Wine Escape

Times Square, is the Worst Place On Earth.
Worst.
Place.
On.
Earth.
Which is why when a friend said they wanted to meet «somewhere close to Times Square», I closed my eyes and shuddered.
I emerged from the subway and steeled myself against the street masses, put my head down and barreled through the crowd. As I made my way to the corner of 44^th and 9^th, I grew increasingly desperate as the crowd showed no signs of letting up. 43^rd… zoo. 8^th Ave… oceans of humanity crashing over me and wearing down my very will to live. I almost gave up.
Then as I hit 44^th and 9^th, it was like the heavens opened up. The crowd magically dissipated, and I stepped into the oasis that was Wine Escape. Never have I been happier to arrive at a location.
I suppose many of my stars might be due to the fact that somehow, this place is shielded from the madness, but in this area, that’s a worthy attribute. Cozy, quiet, a small simple menu and great wines.
An apt name, and what better escape from Times Square can one ask for…

once again wine escape delivers 100%
I love to talk wines and taste wines and wine escape helps me find what I’m looking for every time. for the last 4 years I’ve dropped by every year or so and anyone I’m with Loves the place. me too. thanks again wine escape.

Post-​theatre enchantment for some wine as I search my Unilocal bookmarks and made a great choice to Wine Escape. My server is Melissa who welcomed me with warmth and delight, despite of being induced with wine alone. Wine Escape is a quaint little wine bar in the NY theatre district, but the server and bar tender are knowledgeable and welcoming hospitality to patrons. (Wow, such as refreshing attitude from what I am so accustomed of the typical abrasive snide, vulgar and dishonest NYC attitude. Yes, there are nice good people in this world!) We briefly chatted about the weekend and I expressed my upcoming birthday 2016 and my new immersion with Broadway’s «Aladdin.»
I opt for:
one glass Bourgogne 2014 (France) Pinot Noir $ 14.00 — yum
Polish Pierogi Dumplings $ 11.00– small portion but good
Feta Cheese Cigars $ 10.00 — slightly salty but good
Restroom is clean and there are hooks under the bar for jackets and bags. Wine goblets are a generous size not the microscopic tasting glass. I would buy a bottle as the staff is knowledgeable in wine rather than a sketchy liquor store. Upon my departure, my server Melissa gave me a warm bear hug for my birthday and I thank her for making it memorable. I would surely return to be induced with more wine and in the company of a new friend.

This is such a cute little wine bar in the theatre district of Manhattan. I came for drinks after a show and was pleased to see a highly rated wine bar in the middle of midtown — I didn’t know that could exist!
The place is on the small side — probably sits 20 people at tables and another 6 at the bar, but I never felt like I was on top of other patrons. The selections of small bites and wines are very well curated and staff was very pleasant.

Neighborhood sophistication, in a relaxed, warm atmosphere. Te South African Pinotage is amazing

Nice local spot with good food, great wine and excellent, attentive service. Had a red wine flight and meatballs at the bar. Will come back!

Had a short catchup with my girl friend at Wine Escape as I heard this wine bar to be very famous. Called to make a reservation so that we don’t have to sit at the counter.
They had a very extensive wine list and even many off the menu. We each opted for the Amarone Valpollicella, the Italian red wine to accompany our meatball and cheese plate. Everything was fantastic and we had a great time!
Wine Escape was extremely intimate, so bring your close friend and have a wild time here!

I really like this place, the wine selection is great and the atmosphere is very relaxed. You forget that you’re in midtown Manhattan. I’ve visited a few times since last year and have tried several reds along with some of the tasty cheese platters. Definitely plan to pass by again and I regularly recommend it to others.

Really nice bartender and service! Good selection of cheese and good selection of wine. A little tight on space but great place to relax and have some wine in an intimate romantic setting

Quaint setting tucked into a small spot in Hell’s Kitchen. A few tables strewn about and bar seating in a dimly lit atmosphere made for a quiet date night.
Got a couple glasses of red ($ 13 – 15) a pop. Nice service as the bartender allowed us to taste before making a decision. Got the Babaganoush ($ 8) to share while conversing — a good pairing with the strong drink overall.
Not too much to say about this spot. Decent food and wine selection, but there’s plenty of similar stops to choose from in the area. This place doesn’t particularly stand out, though fine if able to get a seat.

What a great place! I was walking back to my hotel and this place caught my eye, so I stopped in for a couple glasses of wine and an appetizer. I didn’t count, but they have around 25 – 30 wines by the glass (and a few more by the bottle). The wines cover a fairly wide range of styles and countries. I had two different reds, and was pleased. They also have a decently large food menu with a few sandwiches, appetizers, cheeses and charcuterie. I had their «cheese cigars», which were feta cheese wrapped in phyllo dough, then lightly fried — they were good.
The place itself is fairly small, but stylish and has a relaxed vibe. I suspect most of their customers are regulars who live in the immediate area, as there were a few other customers who knew the staff and each other. However, everyone was very friendly to me, and offered some restaurant recommendations.

Absolutely LOVED this spot and cannot wait to come back. We Unilocaled this place and decided to check it out. First, we almost didn’t go in because it looked so small and packed, but the bartender said there was a table open for us and stopped us before we left.
It’s cozy, intimate and romantic in there. Perfect for a date! The setting was just really cute and romantic with the dim lighting and candles.
Great wine and tapas options. Prices were also good.
I didn’t find it to be cramped because we were in our own world when we were there.
The bartender and other woman working were really nice. Always came by to check on us and refill our wine & water glasses. Service is fantastic.

I love, love, love Wine Escape. I first came about a year ago when I lived in the area. I remember thinking it was perfectly cozy and romantic with a great selection of wines and cheeses, and I’d been wanting to come back ever since. Finally found the opportunity when 3 girlfriends and I decided we needed a girls night in HK this Thursday — and it was exactly as I remembered!
I think because it’s a little off the main path, it was surprisingly not crazy busy. At 8pm on a Thursday the 4 of us were able to squeeze into a table without having to wait. The staff was very nice and helpful throughout, shifting tables to make more space around us when some other tables cleared out (at 8pm it was full enough that we were pretty tightly packed in to start). Bottles are about what you’d expect, $ 40-​$ 45 for most, actually not bad compared to lots of other similar spots. Cheeses are a bit pricey (5 for $ 22) but you get a very sizable chunk and they bring refills for pita and fig spread without you even asking. Seriously great service. We were having such a good time we actually ordered another bottle after closing out our first check.
TLDR; little pricey, but fantastic service and wine/​cheese makes it well worth a visit.

Cute little nook to hole up with a date, friend, or VERY SMALL group. The whole shop is long and narrow, allowing space for people to sit at the bar, and another to pass along behind them. If you have a small group, try to snag space at the window/​doors at the front of the shop (4 wide and across from the bottom edge of the bar which gives you another 3 seats).
I’m not «good enough with» wines to know if the selection is actually good, but there are several choices in the red, white (I believe including rose) and bubbles categories. Priced by the glass and bottle.
Appetizers are delicious, with an upscale flair albeit a bit small. Spinach artichoke dip is blended with tofu — great for me, terrible for my friend who apparently hates tofu. Unlimited pita refills for spinach artichoke dip and the felafel hummus plate. The beef croquets come 2 to an order and are crunchy on the outside and crumbly but moist and well-​seasoned inside.
Our bartender/​server (possibly sommelier — I don’t know) Jefferson was fantastic. He provided recommendations of wine given our preferences, welcomed our group of 4 even though it was a bit of a crowd for the space, was prompt with serving us despite being the only person behind the bar, and was just a pleasure the whole way through.
I highly recommend this for a cozy or intimate setting for a date, catch up or go out with friends, or a stopover for a light bite or cocktail to start or end an evening.

Loved this little place!
Went on a Sunday evening (the night of the Supermoon — Sept. 2015), and it was completely empty.
My sister and I were the only customers AND THAT WAS TOTALLY FINE WITH US!
Great ambiance!
Bartender was really nice!
The place is adorable with dim lights and candles.
Order the cheese combination place! DELICIOUS!!!
Attire: either dressy or casual.
Perfect for a date night or an intimate evening.
I would definitely go again!

This place is a true hidden jewel. Great wine and absolutely delicious appetisers.
The dolmas are amazing! An exotic twist has been added with a mixture of cinnamon nutmeg raisins and onions. A must! The hummus and falafel are HEAVEN!!!
As a middle eastern Arab take my word for it!!!
Enough said now wallow in this escape

A little wine bar in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen with great wine selection and small plates — love it! Somewhat similar to Adella (on the 43^rd st between 9^th and 10^th ave), but Wine Escape’s servers are more attentive and friendly. I finally had a chance to visit this place in Wednesday evening with two other friends. Luckily, we got a table as soon as we arrived there.
(**Warning: if you are starving to death, try other places. The biggest plate that this place offers is grilled sandwich…)
We started with cheese/​meat platter with glasses of wine. You can choose among +10 types of cheese flavors and 4 types of charcuteries. $ 15 for 3 types along with fig jam — great quality & price! Homemade meatballs along with fresh basil tomato sauce were amazing and very flavorful. Lahmacun (thin pizza slices with ground beef on the top) was a little disappointing — we should have tried zucchini pancake or cheese cigars, both of which seem to be everyone’s favorites. Grilled meat & cheese sandwich was good too.
Will definitely come back. The bar area looks good for a party of two.

Great wine bar in Hell’s Kitchen.
I love going there, super cosy and super sweet.
it’s little but the staff is great and it’s got a huge window up front so great for people watching.

Great little spot that luckily had space for the two of us. The plusses are great wine selection, including biodynamic and organic selections, plus daily specials. Also not a bad snack menu, but woefully lacking desserts (unless I just totally missed it on another menu).
Love the wood deco and friendly service. Good proximity to the train.

Intimate Hell’s Kitchen wine bar with knowledgeable sommelier, Mike who offers tasting samples to patrons unsure of their next glass of vino to order. Cheese and charcuturie plates and warmed pita bread
are paired with wine and adds to a great experience shared with friends

Super Weinbar, die Bedienung ist superfreundlich, der Wein kann sich sehrn lassen und ich kann auf jeden Fall sagen, dass ich in einer sehr langen Zeit nicht mehr so viel attentiveness gesehen habe. Wein wurde immer sofort nachgefüllt und wir durften sogar unser eigenes Essen mitbringen und man hat uns Teller dafür gegeben und die Orange geschält!
Auf jeden ein Geheimtipp!