Wind Down at Wined Up Wine Bar

Wined Up bar and restaurant, located in the Flatiron district offers a fun and cool place to stop in for a drink or have a casual meal.

You might think you are in the wrong place or at best on a questionable mission to parts unknown as you walk up the steep stairs, passing the entrance to Punch restaurant.  But as you push through the heavy, velvet Harry Potteresque curtains, you will ultimately end up at Wined Up.

The curtains open up into a beautifully decorated area where you will be seated at a marble bar located in the back of the restaurant. I have only been the bar during the week and think that while there was room at the bar or room to stand, on busy nights, it probably is crowded and will seem like a small space for drinks.

The dining room faces the front as you would expect, is quite spacious, unlike other restaurants where you are literally sitting on top of one another.  One entire wall is lined with bottles of wine giving the room a very open and elegant effect.

I have been to Wined Up on several occasions both for drinks and dinner.

The Bar – While they offer wine by the glass, I would definitely recommend getting a bottle with friends as the pricing is so much better. Wine by the glass will run you $9 – $14. The wine selection  ranges from Riojas to Chilean wines. We enjoyed a delightful Rioja and a Malbec on the day that we went. The bartenders are always friendly and are more than happy to answer all your questions about the wine list.

The Restaurant – The variety of foods on the menu is sure to please, whether you are there for drinks and appetizers or low-key dinner with friends.

The appetizer menu includes an incredible cheese selection from the United States, France, Italy and Spain. There are cheeses on the menu that I had never heard of but the server will be able to walk you through all the different choices and help you pair them with your wine selection. Since we had just come for appetizers, we tried everything and were quite happy. Don’t forget to ask for more bread, there is definitely not enough bread for the cheese.  If you are into pizza, think about adding pizza along with your cheese appetizer options.  There is your basic pizza margherita along with unusual topped pizzas like truffled tomato (yummy.)

For dinner, there is a range of options that is sure to appeal all of your friends and even kids. The menu ranges from salad to pasta to steak. My friend and I, were feeling rather carnivorous the day we went to Wined Up. She ordered a hamburger while I opted for the cast iron hanger steak with spicy fries. The steak was just perfect. The portion size was generous enough to walk away with a doggy bag. The average entrees range from $13 – $20 which is pretty average for New York City.

So if you are wandering around Union Square or Madison Square, head “up” to Wined Up.

Again don’t be confused by the location,  you have to enter a doorway that is the same entrance to Punch restaurant but for you to get to Wined Up, you need to climb up the stairs to the second floor.

Location: Wined Up

913 Broadway between 20th and 21st Streets

Reservations: 212-673-6333

Popularity: 9% [?]