Where to drink this holiday season in New York

December 6, 2023

Nikita Malhotra

When Bing Crosby’s smooth baritone voice starts playing on the radio and he tells me he will be home for Christmas, I begin to plot the nights of festivities that inevitably will fill up my calendar.

There will be at least one dinner at Wu’s Wonton King, and I could write about BYOB spots and plan the holidays accordingly. But this is the season to go out in the city, to try the new spot that is garnering attention or to sit at the cozy bar with a bottle of wine and admire the decorations. Tis the season indeed.

ILIS is an ambitious restaurant in Greenpoint - the space is large and vast, with an open kitchen at the center vying for attention from the large pieces of artwork that hang on the walls. The wood fire oven emanates a warmth throughout the space, that dare I say is festive, and the menu is focused on the produce, game and seafood of North America. But you can’t help but see Noma’s influence in both the menu and design as Mads Refslund is at the helm and was both a chef and cofounder at Noma. Tira Johnson leads the wine program, and she has built a thoughtful list. I had a bottle of Guilbert Gillet Vieilles Vignes ‘Les Grands Champs’ Bourgogne Aligoté 2020 and a bottle of Dard et Ribo Saint Joseph 2015 there last month. It’s a list with narrative and opinions, something lacking in many of the ubiquitous wine choices found on lists in the city. The lounge and bar area are a perfect space to have a bottle of wine and find shelter during these cold months.

Bryant Park is usually a great visit to get in the holiday mood with the ice rink and the holiday market providing much needed cheer. When midtown is dressed to impress during this month, it becomes a perfect destination to have a bottle of wine. And Gabriel Kreuther, just across the street from the holiday market, is one of the best options to escape the crowds and maintain the holiday spirit. Aukai Bell is one of the most well-versed wine professionals when it comes to Alsatian wine. One could spend hours dissecting the different vineyards and the stories with him, and unfortunately, there aren’t enough champions of this important wine region in the city anymore. And both the cuisine and the wines of Alsace contribute to my idea of a perfect holiday. The list is also home to great options for Champagne, Burgundy and the Rhône.

Foul Witch is a cozy and unique space in the East Village and many who have missed Blanca have gone to see what this sibling restaurant has done. For those who loved the wine program at Blanca, the wines offered at Foul Witch seem to come straight from that cellar. This is a list for the ‘cool kids’, sure, but outside the dogma of zero zero, there can exist a wine list that upholds the standards of good farming but can discern when wine is sound. Jamie Schlicht, the wine director, is a welcome voice to have curating a natural wine list. Last time I was there I had a bottle of de Moor Bourgogne Aligote 2018, what a gem to find on a list these days.

There are many more wine bars and restaurants to consider, these choices just stuck out for me as places to share a bottle and enjoy the holidays.