Bars in Midtown tend to be harshly lit, strange smelling, and filled with loud people. Maybe you don’t typically mind any of these things, but there will be times when you’re with someone who does. A date, maybe, or a client who doesn’t think it’s charming when their hand sticks to the bar. Try one of these spots instead. They’re wine bars, and they're unlikely to offend anyone. To check out the rest of the Midtown Survival Guide, click here. 510 W. 52nd St. 25 wines by the glass and a happy hour from 4-7. All that, plus Ardesia might also be the best-looking wine bar on this list. It’s clean and modern and feels sort of like the lobby of a hotel marketed toward 30-something business travelers. Bring a date here or have an informal meeting here. Prices are reasonable, and they also have some decent small plates. 151 W 51st St This little wine bar is just across the way from Le Bernardin, and it’s run by the same people. Here, however, the service is much more casual.

If you want to spend a few thousand dollars on a bottle, you can do that - but you could also just hang out on the big u-shaped couch and have a $12 glass of Cotes du Rhone. They don’t really serve dinner here, but they do have some surprisingly affordable small plates. Overall, expect friendly service and a space that feels like the common area of a new condo building. 401 W. 52nd St. The cheese list here is extensive, so bring that person who went to Bordeaux last year and won’t stop showing you pictures. There are also salads, sandwiches, and wines by the glass. This is a nice, cozy, casual spot in Midtown West, and it’s a good place to unwind while you pick at some Camembert and stare out the huge front windows. 242 E 50th St Sofia’s in the bottom of a small apartment building in Midtown East, and the inside is full of exposed brick and chandeliers. For food, they have everything you’d expect a place with small plates to have (artichoke dip, meatball sliders, burrata, etc.) and they’ll make you a pizza with your choice of vegetables and/or cured meats.

Vibes here might be too romantic for a casual hang, but you can always bring a date. La Cava Wine Bar La Cava’s the dark horse candidate for best wine bar on this list. The atmosphere is nice and sort of trendy, there are plenty of glasses of wine for $10-$11, and they serve a large dinner menu until 1am every day. Bring a group of friends or come for a solo glass of wine and maybe talk to a fellow young professional. At night, the space is dark and intimate, but they also do lunch and a weekend brunch. Food is French/Italian, which means paninis, salads, cheese, and filet mignon. And if you need avocado toast, they have that too. Sorry—looks like you screwed up that email address You can hang out around the bar at Bottle and Bine, or you can sit at a table and have a full meal. Dinner here is vaguely-French stuff like oysters, branzino, and rabbit terrine. The food isn’t cheap, but most wines by the glass are under $15, plus they serve beer and liquor. Come here when you need somewhere nicer than a pub, but you still want a place with TVs (there are two at the bar).

405 W 44th St This a narrow little bar in the West 40s that’s good for an impromptu glass of wine. It’s casual here, and they serve Mediterranean small plates like babaganoush and stuffed grape leaves. Wine Escape probably won’t impress anyone, but when all you need is a reasonably priced glass of wine (and maybe some falafel), it’s a solid choice. 455 W 48th St Want to feel like you’re hanging out in your friend’s basement? best wine bars 10023Go to Pocket Bar. best wine bar marais parisIt’s a tiny neighborhood spot on West 48th, and, although it’s not in a basement, the vibes are dark and cozy at night. best wine bar union square san franciscoThey have beer on tap and wine by the glass that you can get in two different sizes (6 or 9 ounces).

Technically this is a wine bar, but it’s not the sort of place you wear a suit to. Uncorked Bar & Grill 344 E 59th St If you know someone who would buy a bumper sticker that said “I’d rather be at Lavo,” this is the wine bar for them. Think oddly colored velvet furniture and some chandeliers worthy of a super sweet sixteen. There’s a full dinner menu, but maybe just have some chocolate lava cake and a mojito. That’s what this wine bar is for, and if those things don’t sound good to you, Uncorked might not be the right choice. For all those nights when you just want to be cozy and curl up with a glass of wine, but you've already burned through enough Netflix for a lifetime, and you're honestly starting to get pretty antisocial, June is the place for you. Made to look like a rustic train car, this intimate Cobble Hill spot has a homey feel to it, with comfortable booths, lots of warm wood, and mostly natural wines ranging from Western Europe regions, Cali, and even a few from the 212 -- all without the massive restaurant mark-up.

It's easy to become a regular at the Immigrant, largely because of its incredibly friendly staff (sit at the bar and bask in their knowledge) and because it has all the trappings of the perfect date bar: dim lighting, exposed brick, candles, and minimal noise. It's small for sure, but it never feels cramped, and there's room for groups in the back. The menu features wines from all over the world, from the Finger Lakes to Rhone valley, and prices are quite affordable (especially at happy hour when glasses are $8). Also, be sure to try whatever wine is currently on tap, as its always something interesting. There’s nothing worse than going to a wine bar and feeling like a total idiot because you have no idea what you’re ordering and you can tell the bartender is judging you. Lois is the answer to the intimidated wine drinker’s dream. It's the first bar in New York to offer all wine on tap, in 16 vastly different varieties (because of the kegging, Lois sources from lesser-known, unique places);

the wines are affordable (and you don’t even have to tip!), and they come in three different sizes (including a carafe!), depending on how much you're in the mood to drink. And if you're not sure what you want, the staff is happy to recommend or let you try any of the wines. If you can’t be in Italy, this is your next best option. Bar Veloce’s original outpost has an enormous menu of primarily Italian wines (from the likes of Umbria, Sicily, and Piedmont) that go perfectly with its paninis and Venetian finger sandwiches. Also like Italy, most of the wines stay at a very reasonable $10/glass or less. If you won the Powerball and could therefore outfit a custom wine bar in your house, this is exactly what you’d want it to look like. The Four Horsemen's modern aesthetic is offset with homey touches like vintage sound machines, cedar wood ceilings, and bookshelves (with actual books!) all of which is to be expected, as it's the brainchild of LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy.

The wine list here focuses on natural wines (all of which are actually affordable!) from Western Europe and the US, and the staff here has no problem making the decision on which one you should order. And you should trust them. A lively bar with a quaint tavern atmosphere and dim lighting, Aria’s the perfect place for wine and bites with a larger group of friends -- namely because of its long, rustic wood tables (for holding all the wine and shared plates of Italian food that you’ll inevitably order). The selective wine list is shorter than at other bars (though by no means small) and features affordable vinos primarily from France and Italy, which pair well with dishes like prosciutto-wrapped mozzarella and suckling pig crostini. Corkbuzz Restaurant & Wine Bar If the giant, front-and-center wine glass wall doesn’t convince you this place takes wine seriously -- or just the simple the fact it’s called "Corkbuzz" -- perhaps the 50+ wines by the glass from all over the world, including South Africa, Napa, and Lebanon, and the series of wine education classes that are offered (from Wine 101, to An In-Depth Guide to the Rhône Valley) will do the trick.

With its small and cozy interiors and light music on the speakers, this Nolita bar has an indisputably romantic feel to it -- but don't let that stop you from rolling solo, as the intimate space is ideal for chatting up a neighbor or asking your bartender for a rec from the extensive rotating wine list featuring wines from all over the world (also be sure to note the huge map that shows where the wine is sourced from). One of the best new bars of 2015, this sleek Kent Ave spot is perfect for when you're not sure what exactly you want to drink (or eat). There's an impressive selection of 100+ bottles from all over the globe to choose from, plus a number of great by-the-glass options, in addition to bites like grilled jerk wings, oysters, and a solid cheese and charcuterie selection. This Midtown East newcomer is perfect for a date or a business lunch, sporting a wine list featuring selections from as near and far as Long Island and Croatia, an equally great beer selection, and unfussy yet thoughtful New American dishes like soft poached egg with farro and beet dumplings with caramelized cabbage puree.

Sinatra tunes, vintage chandeliers, classic movies streaming at the bar, all surrounded by the trappings of Upper West Side charm? This is probably what people who only watch movies about New York think all its bars are like. As far as vino goes, Vanguard divides up its extensive list of domestic and international wines with helpful titles like “Earthy, Spicy Reds” and “Unoaked And Lightly Oaked Whites," so you know just want to order based on what you're looking for. This is about as close to an actual vineyard an urban wasteland like New York can possess, and it actually is one of Manhattan's sole full-service wineries. The place is huge, and not just by New York standards (21,000sqft!) and houses both a stage for frequent live music and a giant basement where, yep, they squish their own grapes for their bottles of vino. A Murray Hill-adjacent bar that doesn’t smell like stale beer and isn’t flooded with D-bags, folks! The space may be small, but the wine list is not -- packing in a ton of labels by the bottle and glass (primarily from California, France, and Italy), from the affordable to the baller variety.