The Room

The Room is the first in my series of “room” wine bar reviews. The owner of these wine bars has three locations in Manhattan (The Room, The Other Room, and Another Room), my first stop being located at 144 Sullivan St in Soho.

The first thing I noticed about this bar is how well decorated it is in a sort of understated way. The main bar area is narrow with brick walls and there is a side room with table seating. There are candles everywhere and the tables for large groups are surrounded by plush seating. The countertop of the bar is made of some kind of concrete slab, which added an unexpected texture and dramatic vignette lighting hung above the bar. There was a mix of old school big band, rock, and ethereal music accompanying the hip vibe of the bar.

There are no menus, as there is no table service, so you have to order at the bar. The menus are displayed right behind the bar and are easy to read, which is not always the case with chalkboard menus. Glasses of wine are between $9 and $14 and all wines are available by the bottle as well, which start at $34 and are no more expensive that $60. Most wines are from France with a couple of other countries tossed in. However, the wines are a little young with the oldest wine being a 2006 Malbec. I would like to see a larger selection of wines that have aged a bit longer, even if it’s just a small, fine tuned list.

I ordered the 2010 Gamay from the Loire Valley of France. Gamay is the grape used in Beaujolais and is best consumed while young or relatively so. This wine tasted like baking spices and blackberry jam, and it was pretty rich. It smelled like nutmeg…almost like an alcoholic cookie dough. New holiday recipe inspiration?

The Room is very hip and the crowd certainly makes it feel that way as well. Most of my fellow wine drinkers were in their 20s and very trendy. Fedoras with long scarves were abundant and even I felt a little out of place, which is saying a lot. The place was pretty busy for a Monday night. I’m assuming that it can get very standy on a popular night like a Thursday or Friday, so if you want to avoid a crowd, come here earlier in the week.

The Room is a cool, hip, wine bar. It’s worth a visit, and I never thought I’d say this, but I kind of hope the other “room” wine bars will be less stylish and…well, hipster-y. I give this place a rating of 3.8 out of 5 glasses.

I know, this is a pretty sweet picture.

My dramatic glass of Gamay

Bar Henry

I’ve been looking forward to visiting Bar Henry since I watched an episode of Gary Vaynerchuck’s Daily Grape where he was reviewing a Cabernet Franc at the bar. Unfortunately I didn't see the Cabernet Franc on the menu when I was there, but there are so many more to choose from at this bar. The place is located on the lower level of 90 W Houston St, so it’s not easy to spot if you’re not already looking for it.

Jazz music was playing when I arrived and continued on to some more old school music. It was pretty relaxing and it felt like a throwback bar. The floors were black and white checkered marble tile, the classic tin ceiling was present, there were brass chandeliers and even a piano if you’re feeling drunk bold enough to perform a number.

Glasses of wine are priced between $10 and $18 and bottles were priced between $35 and $590, with many of the wines being available as a half bottle. The majority of the wines are from France, Italy, and some from Spain and the US along with a smattering from other known wine countries. Although the wines may seem expensive, here’s where it gets interesting; Bar Henry has some fantastic deals. First, their happy hour special is….2 for 1 glasses of wine. Best happy hour deal I’ve seen at a wine bar yet. On top of that, if anyone at the bar orders a half bottle of wine, the rest of the bottle goes up for sale by the glass. There is a large menu on the wall that shows which wines are being sold that way, so it’s easy to get your hands on some great wine that you wouldn’t otherwise order. Very, very cool.

I ordered the 1997 CH Berres Riesling Spatlese for $10. I think it was actually the oldest wine that I’ve had at a wine bar and it wasn’t absurdly priced. It was served in a huge glass which really allowed me to capture the aroma of the wine and the rest of the glass was waiting for me in a mini decanter! So cute! I thought that the wine in the decanter was my second glass, but it was only one serving. The pours here are basically the amount that I pour for myself at home. Amazing. This Riesling tasted a little tangy and it was perfectly sweet with a nice acidity. It tasted briefly of pineapple and apricot and smelled beautiful – like tropical fruits and a little minerally.

Honestly, the only downside of this place is that since it is on the lower level of the building, I wasn’t getting reception on my cell phone. Major downer if you’re meeting people there and need to text directions and any other details. Maybe it was just my phone, but perhaps the bar could get an antenna or something set up…Verizon? AT&T? Anybody want to volunteer?

Friendly bar, great old school atmosphere, excellent wine selection, and you get the opportunity to try some really great quality wines. I give Bar Henry a rating of 4.5 out of 5 glasses.

Oh there you are, Bar Henry!

My huge glass and the mini decanter

The piano tucked away in a corner of the bar