We came here around 5:30pm and it was really quiet, but in no time it filled up to a bustling cosy little wine bar! The decor is classic and gorgeous with high iron-pressed ceilings.
It's not cheap, happy hour (which is from 5-7pm is still $8 for a glass of Rose. It's in the West Village though, so that's what's expected. They have a limited menu with small bites such as a variety salami/cheeses/ olives which are 3 for $12 during happy hour. Everything is of really high quality, I really enjoyed the salami served with whole grain mustard.
However, do yourself a favour and venture outside of the happy hour menu. TRUFFLED TOAST, that's all.
All in all, it's a perfect little place for a little nibble and vino.
This is a beautiful, cozy wine bar that has a large U-shape counter centered around the space--makes for good, communal chit chat. Â The wine list is impressive with over 150 options and all are available by the glass. Â Yes, this is a wine bar, but the small bites are deliciously addictive. Â My favorite is the chopped up watermelon tossed with salt, pepper, olive oil and topped with a light flurry of mint and feta--insanely good and refreshing on a summer's day. Â Others enjoyed the grape salad, but avoid this if you don't like cilantro. Â And don't forget the $1 oysters on Wednesdays and Saturdays!
Review Source:This is a really nice cozy bar. The bartenders were super friendly and knowledgeable and treated us very well even though we had a groupon. We came for happy hour and got a bottle of wine, a dozen oysters, a cheese plate, and a meat plate. The cheese and meat plate was excellent. The portion size was decent and I enjoyed everything on it. The bucheron cheese was definitely my favorite, it was very creamy and had a nice sharp flavor. None of the meats in particular stood out but they were still very good. I'm not a big wine person so I can't tell you whether the $26 was good are bad, we finished the bottle if that's any indication. Â
I'd stay away from the oysters. They were fairly gritty and not shucked that well. I believe they only server them twice a week and personally in the future I'll stick to places that serve oysters all the time.
Au Bon Climat, Pinot Noir 2010.
The first time I had this Santa Barbara wine was in S.B., Xmas 2012. It's a small batch winery, and loved it so much that I took a photo of the bottle thinking, one of these days, I'll track one down again.
Fast forward to one summer in NYC - Lelabar Thu happy hour. The first bottle I saw the sommelier pull out, when restocking for the evening, was this exact wine. Mind blowing coincidence that made me love this bar even more.
Other than being reunited by my star struck wine, the food at Lelabar is inventive and thoughtful.Selection of cheeses and charcuterie plate were fabulous. But my fave was their cherry arugula balsamic salad... great play on balance of sweet, savoy, tang and spice. Just lovely.
5 stars for the delicious $15 glass of Tempranillo I had here (probably my favorite wine all weekend), which I had to completely guess on because the bartender offerred no advice other than, "we close in fifteen minutes." It's okay, all we wanted was one glass after dinner so we figured we had plenty of time, especially considering there were about 10 people still there at 11:45.
The place is pretty tiny, with bar seating for maybe 15 people around its oval shaped bar but it's romantic and intimate, and I can see it as a perfect date spot. Just be sure you or your date knows a thing or two about wine if you get stuck with the same guy we did.
I visit Lelabar for the first time after finding a $30 for $60 Groupon. It didn't go very far here, since their broad assortment of bottled wine starts around that price. The sommeliers were very knowledgeable and offered great recommendations. We ordered a bottle of Capezzana Carmignano, a Tuscany Sangiovese, and an assortment of four cheeses, including an Italian Buffalo cheese, Vermont goat cheese, soft Italian cheese and a fantastic Challerhocker cheese from Switzerland. I was pleasantly pleased with the wine, all of the cheese and the pairing in general.
The atmosphere here is classy, quiet and dimly lit. On Friday night it wasn't too packed, and they were playing Modest Mouse in the background. I'd recommend it as a nice place to take a date. I'll definitely be back to try more of their wines and cheeses.
Came here on a Friday night at 10ish and it was nicely crowded. I love the layout of this bar... it's a huge oval-shaped bar which takes up the whole place so everyone is sat facing the servers in the middle. It feels communal (a good place to come if you are on your own) yet still can be romantic if you are on a date. The flights for $18 i think (can't remember) of sparkling wines were pretty good deal given you get 3 generous pours of 2 sparkling white and a sparking rose. The meat and cheese are freshly sliced/prepared on the spot in front of you, I need to come back and try them next time! And they do $1 oysters on Wed and Sat only... so next time i'm back here, it would be a Wed or Sat!
Review Source:I was pleasantly surprised and satisfied by this bar.
My boyfriend and I decided to have an impromptu date night, snatched a groupon and rain through a thunderstorm. Â
The space is a bit small, we arrived and I thought the oval shaped bar was unique. Â There was a large group in the back who had flung their coats on the chairs. Â When the bartender saw us he had them move their coats for us. Â Good for us, annoying for them! Â Since it was still happy hour we bought a bottle, the cheese plate, and some oysters.
I have never had oysters before but my boyfriend said they weren't the best he's had. Â However, the meat and cheese plate was fantastic. Â Beautifully presented - the man who prepared it gave us a little cheese lesson. Â I love meat and cheese and with the wine I was sold!
We were in no way rushed and were able to enjoy a lovely night together. Â I'm a bit surprised that this place is on groupon too. Â I feel like what they are offering is great and doesn't need to be discounted. Â I would be happy to come back sans groupon...in fact, I am looking forward to it!
The setup alone makes Lelabar stand out, with an oval bar providing visibility that gives a sense of "wine bar community", even if you do only speak to your date and the bartender. Â The lighting is fantastic (plus one star!) and while glasses of wine are priced on the high end, there are affordable half and full bottle options that round out the drink menu. Â Light bites are highly recommended - I'm not sure I would spring for the pork chop, but the staff is very knowledgeable regarding wine + cheese pairings, and a pressed sandwich with thinly sliced prosciutto and melted Fontina hit the spot on a rainy Friday night.
Review Source:*VERY KNOWLEDGABLE for wine & cheese pairing"
4 stars to their knowledge of wine and cheese.. I bought a groupon here worth of 60 dollars food and drinks.. came here around 6.30pm and they have happy hour wine for 8 dollars a glass.. feeling something light like a glass of Rose.. the happy hour promotion wasn't that great so we went and order from the original menu..
I ordered a flight of sparkling wine and my friend ordered a flight of white wine.. I would say most of the wine you can get it from the store in cheaper price.. so in other words.. wine here wasn't that expensive..
We wanted some cheese and meat to pair it with it.. so we just go ahead and asked them to recommend us something.. we had brie as a selection of cheese.. and 2 others I totally forgot.. I am not a huge cheese fan.. So I know nothing about cheese.. I just told them "NO BLUE CHEESE".. as for meat.. we asked for their recommendation as well.. we ordered 3 cheese and 2 meats but they gave us 3 other complementary meat... we thought of ordering something but we were both pretty full from all the meats and cheese..
At last, we just can't leave with desserts.. so we ordered the chocolate since they said is specially made for Lelabar.. We ordered earl grey, white truffle, and caramel seasalt.. earl grey is my favorite.. their chocolate is really rich.. so chocolate lovers.. make sure you order it!!
There was also jazz music playing. It's a pretty relaxing place.. If you live at the west side.. you should totally come here with a bunch of friends to chill and enjoy with a glass of wine..
I've been here twice - I really like the atmosphere, it's classy, chill and has some nice music.
The wine is great, and they have some really good deals on happy hour. My main complaint is that the oysters were ordered (happy hour on Wednesdays - $1 oysters) were god awful. We ordered a dozen and each ate one and discareded the rest - they were absolutely inedible.
The cheese plate, on the other hand, was really delicious and a good value. I'd come back for some wine and cheese when I'm in the neighborhood. The bartender was nice, though not particularly attentive - it's hard to fault him though, there were like 2 people working and the place was pretty packed.
Absolutely five star! Bartenders are extremely patient and knowledgable about wine, cheese and meat pairings; love the live music and wooden circular table with wine shelf on top of the bar. Perfect for a first date or friends catching up! I highly recommend trying out the sparklers flight!
Review Source:Great winebar with an amazing selection of wine and small plates/cheeses/olives!
The ambiance and music is great. Â The waitress was very helpful and let us try a few wines before deciding which one we wanted. Â Their Chablis by the glass is very smooth.
Try the 3 for $12 plate of cheese/meat/olives, comes with apricot spread and mustard. Everything is very fresh. Â Wines are a little pricey($14/glass and up) Â but you get what you pay for.
Will deinately be back during happy hour to try the $1 oysters!
Love Lelabar, and try making it over here whenever I can. Â Started becoming a regular here about a year ago, and really like how it's always a good time. Â I like to come here after work to mellow out, or bring friends here to get them hooked on the place too.
Because they have such a wide slection of wine, cheese, meat, and small plates, I normally trust the bartender/chef to pick something out for me. Â
Get to know the bartenders! Â Chris, Heather, John, Naveen are all great.
Yesterday for food I tried a sharp sheep's milk cheese, tasso ham and wild boar salami- awesome. Â Mixing it up wine-wise, I had a delicious sparkling rose. Â
Do yourself a favor and try their fresh, handmade CHOCOLATES. Â You'll never go back to your friends Ghiradelli or Godiva ever again. Â I dream about the cashew caramel turtle with sea salt and the earl gray with milk and dark chocolate. Â You can order them to-go too, which is dangerous because I easily get through the 6 pieces before I get home...
Solid wine bar in the WV. Perfect for a first date, catching up with friends, or just enjoying some wine on a mellow night without the hassle of dealing with obnoxious drunks or an overly pretentious crowd.
I really like the setup they got going in the room - everyone situated along a large circular wooden bar table, with the bartenders standing inside. Almost like a rotating sushi bar where the sushi chefs can tend to everyone without having to move much. While sharing the same circular table makes drinking at Lela feel a lot more "communal," the chairs are spaced out enough that you can still engage in intimate conversation without awkwardly eavesdropping on the couple next to you.
Lela has a pretty impressive list of wines from different countries and regions, at various price points. I went out of my comfort zone and tried their sparkler flight - which included a prosecco and cava from Italy, and a brut from Israel. I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed the three sparkling wines, especially the cava, which was most effervescent of the bunch and full of crisp apple flavor. My friend ordered up a couple glasses of the Bordeaux which came at the recommendation of the bartender, and seemed to have enjoyed that as well.
Besides the excellent wine selection and chill ambiance, Lela also has a pretty good looking food menu consisting of cheeses, charcuterie and other small bites. Unfortunately we were too full from dinner to try the food, but I'd definitely return for their $1 oyster night and try more things next time.
I love love love Lelabar. I stumbled across it after eating at EN Japanese Brasserie since it's across the street. It's a super cute place with a great wine and cheese selection. It also has a sophisticated yet really low-key atmosphere. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. I also liked the set up of the place--the bar in the center is a large oval and the guests congregate around it, creating a homey, communal feel. I highly recommend this place for a date or a classy night with the girls.
Review Source:I really liked the ambiance of this wine bar. It's got a large square bar in the center for seating and some seats along the side wall. The space is not too big, so it's not good for large groups. That being said, it's a very intimate spot with a cute, romantic atmosphere. They offer a flight (3 samples) of sparkling, white, or red wine for $16. They also have ginger beer and lemonade if you're in the mood for a non-alcoholic beverage.
Review Source:Love this wine bar.
They have extensive wine list, and cheese selection is also great. The staffs are very knowledgeable, and they can explain the menu very well.
Nice intimate atmosphere. Great spot to hang out with girls friends. The back music didn't make this place really romantic, but could be nice for a date when it's not busy. They said Friday and Saturday are packed.
Happy Hour is from 5 to 7:30. A glass wine is $8, and 3 cheese for $12. Really good stuff. This place is worth a try.
This is a lovely little wine bar on Hudson. My friend and I initially wanted to check out Houston Hall but it was way too crowded so we went here instead where we easily got a spot to have a quiet conversation. Their wine selection is quite impressive for a small place and since we came during happy hour I tried the Chilean red on the selection and got a plate of cheese, meat, and olives that was substantial enough to fill me up. It's a charming spot that I'd love to go back to but the prices are on the expensive side.
Review Source:One night, I realized that the club/bar scene was too crowded for me. We left that bar and passed the chalkboard outside of Lelabar that said "dollar oysters." Â That made me backtrack. Â Thankfully, my companion also has a food weakness and I did not have to persuade her to check it out.
The bar, itself, caught my eye earlier. It seemed mellow and picturesque. Â Standing from the outside it seemed so symmetrical, with two bartenders framed by hanging wine glasses, and a moderate amount of people surrounding the oval bar. Â I almost felt embarrassed about being disinterested in the wine but the oysters were calling.
The noise level was perfect for me. Â It wasn't too loud where I feel like my vocal chords would get tired from speaking and it wasn't too quiet where I feel like I need to whisper. Â The environment and design of the bar is so relaxing.
We started off with the thinly sliced turnip with black truffle tamponade. The bartender was very gracious to us and served it quickly.
Next, I popped my friend's oyster cherry. Â I ordered the dollar oysters. Â I forgot where they were from that night, but they were fresh and awesome. She loved it.
To finish, I ordered the cashew caramel with sea salt. Â I'd like to just share my friend's words on this dish. "The caramel is not like the fake caramel you get everywhere." Â She is right. I loved this desert. There was just enough salt to enhance that creamy caramel... I was giddy after eating that caramel.
I keep raving to my coworkers about Lelabar. Â One day I'll definitely be back. Â Next time, I'll probably sample their wine.
Great place for a cheese and wine night cap. Â
The variety of cheese seemed a little limited for those who love all types (lots of soft ones, not many bleu's) but for me, the bartender suggested two which fit my flavor profile perfectly. Â The cheese board, which was prepared right at the bar, included french bread and a pineapple jelly. Â
I really don't know too much about wine, but we were served a glass of Syrah which fit well with our chosen cheeses and also tasted good alone. Â
The atmosphere was very enjoyable; Â oval bar with plenty of seating, darker muted walls, lots of Coldplay.
I am not a wine bar person, but am friends with wine bar people and must occasionally make a concession when going out. Â
Lelabar might change all that. Â It's smart looking, yet not stuffy. Â Sophisticated but not pretentious. Â The staff is very friendly and helpful, especially when one doesn't speak vino lingo. Â With our drinks we also enjoyed a platter of cheese, meats and olives. Â Some Hot Pockets would have been nice (I keed).
And I couldn't help notice the place soon filled with many beautiful ladies.
I might have to become a wine bar person.
This place is fine if you're hard up for a place to go in the West Village. Â It was quiet and seating was available at midnight on a Saturday night, but the wine was not great for the price point. Â My husband ordered a glass of the Pinot Noir ($16) and I got a Granacha ($14). Â The wines were bland. Â I imagine some of the bottles are good if you want to pay $20 per glass, but Aria has a much better by-the-glass selection at better prices.
Also, the bartender kept rushing us to decide when it wasn't even crowded. Â She should probably drink a glass of wine herself and calm down.
Came with my boyfriend on a Saturday night. The yelp reviews set a high bar and I'm glad to say that Lela did not disappoint. Here's my breakdown:
Food: 3-4/5. We ordered a plate of 2 meats, both of which were delicious (as were the cornichons that came with!). We also ordered the beet tartar which was a bit disappointing. Our waiter (more on him later) made us these tiny toasted spicy salami and brie sandwiches which were, no joke, the best sandwiches Ive ever had in my life (ok by this point I was pretty wasted so maybe it was the alcohol talking but they were legit).
Wine: 4-5. We started with a flight of 3 spicy, bold reds. They were good, not great. But then our waiter recommended a Spanish red that was amazing (so amazing we had 3 glasses each, and he kept topping us off...). Definitely ask the staff for recommendations: they seem to know their stuff.
Service/ambiance: 5+/5. I don't know how they do it, but this bar walks the fine line between being full and overcrowded. Every seat around the oval-shaped bar was taken, but it didn't feel like... well, like a popular Soho bar feels at 1 a.m. on a Saturday night. Our server (Ryan) was knowledgeable, funny, and kept topping us off, whether it was with wine or with extra bread for our salami.
The prices are a bit steep (around $15 per glass), but for a nice night out, I'd highly recommend this bar.
Ate: Olives
Drank: Malbec and a bunch of other samples
Liked: Service was amazing, very friendly and nice staff
Disliked: Not much. Â It's a little expensive, but worth it for the intimate ambiance and good service.
Chicken: n/a
Would mom like it?: Nah, she'd wonder why they didn't have any rice.
Would I go back: Yes!
Recommend: As another yelper mentioned, this is a great date place as it's not super loud or filled with d-bags.
Came here again with my boyfriend, this time on a Saturday night during HH. Great deals on wine and the small plates. Great array of olives to go with my red. We also tried the $1 oysters from the west coast -- they were just okay and a bit small.
Overall still a great wine bar with friendly service!
The pictures do a good job of capturing the ambiance -- relaxed, sophisticated, welcoming. Â The round wood paneled bar is beautiful, but it does get crowded later at night. Â Lelabar is a bit small, so I felt lucky snagging two seats by the window on a Thursday evening.
The wait staff is very friendly and knowledgeable about wine. Â We told them what we were looking for and they let us try 3 different tastings, which I always appreciate. Â We also ordered a cheese plate (yum!). Â
Good atmosphere for a date, esp a first date. Â The energy in the place will see you through even an awkward one ;)
What makes a 1st date spot good?
* No tv's interfering with the convo
* Sommeliers that know when to re-fill your date's glass (social lubrication is always a +)
* Music that is only audible if everyone left the bar
* Happy hour prices...on an otherwise extensive/expensive wine selection
* Cheese, salami and $1 oysters...nothing fried
* Being surrounded by hotties, single and on dates...just relaxing and not "peacocking"
What makes a 1st date spot hella rad?
* Just enough seats so my Katherine Heigl-lookin date sits next to me, comfortably
Thanks Lelabar, you close it out like Mariano Rivera (pre-injury)
Not what I expected. The wine bar is essentially an oval shaped table in the middle of the room, with space in the middle for the servers/bartenders. The patrons all sit by the bar. There is a smattering of seats against the wall but they face the wall and they are quite depressing. However, I must say sitting at the bar here is a good experience. The bartenders are great, very knowledgeable, very accommodating and very friendly. They will also not feel like they are in your face even though they are standing practically right in front of you and you fear all your dirty conversations will be heard. That's not the case because the acoustics in the room somehow muffles the voices of everyone except those closest to you that you are conversing with. It's communal bar seating, but you still feel like you have your own space. Brilliant!
Based on the recommendation of the girl bartender, I tried a couple of wines and finally settled on a sweet fruity one that I really liked. After hours of sitting on the bar seats, I never felt tired or uncomfortable. The thing is, sitting at the bar provides more intimacy than if you're sitting facing each other at a table, because even though you don't face the person you're talking to directly, there is no physical barrier between you. So if you're in the mood for something a little different than the typical wine bar, try this place.
I had heard a rumor that a certain Oregon Pinot Noir was available here. It was the first solo vintage of a winemaker I know in Portland. I had a few hours before a mid-town dinner so I hopped on the E-train and walked across to Hudson and found myself in a cool, calm, just opened wine bar. I explained my mission and very quickly realized that I had been mislead. No Bow and Arrow Pinot by Scott Frank for Bob S.
I drowned my sorrows drinking an alternative Pinot, pin(ot)ing for my old home, for an hour with their lovely staff as more and more folks came in. Next time I'm in The City, I'll stop by and have a glass with my new friends at Lelabar. Great spot!
Cheers!
Perfect date spot. Great for setting the mood.
The vibe at Lela is dark and sexy, but there's no pretentious attitude. Just come on in after a long day at work, sip some vino and take the edge off. Most of the patrons are there on dates, and most are getting cozy so Lela is doing something right.
A great selection of wine, with solid daily happy hour options as well. Wednesday is $1 oyster day (See, all the more reason to plan your date on a Wednesday). The bar itself (and majority of the seating area) is a large oval. Bartenders reside in the middle creating all kinds of delicious snacks in front of you and pouring to your heart's content.
A lovely option for the West Village.
What a disappointment.
I used to love this place, and used to go when it wasn't crowded, and when they used to give you a decent amount of wine. It was a cozy place, with friendly bartenders and chilled vibe. I haven't been able to pay a visit in a while, and when I went last nite, it was sad to witness the changes... in worse.
First of all the prices. You can't find a glass of red wine for less than $13, and when they pour it into yours, you just can't believe how little red nectar you are served. Using big glasses doesn't mean that you can pour less wine because you just assume that your customers won't notice. Anyway, I wasn't too upset about it. The wine was decent.
What bothered me mostly was that it was 30 degrees outside (and windy) and I was sitting on a stool below an open window. It wasn't just barely open... it was WIDE open. The cold air was hitting my neck and back. I did bear it for half hour, because I didn't want to be the high-maintenance demanding guy who annoys the crap of busy bartenders who have more important things to do than getting out of their station and close a window. But it WAS cold, so eventually I politely asked him (along with my girlfriend, who was freezing) if it would be possible to close it. To my surprise he said he couldn't bc "it would get to 98 degrees". So I replied: "So you are basically allowing 2 customers to freeze so that the rest can enjoy a warm enough temperature you want them to enjoy? Good... YOU CAN BRING ME THE CHECK, PLEASE".
Now, it wasn't hot inside. My girlfriend went to their cubicle restroom (quite dirty, btw) crossing the whole bar and it wasn't even close to be hot. A couple of people close to the windows (but not under it, like us) were even wearing their jackets. I don't usually complain about this type of stuff. I'm actually annoyed most of the times I hear people complaining about it. But this time it was different. It was windy, and the wind was hitting us.
It was sad and quite arrogant of them to treat me like I was the unnecessary customer who could just leave if he wasn't happy with their temperature setting. They did turn off the ac, but it wasn't the ac that was bothering us. I guess they make so much money they can afford to "sacrifice" a few customers for the good of the majority (even though nobody else was asking to keep the window open except the bartender). Unluckily, I happened to belong to that minority, and considering the rich selection of wine bars in the city, there is no need for me to ever go back: they lost me for good.
I have come to Lela on quite a  few occasions. Lelabar is quickly become my go to wine bar in the city: Not only is Lela the perfect spot to enjoy wine with the girlfriend, but it also a good spot to bring coworkers and friends. The spot is intimate with a very low-key feel.
The wine list isn't huge by any means. Don't take this as a negative though, this is another great advantage to this spot as each bartender knows the wine list in and out. Whats the point of a large wine list anyway?
I have to admit, I know nothing about pairing wine and cheese or meat. Every-time I come here, I ask the bartender to bring an assortment of cheese and meat based on the wines we are consuming. I have never been let down by their suggestions once. They also offer sandwiches and chocolates - all good.
This is a great little spot in the West Village. It still seems like an undiscovered gem. For selfish reasons, I hope it stays that way.
3 wines that we tried:
Riesling leth Austrian
Pinot gris Oregon
Vermentino Tuscany
all whites, all light with the Riseling being the sweetest (but by far not the sweetest on the menu)
The glasses of wine were generous and the staff was very friendly and informative. One suggested some wines that were spot on the moment we tried it. Everything is done at that oval shaped bar and their cheese and meats were ridiculously good. Every single cheese we tried (I believe we tried 4) was great and fit the description on the menu. The bleu cheese paired with their in house pineapple spread was by far the most ethereal. I got to the point where the sprig of rosemary on the cutting board started making it into my mouth because every combination seemed to make sense. (It was delish).
We went on a Thursday night it was really loud and friendly atmosphere but one thing that I wouldn't call it is romantic. Sure, after a few glasses of wine the place really becomes something more intimate in my mind because my focus just shifts to the person that I'm with, but the oval bar forces a more communal atmosphere and the exterior seating around the walls offers privacy but also distance from interacting with the bartender. The lighting was also dim which is nice and romantic, but at times it made it pretty difficult to read the menu..of which I think there isn't too many since the bartenders had to play cycle the menu around quite a bit as new  people or new wine requests started pouring (ha!) in.
All in all this place was really fantastic and date worthy but I don't know if you would propose to your significant other in this particular setting. But if you want to have great glasses of wine in a warm and inviting atmosphere, you've come to the right place.
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