Wow East Village! You have yourself a gem with Rake Wine Bar! We were waiting for our dinner…read morereservations and decided to stop in here for a pre-dinner drink and bite. I am SO glad we did. The vibe drew us in, they had great music bumpin from the outside, it looked lively and welcoming. Let me tell you- I would have skipped dinner and just stayed here all evening if it was my choice! But alas, my husband wanted a bit more to eat. But let me tell you- their knowledge of wine is PRISTINE! I can't tell you what white wine we had but they captured our tastes perfectly. We also shared a bruschetta and it was deliciouso! I love how friendly the staff was here and how unpretentious it all was. Next time we are in NYC- we will definitely make a point to come visit Rake!

My partner and I were looking for a great double date spot, so we decided to give Rake a try due to…read moreits relaxing vibe and multitude of bites we could share. First I'll start with the wine - we ended up trying all three happy hour wines (HH until 7), which the tables favorites were the white and we ended up getting a bottle to split once HH ended (but I really enjoyed the other vino verde option). It was incredibly refreshing and paired well with the many tinned fish options. As you'd expect - it's a pretty massive selection and there is bound to be a varietal and glass for any palate. It's also attached to a wine store - so it's fine to see all the bottles when peaking over. Food-wise - this is where it was hit or miss, they have a pretty extensive menu (with a whole tinned fish section!) and we ended up ordering the buratta on focaccia (buratta was excellent, focaccia was too dense for my tastes), mushroom truffle crostini (way too salty), the flatbread with sliced kielbasa (was fine), halloume (table favorite ), tinned sardines in lemon oil (delicious), tinned smoked trout (my favorite). Overall the four of us were very full at the end of the meal! The space itself felt very relaxing and rustic, and definitely got busier as the night went on (we got there at 6:50 and left around 9). The service was also fast and attentive - even for the amount of tables they were serving. Overall - I'd definitely go back again, and maybe just focus on the wine and another tinned fish selection!

a true neighborhood gem, even after 15 years…read more i came by while walking my dog to ask a question about their menu due to my family's food allergies. eva was behind the bar and saw me standing in front of the door, but not entering because i had my dog with me. she came out to greet me, fed my dog treats, and answered all my questions (!!!) she must have spent at least 15 minutes being a kind human being. sofia's just got a customer for life.

Sofia wine bar was outstanding! They were able to squeeze in our party of four on a busy Saturday…read morenight. The service was outstanding and the food was delicious. I highly recommend the meatballs and pasta dishes. We ordered the special wine of the month and it was so good. The inside is adorable. Highly recommend!

This is a really nice low-key wine spot. They seem to specialize in ice-cream + wine, which is an…read moreinteresting combo, but it works. Their ice cream flavors are super unique (inlcuding cheese flavor and fish sauce). The ice cream quality was really good, but although the unique flavors were interesting, the coffee was easily the best and some of the best ice cream I've had in the city. The wine selection was very good, and the bartender was sommelier who gave some good recommendations. This spot is quite small, so maybe would not bring a large group and to come here on a weekday night.

I found Lai Rai Wine Bar + Ice Cream just by passing it while walking around Chinatown one…read moreafternoon. It was beautiful weather out, and Lai Rai was a small bar instead with plenty of small tables outside. My friends and I grabbed a bottle of their Rose to split, and shared some coffee and banana leaf ice cream. The ice cream was slightly different texture from normal ice cream, but both flavors we tried were delicious. Additionally, we sat outside, and the place was perfect for an evening in NYC, with a bunch of opportunities for people watching. The vibe was chill and laid back, and it was a nice, relaxing end to our busy day filled with walking around. I will definitely be stopping by again on my next trip to NYC.

Tucked away in this alcove of Chinatown is Lei, with what I find was a unique take on Asian tapas…read morehad - ik it's technically a wine bar, but friend and I came for the food, and honestly we had such an eye-opening (and an even more mouth-opening) culinary experience. Thank you to my lovely friend who spent who knows how long trying to get a reservation here. Chilled celtuce (4/5): is it a combination of celery and lettuce? idk but it kinda reminded me of radish, with a clean/slightly bland flavor but it had this hydrating quality to it and a nice crunch. Sesame shao bing (5/5): a literal drug in the most innocuous and tasty form of flatbread. It has the crispiest flake on the outside with a perfectly chewy doughiness to it and a literal slab of butter inside, which melts in real time (careful not to go too ham and let it dribble down your arms and get all over your clothes...because it's just THAT good). Sweet & sour short rib (4/5): the cook on these short ribs were super tender, I just think the marinade was very strong, with a particularly vinegary aroma. Eight treasure rice pudding with sticky toffee (4/5): she's a 4 only because I don't like toffee, but the rice pudding was hands down heavenly. Service was solid, and they have a chic, dim ambience for the tables inside whereas the outdoor seating sits underneath the lanterns and soaks up the streets of Chinatown, so each have a merit of its own.

TLDR: I recommend coming here with your bestie/boo not too hungry, get a bottle of wine, the cat…read moreear hand pulled noodles & the sticky rice toffee pudding dessert. Walked in at 8pm on a Wednesday and was able to sit right away for a limited time (1.5hrs), which was plenty for us. It's small, as most places in NYC are, and dark & intimate. They also have shared tables, so we sat with another couple. Huge wine selection. Everything we ate was delicious. To me, the Celtuce is more of a novelty - cool, yummy, fresh but small. The crudo was the same thing. So in my opinion, I don't think it's worth the money. The noodles were so good we got 2 orders of it - you cannot skip!! The dessert was also unlike anything I've had before. If you love sticky rice and caramel/toffee, you have to try it. Overall, I do think it was very expensive but the ambiance + some of the dishes were well worth it. I'd definitely come back.

Very cozy in the back, just the vibe I wanted. Came by on a Thursday evening after work and the…read moreserver was very friendly and attentive. Had a couple of glasses of the rose (can't remember which specific one) but it was delicious!

Was unfortunately pretty disappointed by this spot, as the interior is very cute, but the wines and…read moreappetizers are a bit lacking. There are quite a few Western European and middle eastern wines, which didn't suit the tastes of the group. Additionally, the hummus, olives, and almonds all tasted a bit off. However, our server was incredibly kind!

After a poor experience, I returned a third time since some friends wanted to meet here…read more Thankfully, this place has really turned things around. The service was attentive and the food was actually delicious - the hummus was a true standout item as was the baklava-like desert we tried. It gets really busy here, so make sure to come early and secure your seat. Glad to have this back in my rotation!

I use to absolutely love the chicken shawarma. I've been coming here since this place first opened…read moreup and truly loved it. Unfortunately, past few times I've been disappointed. I went today, first the bread was burnt and hard, it use to be fresh and fluffy. I hardly got any chicken, only dried up burnt pieces. I politely asked for the bread to be replaced and they gave me less pieces. And the portion size is much smaller now. Unfortunately, i am disappointed, probably won't come back for the food. Not sure about the place anymore.

Loved this place! Remy the bartender was incredibly sweet and made us feel so welcomed and safe!read more

This is a great French/Italian restaurant masquerading as a wine bar. I'm honestly puzzled why they…read morebother with wine at all: it didn't seem that great to me. I went at 7pm on a Saturday night. The ambiance started out as a trendy wine bar: dimly lit, well-dressed guests, chatter all around. By the time we left, the music had been switched to EDM and was cranked all the way up: it felt as if they were starting to become more of a nightclub, to be honest! The wine was alright: our servers seemed quite overworked and weren't very interested in helping me choose out a good wine for me to try, which was a bit disappointing. The food, however, was amazing: I got the raclette flatbread and the homemade meatballs, and I was shocked that everything was delicious! I don't expect wine bars to have food, much less good food.

yeah boiiii…read more phenomenal. perfection. snagged a res for the ladys birthday and was so so so excited to finally be at Sunn's. went into thinking it was traditional korean, but was actually really fusioned with french/new american flavors, but never forgot its korean roots. everything was divine, and the service was exceptional. sat at chefs table; man that tiny ass kitchen is a miracle. was really suprised with the soondabo. feel like i've ever only had one flavor profile, but chef sunn was telling me how she was inspired by pozole as a rift on the dish. i have had a lot better banchan before thoooo thanks for having us and making the night so special! excited to come back

Sunn's is a really nice elevated Korean spot tucked into a tiny space right off the F train in…read moreChinatown. The room is intimate, the wine was excellent, and service was warm and on point. The hwe crudo was refreshing and delicious, and the salad was also a standout -- bright, crisp, and really well-balanced. But the best thing we had by far was the dak mandu, the crab/chicken dumplings. Those alone are worth coming back for. The ssam lettuce wraps were good, though they read a little more like Jewish brisket with a spicy bean sauce than what I expected from a Korean lettuce wrap. Still tasty, just a different vibe. Honestly, this would've been a 5-star meal if I didn't leave with three mosquito bites. Great food, great service, great wine -- just maybe bring bug spray.