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Categories: Wine Bars, American (New)
Neighborhood: East Village"Cool, dependable sports bar/pub for the area. If you can get a table you're set, tho there is a good bunch of floor space around it. It's…" read more »
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Grape and Grain is a nice hidden treasure in the East Village.
The place is no larger than many NYC studios, which is part of its charm. Featuring a long wooden table with bar stools and a cozy atmosphere, the place is great place to crack open a few bottles of wine and chat it up with friends.
The prices are reasonable, and I'm interested in checking out the vanilla bean ale the next time I go. With the upcoming weather getting chillier, do yourself a favor and hop in with a few friends to enjoy a night out of the cold.
walking down the street with the boy on a beautiful Sunday morning, my nose catches the beautiful scent of...
BACON!
We both turn to look at the somewhat hidden brunch place that has the almost universally loved smell gusting out of its open windows. Cozy place with an INCREDIBLY nice staff (they gave my bf sausages instead of the bacon by accident so they just brought over a plate of bacon...score!)
Try the roasted chicken breast sandwich with arugula, sun dried tomatoes, goat cheese and black olive spread. The sun dried tomatoes and black olive spread combo is wonderful.
Right in the heart of Alphabet City you will find this wine bar/restaurant nestled in between buildings. You would not think much of the normal looking exterior, perhaps you wouldn't think much of the interior either, simple decor, long bar, small tables, very cozy, friendly and romantic. One of those great date places you store in the back of your mind just in case.
As it happens, I was introduced to this gem at a date. I came in expecting only drinks, but left surprised at the quality and uniqueness of the food they serve. I left the ordering to the expert, my date, who seemed to be familiar with this place, and the staff as well. He insisted on ordering the short ribs exclaiming that they were the highlight of the menu. He also mentioned they had wonderful pizzas.
1. Tuna Carpaccio with a jalapeño infused citrus vinaigrette and pickled avocados
2. Braised Short Ribs with polenta and yellowfoot mushrooms
3. Prosciutto, Salami and Sopressata pizza
4. Chocolate Torte with fresh mint and honey ice cream and a hazelnut chocolate sauce
The tuna carpaccio was such a beautiful dish, with a very strong citrus flavor, a very bold dish- which happens to be my preference.
The braised short ribs required no knives whatsoever, it simply fell off and melted in your mouth and the polenta was a spectacular compliment.
The pizza was perfectly crusty, a thin crust I should add, and was not too salty (which was one thing I was concerned about). It was just right and satisfied my sudden craving for pizza.
The chocolate torte was very rich, though the crust was slightly dry. Nothing ice cream couldn't fix though.
They do have a great wine list, and the staff is more than happy to make a recommendation based on what your likes and dislikes are. Comes to show that I should do more exploring of Alphabet City. You never know what you will come across...
After months of walking by this place I finally decided to make a reservation for dinner and drinks this past Friday. Based on the reviews of other Yelpers I came in with high expectations, and I have to say I was definitely not disappointed. I think Grape and Grain's biggest selling point is its atmosphere, and while its not located on the the most charming street block (6th btw B & C) the interior here feels warm and cozy. There are deep dark wooden booths that line the side walls, a tin covered ceiling and has rather charming set candelabras that hang from it. Once seated, our waitress (who was very attentive) greeted us and shared their wine and beer selections. We quickly picked one of our favorite whites and then set our eyes on the dinner menu. The selection of small plates here was too charming. They have two types of soft pretzels! We ended up ordering one of the pizzas and a dip though, both of which were excellent. After several hours and a couple bottles, we decided to call it a night. I left Grape and Grain, slightly inebriated but also very satisfied. Makes me feel like I should venture that far out in the E. Village more often.
Yummy, simply fresh menu and a Cote du Rhone I've braved migraines for many a time. The big windows open on a summer evening make for a dreamy East Village outing. The staff is lovely and down to earth.
Extensive beer list from all over the world. Lots of interesting domestic options. I tried a raspberry lager and it was delish. Beers come in different containers and are priced accordingly. Reasonable/cheap prices, though.
Tiny place. But not crowded. An overall enjoyable experience.
What a cute little surprise Grape and Grain is. Last night Laura E. and I were wandering around the East Village cursing our lack of iPhones to help us find a nice little wine bar. Finally, about a block after we were ready to just give up, we see the unassuming exterior of Grape and Grain. It looked a little fancy, but we figured it was worth a shot.
Well, it was a little fancy, but in a nice way. I has a glass of Sauvignon Blanc from Chile, Laura opted for a sunset wheat beer, and we ordered a little bit of cheese. When we asked for the cheese our waitress countered with "Goat? Cow? or Sheep?" which I found to be a fun question to answer. We ended up getting a goat-cow blend, which was delicious. It came with interesting and yummy bread and I could have eaten about 20 of the same thing.
I'd love to be taken here on a date, the candles, laid-back vibe, nice little wine list, and tapas-style plates would definitely be an impressive bag of tricks to pull out to convince someone of your romantic style. At the same time, the long tables and the fact that it's neither too crowded nor too loud make it a good place for a small birthday party or similar group gathering.
Grape and Grain is just a good solid little hole in the wall, and I'm glad we stumbled across it. Excellent all around.
I was here early Sunday night, before 7 pm, on 9/14/2009 and had the Sancerre and Ben had the Tempranillo. We finished the night off with 2 wine glasses each because they were such good medium bodied reds. We had 2 Pizzas and some olives and our rectangle pizzas were delicious. Great woody ambience, chandeliers and reminiscing 80's background music as we sat by the open air window. They had a broad wine collection - grapes from New World & Old World so I'm a fan definitely
Grape and Grain did not disappoint one bit - an old buddy and I had a superfab time sitting at the bar, eating, drinking and catchin up on each others' lives and plans...
There was a surprising number of fun people hanging out here on a random Wednesday night. Now I must comment about the music, which I found to add an oddly effervescent charm to the place... right in line with the neighborhood. I thought I was the only one who would put MJ, The Killers, Depeche Mode and James Brown on a playlist... oh no no...G & G knows how to get down...smeeti stylez. (hehe)
The woman who was running the ship was welcoming and not pretentious in the least bit about all of the beautifully chosen fare and wine options. Seriously, she gave such insightful recommendations without leading us astray once! We ordered the white bean dip, a plate of formmagi, tuna carpaccio and a parmaggiano tomato pizza...and washed it all down with a delightful bottle of rioja!
I recommend a light-hearted visit to Grape and Grain for a small group dinner, date, or girls catchup...and you will not be disappointed either.
I really love this place for many reasons...
1) Location: I love the East Village... The people, culture, restaurants, lounges, bars, low key, etc.
2) Ambiance: It's dimly lit, romantic, and cozy. Fun to go with friends or a significant other.
3) Wine and cheese selection: I'm a red wine fan and they have a great selection of Spanish wines. They're always very helpful when choosing cheeses too.
4) Staff: This must be a super cool place to work at because the same people have been there for the past two years and they are super nice.
Great cute decor, lots of romantic lighting and candles, perfect for a date.
Food was really good. I remember the chorizo pigs in a blanket and warm pretzel appetizer being delicious.
Waitress was awesome.
After that, I got into an argument and the rest is history.
I liked this place. Sure, its probably waay overrated-- but it was my birthday and we were out to have a good time. 6pm on a Saturday, Joe had called the day before for reservations and they said "you're not going to need them no worries". So of course, judging by the fact we couldn't get in the last attempt to eat there, I was worried. But we showed up and it was EMPTY. We were far outnumbered by all of the wait staff so I can tell you; I had no problem with the service. Would I be different on a Friday at 8pm? I'd guarantee it, but we had no problems at all with our service.
Synopsis:
Ordered a bottle of Chilean sauvignon blanc- good and reasonably priced.
White bean dip w/ spiced pita chips- unexpectedly cold and chunky, not a bad thing but when you expect something warmer and creamy and it isn't your senses are not quite ready. Once they settled, Joe liked the dip a lot and we loved the pita chips. Do they sell them by the bag? Or maybe can i gank that recipe? Thanks...
Soft pretzel and jalapeño dill pickles- stone ground mustard, hot soft pretzel, pickles; what is not to love?!
Goat cheese olive pizza- more like foccaccia bread with tomato sauce, goat cheese and cured olives. Not a bad taste but, again, not what I expected. Maybe I was better off with the artichoke parmesan....
Brie, Ham, Whole Grain Dijon Mustard, Tomato Sandwich- hot, yummy, delicious. Very filling.
All in all, adorable atmosphere- I loved everything about it, definitely come back but probably just for apps or a sandwich. Looking forward to going to Against the Grain in the near future... exploring the East Village.
I really love this place. You should go.
Great ambiance, delicious food, reasonably priced, and friendly staff. Oh, and some of the best beer in NYC!
Little surprises are always the best surprises. We met with a group of friends here and they gave us a private candlelit room with our own waitress who was probably the most accommodating in all of NY. The Chorizo in a Poncho dish was delectable, and the pizzas were imaginative, yummy, and fun to eat (as all pizza should be!)
Couldn't recommend this little place more highly.
I don't know what you people are complaining about! I called ahead, the waiter (Brian) picked up the phone and was happy to reserve a table for me. He surmised it was me when I walked in 45 minutes later - nice job - and then proceeded to help us select wines and small plates for our meal. The only downside is the price, and the fact that this place is a little out of the way being so far east in Alphabet City.
Anyway, we escaped with a $100 tab (tip included) for 2 glasses of wine and 4 food items. The bean dip is good; so was the tuna carpaccio. Skip the ceviche. And the cheese plate is a cheese plate, but with the homemade jam and homemade bread, it was pretty damn good.
Will I be back? Yep. Give it a rest on the music and all your other complaints. Maybe you should try going on a weeknight, when things are going to be more chill!!
Sexy, candlelit, and under-designed (a good thing, here), Grape & Grain is fantastic for sampling wine. The food is decent, but I prefer sitting at the bar and having a few small plates along with my vino. The wine list and service is five stars, the food is three, so average it out and you get four stars.
The decor is simple and somewhat rustic: dark wood, simple tables, votive lights, stone towards the back, unfinished wood at the bar and the pillars. This creates a warm and sexy ambiance. The lights are kept low, the noise in the room is a warm buzz, and the service is excellent--not pushy or harried but not slouchy either.
There are numerous wines by the glass, which are served by the quarter liter, which amounts to about a glass and two-thirds. This is a very civilized alternative to "by the glass" service.
Many have mentioned the music: yes, there was an iPod docked, but the selection wasn't bad. It ran the gamut from downtempo to indie rock to something housier. A live band was setting up in the back towards 10:30/11pm. I would return again.
So I've been here a few times: very cozy, romantic atmosphere, serviceable small plates, nice wine list, no attitude; waitress very attentive and knowledgeable about the cheese selections.
But: critter alert! According to the waitress, the bar is located right next to a public garden that attracts a fair amount of uh, small fauna. On our last visit, my boyfriend and I snagged a table next to the window affording a prime seat for people-watching. And a cockroach crawled up his pant leg. He felt something biting/scratching up around thigh-level, ran to the bathroom, flung off his jeans and shook out the six-legged, still-twitching perpetrator. True story. Staff was very apologetic and comped us a couple of glasses of much-needed vino. We were horrified. We got drunk. Freak insect experience aside, I like this place and will come back. But maybe in winter, and I won't sit near the window.
I'll stay friends with Traci simply because she showed me this place. I'd say within a few months, I introduced most of my friends to Grape and Grain. Super friendly service, incredible wine (and beer from next door), great atmosphere, FANTASTIC music (no, you're not going to dance on the bar - just good tunes) and a perfect spot for a date or to catch up with a pal. Oh - and the food's great too - duh.
Very cool place. We came in during a rainy night, so we pretty much had the place to ourselves. As we walked in my party of 4 was greeted immediately by a friendly hostess who sat us, and then the waiter, who turned out to be the owner came out and greeted us as well. We got a bunch of plates; some good (pizzas), some not as good (braised short ribs with polenta).
This place would get 5 stars, but some dishes were less than perfect. However, the music, service, wine selection, and ambience definitely made up.
Would def. come here again with a small group or on a date.
Great wine, great cheese. Cool knowledgeable bartenders-- Is Jesse still there? Love the feel of the place. Anyplace that feels like the east village and serves stellar wine is a winner in my book. I try and only go on off nights... but a great place to bring a group of wine lovers anytime. en vino veritas!
In order to expand on my previous review, which was lacking real content, here is a limerick dedicated to Grape and Grain.
For drinks, this wine bar we crashed
and yummy snacks (we were totally hashed)
the bartenders were great
we stayed a little too late
two bottles later we were completely smashed
My Grape and Grain Haiku:
Bottles of imports
Wash down yummy bits of nosh
Served by friendly staff
Despite being a little off the beaten path, or at least my beaten path, I found this place to be comfortable and very enjoyable. We had what probably most people are there for - some good wine and some good company. We had a great rioja, an assortment of delicious cheeses as well as the white bean dip. Nice ambiance, an eclectic (in a good way) blend of music and good bartenders. It was the perfect spot to spend a rainy evening.
I specifically went to Against the Grain last Friday to have some Leinenkugel, and I loved the place!
Fantastic selection of beers - well informed guy (Nate) there who was so generous in sharing his knowledge on the various beers. I went with a friend, and among the 5 beers from each of us under our belts, Nate was also generous in comp-ing us other beers he thought we'd be interested in trying.
We had sandwiches which were very good. Then lots of beer, then the cheese plate, which was also pretty good though I'm no cheese connoisseur. So good beer, candles, great atmosphere, and the Yankees were on. It wasn't obtrusive at all, as you couldn't hear the game...
Am definitely going back :)
Great atmosphere, and a relatively generous amount of wine (about a glass and a half). This is one of those true New York secret worlds, with its brick walls, dim lights, and kitchy chandeleirs. The wine is good, and there is usually a place to sit. My boyfriend and I come here often.
Two Complaints:
(1) The music is consistently awful. Someone should take that black-haired girl's ipod away from her. She boomerangs from death rock to destiny's child, when all we really want is some nice Nico.
(2) The wine list is fairly stagnant. If they have a rotating selection, I don't know about it, but give that I tend to stay in the $12 and down bracket, it would be nice to mix it up a bit.
Came here on a Saturday night with a group of 3 girlfriends. We liked the place right away - great atmosphere, friendly waiters, cute decor. However, that was about all we liked about the place. The wine was OK, no complaints, but the food was REALLY disappointing.
We ordered the mushroom tart (about 1 small bite per person for $9). Then we ordered 1 pizza and 2 sandwiches to share. The pizza was made on the same focaccia bread that the sandwiches were on, so the flavors were really similar. It seemed like we basically ate bread for dinner because there was no cheese on the mushroom/red pepper pizza and the 1 piece of chicken on the sandwich was so thin you couldn't taste it!
Maybe we ordered the wrong things, but none of us will be going back. It was a really expensive dinner considering all we really consumed was 1 bottle of wine and lots of bread.
Total date place.
And by that, I mean good, intimate setting date place, not cheesy, velvet/plush couch date place. The tables offer space to hang out without being bombarded by other people's conversations, but if you want to, you can still sit at the bar and be social.
The drink selection was lengthy and a bit overwhelming for a novice like myself, but luckily, the bartender was really cool and she definitely knew her shit about wine.
Another thing, I don't know how why everyone's hating on the music selection there... Maybe it speaks badly of my musical taste, but I enjoyed it! ...Or maybe I was just drunk off a lot of wine.
Good food--small and dark, gets busy so you may have to wait, but you can do that next door at Against the Grain. The beet salad is highly recommended, as are the beer sausages. Our pizzas were good, not mind-blowing, but good. My main complaint is that the beer list is SO small--why not offer everything you have next door at your bar, Against the Grain (which I highly recommend)?
Now, I've only been on the Grain side (Against the Grain) but I love it.. They serve everything that they serve on the other side I believe but instead of being seated down at a dinner table, there's one long communal table, which suddenly makes everything much more tapas style. The beer selection is fantastic (I spent an evening here with a guy friend and we had a blast tasting as many as possible). You can also order wine. So, really I think of the two as interchangeable with the only difference being that you need reservations on the "restaurant" side and you don't need them on the bar side.
The atmosphere here is super romantic. The short ribs were amazing. The cheese plate hits the spot. The waitstaff is always super helpful. And by the end of the evening, it always feel like leaving a group of friends because that's how comfortable I feel here.
If you know of many more places like this, please share..
Really cute place with friendly staff and great service. But I thought the food was terribly bland. Had the mushroom pizza and artichoke pizza, plate of sausages and something else I can't even remember. The pizzas weren't very good at all. Sausage pretty good. Had a great time but I wouldn't return.
I went here for the first time the other day and it just wasn't the grade A experience everyone's been raving about. We racked up a huge bill which we could have spent somewhere else and had the complete experience for our $$. The wines and the staff were fantastic, but the food was VERY disappointing. The two fish dishes we tried were meh, and the beer soaked sausages had turned bitter. (I mean how can you screw up sausage?!?) The cheese plate and meatballs were the only items that actually were finished.
All in all though, for drinks only I would return... possibly, but skip the over priced, underwhelming eats. I'd rather spend my money trying someplace else than to do a repeat visit to Grape and Grain.
Beautiful cozy setting tucked away on E 6h st. Our waitress was adorable, kind & helpful. The four of us stayed for four hours and enjoyed the homemade pretzel knots to start. We had a bottle of the Sancet, their house white which was delicious at only $24. We then moved onto the chorizo canapes (yummmm), the braised short ribs served over polenta (double yummmm) and the artichoke pizza which was very good, even though I prefer a thinner crust. It was all outstanding. One friend was drinking cava by the glass and when the waitress offered her another, my friend said "no, I shouldn't and the waitress offered her a half glass. Nice! We finished the night with the apple tart with cinnamon ice cream. We split it, so we should have gotten two b/c it was soooo good and we were all being too polite to really jump in. Great experience, this is my new go-to place for some lite bites and good wine with friends.
I mainly enjoy the atmosphere. The tin roof with glowing chandeliers against the exposed brick is a warm, homey treat.
I've been four times and have always enjoyed the wine, though a bit more variety in their menu would be nice. It's been the same each trip.
My main complaint: the music. The indifferent quasi-goth girls throw on soundtracks that couldn't jive any less well with the decor and the fact it's an intimate wine bar. Think: thrash metal, bling-bling rap, or some crap that sounded like a Jessica Simpson house remix.
But hey, four stars all the same. The place is charming and the wine's good.
Love love love it. The decor is great, on nice days the windows are completely opened, nice & breezy. The bartender was very friendly, he allowed my friend & me to sample several wines from the wonderful wine list before choosing one. He also let me play my ipod in the bar-always appreciated!
They have about 15 cheeses that can be ordered in groups of 1, 3 or 5 (YAY!). It comes with wonderful raisin walnut bread & prune spread. Fantastic. Peel & eat shrimp, also good. Feels like home, I just wish it were closer!
Oh comfort. Perfect place on a cold evening for a glass or two or three of wine, some small dishes, and good conversation.
Staff excellent
Drinks....great and mimosa was a bargain
Pizza brunch with eggs on top, great
Bacon side - v good
Sausage side - v good
Shrimp & grits (wife had) not good and very gamey
A shame as I loved it but my wife hated the shrimp saying they were nearly off....I wished she'd told them but....
To ba fair they do cook everything in one tiny pizza oven and it could be a lot better, staff makes it work though, well done.
We walked in (party of 2) around 9 pm on a Friday...had a glass of wine and were seated at a great table within 1/2 hour.
My boyfriend loves music and loved Grape & Grain's choices so much he struck up a conversation...and he wants to go back for the entire ambiance. I agree - it is such a great atmosphere. Great for a couple, great for 4-6 people or I have a feeling they'd work to accommodate a larger group.
I admit, I don't have details to share about the food (after work martini & a couple glasses of wine before we made our way to Grape & Grain made my focus more on food than details...) but I enjoyed the ceviche enough to not share with him. He brought it up again this morning - I think that means he liked the food he managed to eat before I demolished it.
We'll be back. And I have a feeling it'll be him trying to get us to go there frequently.
I had my birthday party here. There is a fantastic selection of wine and tapas to share. Grape and Grain is smallish, appropriately lit, and the service is great. It is also a low-key, inviting brunch spot, the brunch pizzas are genius!
I've spent many a night here saddling up to the bar. The place is consistently filled with neighborhood people and the waiters know most people's names. The beer bar next door has one of the best craft beer selections in the city and is worth checking out.
This is an East Village gem. The cool barstaff have an excellent knowledge on wine and despite a small kitchen provide a wide variety of good quality food. It's a great Sunday afternoon place to hang out with friends, catch up, have a cheeky glass of wine and an early dinner.
Thanks for giving me the perfect place to meet up with a close friend and be able to talk for hours. I appreciate the ambience and chill atmosphere. It was the perfect place for meeting up with a friend on a Wednesday night. Although, I hear it gets crowded and loud during Thursdays. That's rumor though.
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