On Friday I went to Epistrophy Café, located in Nolita at 200 Mott St. The bar looks hip, as it should considering its location. It was a really nice day when I visited, so the windows in the front of the bar were all open and there were some little café tables outside.
It was already bustling inside the bar when I arrived and I was greeted shortly after entering. I was asked if I preferred a table or a seat at the bar. I requested a table and as I was following the hostess, one of the waiters said to me “You can have the table as long as you don’t stay here all night long because we have people with reservations later.” How welcoming!
Once I was settled at my very temporary table, I began to review the menu. Most of the wines were Italian, with a few here and there from France, Germany, and the US. While the menu does provide a brief description of each wine, it fails to list the vintages for their white wines. Glasses are between $6.50 for the house wine and up to $12 for the more expensive dessert wines. The average price of a glass is around $8 or $9, which is very affordable for this city! Bottles were between $30 and $54 and they also offer a carafe size for select wines. I should note that the bar is cash only, so do come prepared for that.
The setting of Epistrophy Café kind of makes it feel like you’re in someone’s huge cozy apartment. There is an open kitchen in the middle of the bar, a large bookcase along one of the original brick walls, a couple of lazily spinning fans on the ceiling, and there is a little corner in the back of the bar with cutesy décor – floral wallpaper, an antique cabinet, and some artwork.
Given the warm weather, I decided to order my first Riesling of the year and chose a glass of Noble House Riesling, vintage unknown. It smelled a bit like hay, actually. Unless the scent was mingled with that of the fresh bread being baked in the kitchen, which was beside my table. The wine had a light, tangy sweetness, almost like honey and lemon. It had a good acidity and was easy to drink, as is most Riesling. I actually drank it so quickly that the hubby still had half of his drink left, so I decided to order another glass. Know what I don’t get to try very often at a wine bar? A house wine. It’s not usually offered at wine bars, at least from what I've seen. I ordered the house white wine and it wasn’t bad, especially for $6.50. It was hard to get a read on the aroma again because of the tasty bread, but it did have a very vegetal flavor with a peppery finish and a high acidity. It was pretty unique.
By 6:45, the place was loud, packed, and there was even a line of people outside waiting for a table. The bar attracted all different types of people; there were a lot of hipsters, but I did notice some families with young children here too.
The interesting/awkward/rude encounter I had when I first arrived left a bad taste in my mouth and made it feel like they were just trying to quickly turn tables over instead of providing a pleasant experience for their customers. Even when a wine bar is busy, this should still be their priority. So, this place gets a downgrade for that. I’d like to see what Epistrophy is like when it’s not so hectic. It would be a great spot to hang out in the afternoon, actually. Based on the wines I had, I would say that the value is good - your cash goes pretty far here. I give Epistrophy Café a rating of 3 out of 5 glasses.
The exterior of Epistrophy Cafe
Getting busy...
The bookcase...and look! Part of my hubby
The cutesy little corner in the back
My glass of Riesling
The check comes to your table as a teeny scroll! How cute :)