Our favorite Lower East Side wine bars

Before there were limewashed walls and industrial-chic decorated wine bars owned by ex-indie rockers, there was The Ten Bells. Having opened in 2008, they’ve remained quietly steadfast in the growing bustle of the Lower East Side, showcasing a long list of unique and natural wines from Europe and beyond. This dimly lit haunt has classic tin ceilings, a matching bar, dark mahogany wood panels and fixtures, and some exposed brick for good measure.

If you’re not convinced about their level of unpretentiousness, their wine list is charmingly written in Comic Sans, and includes wines like À TABLE!!!, SPLASH!, and PUSZTA LIBRE! (This place is really excited about wine). Glasses start at $15, and during happy hour you can get a 50cl carafe for $20. Two adjoining private dining rooms are available for tastings, private parties, and corporate events of up to 43 seated guests and 60 standing.

Gem Wine is a pop of color among the iron-clad buildings in the Lower East Side. Behind the yellow exterior and the striped awning is a warmly decorated space serving natural wine and small plates. The terra cotta tiling, random horse decor, and rattan chairs will transport you to a mid-century artist’s house in the hills of East LA.

Come for the interior, stay for the wine: owner Flynn McGarry has only been able to legally drink for four years, but his hand-selected wine list is already renowned in the city. With 20 pages of bottled wines and a daily rotation of orange, white, red, and rosé by the glass, you’re bound to find something new.

Gem Wine can accommodate private parties of up to 50 guests.

We don’t condone it, but you’ll naturally want to smoke a vogue on the sidewalk bistro tables of Le Dive. Trade Bourdain’s espresso for a glass of red, pull out a vintage copy of Camus, and pretend your iPhone doesn’t exist. This French Tabac-inspired wine bar is the perfect backdrop for your main character moment – bonus points if you’ve got a leather jacket and round sunglasses.

The responsibly farmed, low-intervention wine list is carefully crafted, blending the modernity of Dimes Square with the cultural spark of Parisian brasseries. The floor-to-ceiling windows offer prime people-watching opportunities, and the interior boasts retro decor with a pop of bright red. Along with a sizable natural wine list, Le Dive offers a refined cocktail menu and small plates like oysters, paté, and steak frites.

The bar can be rented out for private events of up to 55 guests. Smaller group dining (with a prix-fixe menu of $65pp) can be reserved for up to 15.

Lo and behold, it’s another natural wine bar. It’s the Lower East Side – you can’t really blame us. But Skin Contact is slightly unusual, both in its menu and its aesthetic. It doesn’t have a social media presence, it doesn’t have merch, and the wine list has written explanations of the flavor profiles. You’ll also find some names dropped: many of the wines are directly sourced from friends of the shop’s owner, Eben Lillie, whose father was co-founder of Chambers Street Wines.

The friendliness and familiarity of the wine bar translate into its prices – aimed at making natural wine more accessible to New Yorkers, glasses start at just $10. Pair your pick with a snack, from olives to burrata to chocolate lava cake. It’s well-loved by locals, and for a reason: the intimate, dimly-lit space is, unassumingly, far from pretentious.

Parcelle is known for being an online retailer of quality wines, from rare vintages to everyday favorites. For the indecisive drinkers out there, the 500+ wine list is offered as a tasting experience at their wine bars (note: you will not be expected to taste 500 wines). The dual-floor flagship location is in Chinatown, outfitted with vintage furniture, velvet mid-century fabrics, and ambient lighting. The experience is personal: not only do they add what you’ve tasted to a personal shopping profile, but you can also chat directly with one of their sommeliers via text, anytime, anywhere. Still, maybe avoid a u up? text.

The Chinatown space can be rented out exclusively for up to 125 standing guests or 40 seated guests. Custom menus and takeaway wine gifts are available as add-ons for brand launches, private parties, and company dinners. The Studio, a private 900 sq. ft. space under Parcelle Chinatown, can be rented for a standing event of 65 guests.