Tucked away in this alcove of Chinatown is Lei, with what I find was a unique take on Asian tapas had - 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. read more

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TLDR: I recommend coming here with your bestie/boo not too hungry, get a bottle of wine, the cat ear 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. read more

Quite impressive. A small, charming restaurant that seats maybe 28. I arrived when they opened at 5 PM on a Thursday, I was the first one there; by the time I left 45 min later it was full. I started with the chilled celtuce with kombu jelly (the celtuce stem was sliced into bamboo shoot-sized strips, as was the kombu jelly) with toasted shallots in a red vinegar sauce. It stole the show. I've never had celtuce, loved it paired with the jelly, the texture and flavor were both amazing. It was the most interesting and prettiest dish I've had in a long time. For my entree, I had the bobo chicken, which is a poached chicken with a hint of spice and a nice broth. I ordered a side of rice to soak up the broth; the rice had something starchy tucked in it (maybe taro)? I liked it. There were slices of raw celtuce stems (I think, similar to celery) on top that offered some nice texture to the dish. Wine: I tried a merlot by the glass from Xiaopu winery in China. I thought it had nice body and flavor. I'm no expert but for the first western style wine I've tried from China, it was very good. The service was excellent. They are great with wine advice, which I noticed as my server helped an adjacent table select a bottle. I am excited to come back to try more dishes. Great date place. Bad group place. Four or less. read more

Lei - Celtuce with kambu jelly, shallots and red wine vinegar - I'm telling you, wow - Wine Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Nice ambiance when you walk in and the place was very busy. The food was very underwhelming and did not leave me wanting more. Probably out of the 5 dishes we tried we really enjoyed 1. The wine selection was nice but they were really trying to push a champagne that they were promoting that night and I had to ask a couple times for the by the glass menu. Service was very rushed and not friendly at all. It was almost like they were doing us a favor by answering any specific questions we had about the menu read more

Well, now I know why it's so hard to get a reservation at Lei. It's as small as it is mighty, highly curated yet comes across as nonchalant. That goes for the crowd, too -- down to earth, the type of people who say "no worries" and actually mean it, yet also probably neurotic about Resy. And it's for these reasons why Lei is my favorite kind of space. Understated excellence, refined without white tablecloths and a hefty price tag. That somehow fits with being on Doyers street, with its history, mystery and charm. The food is solid and the wine is of course excellent. And for the quality you get, it's shockingly affordable (relative to other NYC spots of this caliber). Came here at 8:30 on a Saturday night after miraculously snagging a reservation earlier on in the week. As you likely know if you're reading this, the space is compact and it almost feels like you're in a wine collector's crawl space. Warm, friendly, energetic but grounded. If you want a beverage, it's pretty much just water and wine, but there is a lot of that to go around. There's a very well-curated wines by the glass list and an extremely long, equally dizzying and impressive bottle list as well. Since we were just two people and wanted to try what we could we each ordered two different glasses instead of opting for a bottle, but there is always next time. I tried the one orange offered by the glass as well as a riesling and both were excellent. My partner got a Spanish white and a red that is escaping me now but he too was very happy with his choices. Food-wise, Lei's portions are on the small side so if you're looking for a full meal's worth of food you may need to order an extra dish or two relative to what you're used to getting. The food is Chinese-American fusion and pretty much all of the wines served by the glass pairs nicely with it. We probably could have ordered one more dish but we still sampled a good amount of the menu and enjoyed it thoroughly. Eats, below: Chilled celtuce with shallots and red vinegar: A One of our favorites and we nearly got a second order because it was a tiny portion and so so good. Definitely unlike anything I'd ever had before. Simple yet profound. And beautifully presented too! Salad of crown daisy and burdock with chrysanthemum vinaigrette: A- Another fun and unique dish that was relatively simple yet composed of ingredients relatively unfamiliar to me. It may look like a lot when it's delivered but it's overall super light. Chinese omelette with aged white jade radish and scallion oil: B+ The least exciting of the bunch but still good. Not sure I'd had a Chinese omelette before this but it reminded me of a Spanish omelette. Wintermelon and manilla clam in bonito broth: A Another one I could've easily had two portions of. My first time having wintermelon and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The bonito broth gave the dish a subtle but meaningful umami note that really brought everything together nicely. Sweet and sour beef short rib: A+ The grand finale and it did not disappoint. You could give the fanciest cut of chateaubriand and it would not do a thing for me but short rib scratches an itch that nothing else can. We got a side of rice with this which I'd definitely recommend to make the most of the crazy delicious sweet and sour sauce. read more

Went when they first opened -- had slightly higher expectations but overall was decent. We got the celtuce, crudo, cat's ear noodle, and sweet and sour ribs, along with a bottle of wine. The cat's ear noodle was definitely the highlight and we loved that. The sweet and sour ribs were a bit too sweet for me (vs. traditional style). Overall, a decent place for a nice dinner. read more

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A couple of nights ago, I went to this very small restaurant after work, thinking it wouldn't be too difficult to get in because of the cold, as there wouldn't be a line. I happened to get the last seat after they made sure that the corner bar seat was fine and that they would need the table in an hour and a half. The spot is next door to Nom Wah and right near Chinese Tuxedo, so it's funny that there are now two fancy spots surrounding the oldest tea parlor. The menu is small and pricey, and overall, I liked two dishes a lot, and my entree was okay. In terms of staff and the space, the people inside were friendly, whether it was the front staff or the bartender who was my waiter as well. As this is a wine bar, I got a glass of white after he asked my general preference. I usually like drier minerally whites, such as assyrtikos, or, at the other end, gewürztraminers. The $23 wine he recommended was the 2022 Domaine les Astrelles Bourgogne Aligoté "Les Lares" from France. He described it as a minerally white burgundy, and it was delicious. Regarding food, they recommended two to three dishes per person, and I went with three. My appetizer was the 豬血糕/Berkshire black sausage with firewood soy, chili, and peanuts for $19. This was plated simply with four large pieces of said appetizer and some tiny pickled chilis. As the name and translation suggest, this was their fun spin on a popular Taiwanese street snack called ti-hueh-kué, or pig's blood cake, which is usually made with sticky rice, pork blood, peanut powder, and chili. From what I can tell, they used better-quality pork and not just blood, and the dish was also fried, which added a lovely texture compared to the usual one, which is pretty chewy on the verge of being mochi. Otherwise, the pork itself had a deep richness, the peanut added a nice extra flavor, and the bits of chili helped balance the dish's fattiness. This was excellent and worth it for the price point. My main dish was the 猫耳朵/hand-rolled cat's ear noodle with lamb braised in cumin and tomato for $27, which also had plenty of chopped scallions on top. Said noodle/mao er duo is from Shannxi and is supposed to be similar to gnocchi. As this is a Chinese place, I expected the noodles to have a chewy texture and for the dish to have a strong cumin flavor. Instead, I was surprised that the noodles themselves were al dente, and that the dish had more tomato flavor than cumin, making it almost more Italian than Chinese. While I liked the noodle texture, I found the flavor a tad light overall and wouldn't mind if the dish balanced the cumin and tomato more, so both flavors are more apparent. The lack of larger pieces of lamb also made the dish lack texture outside the chewy noodles, and it didn't feel worth it for the price, based on flavor, even compared to spots a few minutes away. This was okay, but next time, I would get the ribs or order three small plates or something. My dessert of choice was the 八寶飯/8 treasure rice with sticky toffee pudding, for $16. This was a delicious spin on a Chinese classic, with the sauce poured over ice cream on top of the sticky rice, and more sticky toffee pudding sauce on the side. The goji berries, sticky rice, and various other textures, or rather "treasures," all paired nicely with the sauce. It wasn't overly sweet and worked very well, and like the appetizer, I would recommend it highly. The price point is a tad high, but the food quality was good overall. Based on my experience, I would recommend ordering something else cheaper nearby and sticking with wine, appetizers, and dessert here. Said spot is probably closer to a 4 than a 5, but I had a good experience. read more

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Honestly what a gem. I had absolutely no expectations, left thinking it was one of my new favorite spots in the city. Great wine selection with knowledgeable sommeliers that helped this beginner select a few glasses. What surprised me were the dishes. I love me some fusion, and I haven't had much Chinese fine dining in NYC (surprisingly). I came for a couple of bites but I loved the food so much I kept on ordering. Vibes were great as well. For bites, I recommend the beef carpaccio to start. It wasn't on the menu and I forgot to take a pic of it, but they're dressed in chili oil and a ton of herbs. 'Twas a great intro. Also really enjoyed the scallop crudo and celtuce. I got the cat ear noods which were deep in tomato-lamb flavor. Texture of the noods were great too, chewy and bouncy. Honestly can't wait to return to have another bowl. Another favorite for me was the sticky toffee 8 treasures rice pudding. Idky I never thought of marrying the two desserts together. In the Philippines we have a dessert sticky rice made with a coconut caramel and it gave similar vibes. Loved. Overall, probably a year-end favorite for me. Reservations are probably a bitch rn but walking in at 5 was easy. read more

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Such a treat in the neighborhood. Sampled a couple of wines by the glass and both were interesting and complimented the food. Enjoyed the soft shell crab dish, it was bright and really popped. There was a beef carpaccio special for the evening and that stole the show. The chili crisp and MOUNTAIN of herbs was perfection. read more

Lei - Wine Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Finally tried this place after many attempts and it does not disappoint! Love the ambiance and service though the place is really small which makes sense why it's impossible to make a reservation sometimes. Every bite we tried was simply delicious with such an elevated twist to the traditional Chinese dishes that feel familiar. The Fritto of delicata and the short ribs (not pictured) are the highlights that I'd definitely go back for. Can't wait to come back and try all the other dishes! read more

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I had high hopes for Lei and unfortunately it just didn't deliver. We ordered all the best known dishes - Short Rib, Cumin Lamb Noodles, Shao Bing and Rice Pudding - and nothing left me craving more. The noodles were my favorite dish. Though the sauce accompanying the short rib was tasty, the meat was tough. Personal preference, but the texture of the rice pudding didn't work for me. I had trouble finding a wine by the glass that I enjoyed, though points for the generous pours. Service was very rushed, reminding us repeatedly of the time we needed to leave. Overall, don't think I'll be rushing back. read more

The service here was excellent and the staff was quite attentive and super friendly. They have this part down. The overall ambiance was also really good, having a really nice wine bar feels. The food was honestly not that good though, almost like an attempt at being similar to Ha's Snack Bar but falling completely short. The presentation is nice and the food looks pretty, but when it comes to actually tasting good it kind of feels like a quick attempt at making more traditional ingredients feel modern/western, but not really thinking through what tastes good together. The chrysanthemum salad is a good example of this, it basically just taste like chrysanthemum with a light vinaigrette dressing. They could have emphasized the Asian flavors more like Ha's would, or even pushed the European flavors more like Don Angie's, but instead it just comes off as a half ass attempt. Same goes for the Celtuce, visually very nice but flavor wise kind of boring. Off the appetizers, the crudo was probably my favorite, but that's more of a function of how simple it was without trying to be too much. For the mains, both the cockles and the squid tasted just like standard fare. There's nothing special about them. One tasted like a standard seafood stir fry, and the other just cockles braised. Overall kind of disappointing, especially since Infatuation compared them to other greats in this category. The meal here made me really question them given how reliable they been at picking good restaurants in the past. read more

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This was outstanding. We loved every bite, especially the noodles with cumin lamb (which even my wife loved, despite not loving cumin). The shao bing, celtuce, short rib, and crudo would also be hard to not reorder. read more

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Heard about the new wine bar in Chinatown so I stopped by to grab some drinks and check out their interesting Chinese-inspired dishes! Started off with the daisy salad which was very refreshing. I loved the chrysanthemum vinaigrette that conferred a subtle floral sweetness. The crunchy burdock pieces added a textural contrast to the veggies. The scallop crudo was very tasty! I liked how the scallops were super fresh. I personally liked the higher olive oil to acid ratio and liked how it was well-seasoned with salt with additional lily petals. For mains, the sweet and sour beef short rib was pretty tender. The sauce was well balanced. The softshell chili crab was super crispy and crunchy, but the chili part was spicier than expected and distracted the flavors a little bit. Wish there was more vermicelli accompanying the crab. Don't skip the eight treasure rice pudding with sticky toffee!!! The familiar childhood flavors of the eight treasure rice was presented in a chewy sticky rice format. The addition of soothing vanilla ice cream and the deliciously sweet toffee sauce that is poured at the table made it a lovely dish for me. They have a big wine menu! Really enjoyed the chenin blanc and sauvignon blanc since it complemented the seafood dishes. Got a grenache at the end which went well with the rib. They are located in the middle of Doyer St. Its a little unassuming on the outside but the inside space is v intimate with dim lighting and decorated with numerous wine bottles. We went a little later at night; food was still available and service timely. Overall, a fun place to hangout with some dishes and lots of wine options! read more

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Lei is a wine bar that just opened up in Chinatown! They accept walk-ins, but due to their recent opening and popularity, there may be a bit of a wait. We tried the celtuce, the scallop crudo, cat's ear noodles, the fried fish, and the rice pudding! Great bites to pair with a glass from their extensive wine list. Service was friendly, and our party was checked upon often. The space is cute and intimate. Note that they are closed Mondays & Tuesdays. Reservations are accepted with their online system. +cozy wine bar +shareable plates +friendly service +walk-ins welcome +online reservations accepted read more

I dined at Lei this evening and it was very much fine. I think the place excels at being a wine bar with food rather than being a restaurant. Everyone was super knowledgeable about the wines and service was extremely attentive. I bet I would've had an amazing experience had I had various glasses or shared a bottle or two with someone. The best dish, hands down, was the sweet and sour short rib [$32] with the side of sticky rice and sweet potato [$4]. The sauce was divine and I wish I had more rice to sop it up with. The short rib itself was cooked well enough but it didn't fall off the bone. I also had the scallop crudo [$20] and the fried goat cheese [$16] with Chinese five spice. The scallop was light and just what you want on a hot summers day but it just didn't work for me. The fried goat cheese, similarly, was fine. I think I may have been oversold on the 'fried' aspect. The Chinese five spice for dipping was an interesting touch. For dessert I had the eight treasure pudding [$16] which was pretty good. The toffee sauce was delicious but the texture of the pudding was different, there may have been beans in it. I'm not quite sure. I had an orange wine [$18], it was pleasant enough. The wine list is actually quite extensive and won't break the bank by New York standards. From my understanding, the wine list is unique, so if you really like wine, this is the place for you. I should mention that the restaurant is pretty small. There's a large-ish shared dining table in the middle of the room and some two tops along the side. There's a small bar to dine, but definitely make reservations or get there when they open to be accommodated. The bathroom is very cute too! $115 after tax, before tip. read more

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fantastic experience! food was excellent! service was terrific! ambiance was *chefs kiss* i can believe the hype and it is well deserved! one hundred percent you should go as soon as you have the opportunity! the chefs are phenomenal!!! five out of five clean plates in my book!! read more

Rice dessert - insanely good. Short rib - very good. Scallop crudo - heavy on the olive oil, light on the acid, skip. Ham and pear - average. Fruit should be juicier to elevate the dish. Peppercorn would be useful here too. Sesame bread - unremarkable. Chinese white wine was excellent. read more

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These 'local and approachable wine bars have been a thing for a while now. Lei is not exactly special but it embraces the current themes of Asian inspired flavors with wine. The food is interesting and the flavors do work mostly because the combinations are tried and true most of the time. The wine list is impressive and well priced if you know where to look. Service is friendly and "hip" casual. Still 4 stars and not 5 because these wine spots are now popping up everywhere and I can't quite push myself to go drink wine at Lei as their list isn't amazing. I also can't be pushed to go eat there as there are too many good Asian spots at better prices. read more

Service was knowledgeable, warm & friendly. Cozy space but perfect for a quiet New York summer evening. All the dishes were excellent - some immediate bfaves were the short rib, the cat ear noodles, the chilled celtuce & the Chinese omelette. The rest of the table really loved the cockles tho, so that should also get it's due. We were also split on which dessert we liked best, the cherry shaved ice (which got my vote) vs. the 8 treasure pudding, so I'd advise you try both! We'd already eaten dinner earlier and only meant to try the desserts, so you know it was really tasty for us to keep eating & eating. read more

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What an amazing find. This new wine bar brings something truly different, a beautifully curated wine list paired with modern Chinese influenced food and it absolutely works. The appetisers set the tone right away the pickled cucumber and the radishes , delicate fresh and bursting with flavour. the lamb with noodles was another memorable dish. you can tell there is real thought behind every single item on the menu, and yes we tried most of them! The wine list is outstanding with a range that suits both adventurous drinkers and classic tastes. The space itself is small and cosy which makes it feel intimate and special. The kind of place you almost don't want to tell everyone about because it deserves to stay this perfect. A fantastic addition to the dining scene. I will definitely be back, many times on my NYC visits. read more

It is fine. The wine bar is a cozy room which feels a bit tight. Food is fine but nothing special. The noodle with lamb is very salty. A lot of choices for bottles of wine, but not that many for wine by the glass. Service is excellent. read more

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Wonderful staff--so friendly and happy to make customers comfortable. Wine selection great. Staff knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. Would definitely return! read more