsburg that's basically impossible to get into.

Why we love it: The bottle list is deep and so is the staff's knowledge, so if you're in the market for a recommendation, it may very well come with a boatload of information. This is the place for natural wine enthusiasts. But good luck getting seated. It won a James Beard Award for its wine program in 2022, was a 2026 finalist for Outstanding Restaurant, and has held onto a Michelin star since 2019. Small plates here are truly beautiful. But the effort to get in may get ugly.

Time Out tip: Online tables release 30 days out at 7am and disappear within the hour. If you're dead-set on eating here, you can walk in, but be prepared to show up hours in advance of its first seating. Lunch is the safer bet.

Address: 295 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Opening hours: Mon–Thu 5:30–10:45pm; Fri–Sun 11am–10:45pm

Expect to pay: ~$15–20/glass; ~$70–$1,000+/bottle; ~$15–$40/small plate

What is it? A pretty little natural wine bar on Doyers Street pairing Chinese food that doesn't fit the mold with an unusually serious wine list.

Why we love it: The place isn't what you'd expect on a few levels, which makes for a pretty delightful experience. Not only is the wine list deep and interesting, but the small plates are also singular in the neighborhood—there's no woks in the kitchen, no dim sum-style items on the menu. The Chinese home-cooking influence shows up in the ingredients and flavors. These could carry the room on their own, but then there's the wine. So much wine. It snagged a 2026 James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant. With fewer than thirty seats, expect space to be tight.

Time Out tip: Reservations open two weeks out at 9am and vanish fast. Luckily, they hold a decent number of seats for walk-ins. If you arrive early, you have a real shot at getting a seat.

Address: 15-17 Doyers St, New York, NY 10013

Opening hours: Daily 5pm–11pm

Expect to pay: ~$15–$25/glass; ~$60–1,800+/bottle; ~$15–33/small plates; ~$30–38/main

What is it? A twelve-seat, walk-in-only wine bar in the East Village with a staggering bottle list.

Why we love it: Food is decidedly not the focus here. They have a few plates of delicious, inventive food on offer, but the itty-bitty, teeny-tiny portions discourage lingering for any reason other than wine. Twelve seats around the horseshoe plus standing room might leave you feeling like a cigarette in a freshly opened pack. But if you're serious about wine, let any apprehension about visiting dissipate like smoke. They've got a nice selection of by-the-glass, but the draw here is the list of eleven-hundred-plus bottles. If you're looking to drop four figures, they've got more than a few options for you—a few exceed a heart-jolting $5k. But that's the outer limit. Most are well under $100, and this place's "bargain" bottles are still terrific. There's a whole page of 88 bottles for $88 apiece.

Time Out tip: Walk-in only, but very little room and tiny plates add up to healthy turnover. This place is best as a stop, not an entire evening.

Address: 139 E 12th St, New York, NY 10003

Opening Hours: Tue–Sat 4pm–midnight

Expect to pay: ~$11–$20/glass of wine; ~$45–5,000+/bottle; ~$50–$100 per person

What is it? A zero-waste natural wine bar in Fort Greene that treats sustainability as an operating principle.

Why we love it: Rhodora's zero-waste commitment doesn't come off like a gimmick, and if you didn't know going in, you probably wouldn't notice at all. What you would notice is a small-plates menu based on whatever's seasonal that week, and a natural wine list that favors small farms over recognizable labels. The room can get crowded and loud, and the crowd skews young. Not a knock on the place, but things do tend to get chaotic on busy nights—not in a sloppy way, more of a "Who's on First" way; its "non-hierarchical" staffing structure can result in minor breakdowns—tables going unbussed, seating turning into a bit of a scrum. Sidewalk tables spill out once the weather permits, and that's the way to go.

Time Out tip: There's no table service here; order at the bar.

Address: 197 Adelphi St, Brooklyn, NY 11205

Opening hours: Mon–Thu 5–11pm; Fri 4–11pm; Sat–Sun 2–11pm

Expect to pay: ~$16–$19/glass of wine; $68–225/bottle of wine; ~$4–29/small plate; ~$11–$30/share plate; ~$16/cocktail; ~$6–10/beer

What is it? A natural wine bar on Market Street, at the edge of Chinatown.

Why we love it: The place has a cool vibe; it's just out of the way, dusky, and casual enough. It's cozy, but you can seat a party of four without batting an eye. They offer a range of bottles, with special attention to small, low-intervention producers. No stove action goes on here; tins of fish, plates of cheese, and oysters do the job of keeping you in your seat. DJ sets and winemaker visits add some mystique, but the place is pleasingly straightforward. Happy hour is a draw: $1 oysters and $20 carafes are available seven days a week.

Time Out tip: Walk-in only. This place has late-night vibes written all over it; the food menu isn't big enough to make it a dinner choice, but it stays open until 2.

Address: 36 Market St, New York, NY 10002

Opening hours: Sun–Thu 5pm–midnight; Fri–Sat 5pm–2am

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rude Mouth (@rudemouthbk)

What is it? A neighborhood natural wine bar in Williamsburg with a glorious (seasonal) backyard.

Why we love it: There's almost never a wait here thanks to ample seating. Weather permitting, anyway. It's super seasonal—no heat lamps for cooler months. Two-tops abound inside and out, so this place is perfect for a date. But visitors will find bierhall-style communal seating at the center of its bricked-in, tree-shaded outdoor space, making Rude Mouth one of the only natural wine bars where you can accommodate a group, i.e., host a party. They've got a relatively big, well-curated craft beer and cider selection, which makes a large party even easier. The only hang-up is the food menu—it's short, with antipasti a la carte and some little things to snack on. It could make a meal if you're desperate, but it's more just ballast and accompaniment. No complaints, it's all tasty. The by-the-glass list offers a nice range, and it changes often. Plus it favors small producers, which is lovely to see.

Time Out tip: It's mostly walk-ins, but you can make a res if you've got at least seven in a party. If you walk in with a big group, it's a $50-per-person minimum, and the clock is ticking at two hours before you gotta give up those seats.

Address: 359 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Opening hours: Mon 5–10pm; Tue–Fri 5pm–midnight; Sat 3pm–midnight; Sun 3pm–10pm

Expect to pay: ~$8–$19/glass of wine; ~$4–$22/small plate