Dinner party-like concept pairing curated wines chosen by industry experts with complementary bites.
At a glance
#142 of 146 Wine bars in New YorkLocalGuideWorld score: 4.16
Rating breakdown
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5 ★60%
-
4 ★16%
-
3 ★6%
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2 ★12%
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1 ★5%
Quick facts
- What is the rating of Niche Niche?
- Niche Niche is rated 4.1 out of 5 based on 131 reviews.
- How does Niche Niche rank in New York?
- Niche Niche is #142 of 146 Wine bars in New York by LocalGuideWorld score (rating weighted by number of reviews).
- Where is Niche Niche located?
- 43 MacDougal St, New York, NY 10011, United States — 1.8 km from the center of New York.
- How can I contact Niche Niche?
- Website: nichenichenyc.com
love the community/dinner party vibe here at niche niche. went for italian week and some winemakers from South Africa were also there - we had their wine for dinner and they went around the room speaking to everyone.
the atmosphere was absolutely lovely and the wine was great. portion size for the food could be a little larger.
the absolute highlight of the night was our server however, who went above and beyond to make sure we enjoyed ourselves. would strongly recommend - lots of value in coming back again too as the menu/wine pairings change so frequently.
the atmosphere was absolutely lovely and the wine was great. portion size for the food could be a little larger.
the absolute highlight of the night was our server however, who went above and beyond to make sure we enjoyed ourselves. would strongly recommend - lots of value in coming back again too as the menu/wine pairings change so frequently.
Super cute spot with paired wine and food prefixed menu. Kinda like a show with dinner as they explained the history of each wine. Food was delicious as well. Really enjoyed the escargot and chicken. Sat outside in pretty large outdoor space. Overall Defs recommend
If you like food and you like wine and you prefer a non-pretentious (and dare I say even fun) setting, then I don’t see why you wouldn’t go to Niche Niche. In town for work and oh my I’m a stuffed hog after the 4 courses + 4 wine pairings on my solo dining adventure. Enough food to share (the 4 ppl next to me shared what looked like 2 tasting menus) although I don’t really recommend sharing the dessert which tonight was a divine airy cream on top of airy chocolate mousse. Did I mention this week’s theme is Canary Islands (wine + dishes) and isn’t it great to get off the beaten wine path especially when the wines are paired so wonderfully and sometimes surprisingly with the dishes.
Wow. Absolutely amazing. The time and effort that goes into this dinner experience is so so impressive. We came here with a group of 6 and we’re blown away by how fun it was. The host was so engaging and had such a great attitude. We went on Australian week and loved all but 1 of the meals. We loved how the sommelier comes directly over to each table and explains the wine. The only thing we weren’t super amped on is the fact that you split every dish between two people. I left needing a little more food.
Came for a tasting menu at 6pm, theme was Jura in France -
The ambiance was wonderful and it wasn't very busy because it was early, which meant we could talk at a normal volume and didn't have to compete with the volume of other tables to hear ourselves. The food was excellent, and reminded me of homecooked dishes I've had at a French friend's family's house.
The food is served family style, though one person in our party of 3 follows a vegetarian diet and instead of serving their food as dishes intended just for them, they served it as an awkward amount and said it was still "family style" alongside the non-vegetarian dishes. This meant that sometimes the portions were either too small or too large of the veggie / meat option. Not ideal, but we're all adults and can deal with it. The wines were also lovely, but they weren't served in the correct glasses for the wine type and the glasses weren't cleaned between tastings so the flavours mixed a bit. Portions were good over all, and I'd have liked to be able to order a second glass of wine from the tasting menu but that was not possible.
Finally, the theme this week was Jura in France, and while our server was telling us about the French wines, they tried to pronounce French words shown on the bottle, names and regions - but the pronunciations were so far off that it was painful to listen to. I don't really have a suggestion for how to improve that, because I don't think it's fair to ask a server to learn additional languages each week, but if the foreign words are required then additional time training how to say them correctly would be welcomed and also demonstrate cultural sensitivity.
The ambiance was wonderful and it wasn't very busy because it was early, which meant we could talk at a normal volume and didn't have to compete with the volume of other tables to hear ourselves. The food was excellent, and reminded me of homecooked dishes I've had at a French friend's family's house.
The food is served family style, though one person in our party of 3 follows a vegetarian diet and instead of serving their food as dishes intended just for them, they served it as an awkward amount and said it was still "family style" alongside the non-vegetarian dishes. This meant that sometimes the portions were either too small or too large of the veggie / meat option. Not ideal, but we're all adults and can deal with it. The wines were also lovely, but they weren't served in the correct glasses for the wine type and the glasses weren't cleaned between tastings so the flavours mixed a bit. Portions were good over all, and I'd have liked to be able to order a second glass of wine from the tasting menu but that was not possible.
Finally, the theme this week was Jura in France, and while our server was telling us about the French wines, they tried to pronounce French words shown on the bottle, names and regions - but the pronunciations were so far off that it was painful to listen to. I don't really have a suggestion for how to improve that, because I don't think it's fair to ask a server to learn additional languages each week, but if the foreign words are required then additional time training how to say them correctly would be welcomed and also demonstrate cultural sensitivity.
These guys blew it out! Seriously phenomenal food. The wine pairings were spot on by their guest sommelier. The experience was wonderful. The ambiance was great. The caviar we ordered after the tasting menu was the perfect way of ending the evening. I couldn’t recommend this place enough!
Ambiance: Excellent. This place gives you a very cozy feeling; very relaxed atmosphere. The only negative was the loud music when we came in but seems like they turned it down after the first 15mins and then it became better.
Tables: We took a round table for 2. While it might look nicer and more intimate, I would in stay away from this. With the wine glasses, plates, knives/forks and food being a shared concept, we had to constantly juggle helping the waitress as she never had two hands (carrying multiple plates for the other tables). Takes out from the experience when you become the help for the wait staff.
Food Quantity: Was perfect. I know many diners complain about the price to quantity ratio however I found the amount of food was good. Could have made the dessert a bit more generous.
Food Quality: Excellent. The taste of all the food was exceptional.
Food Pace: The biggest negative of this place. We felt rushed through the entire meal. Came here thinking we would have a relaxed time, but it was just the opposite.
Wine Paring: The first and last wine we were served were extremely bad. The first one even had the smell of cork which is quite difficult to do with a bubbly wine. The middle two were exceptional. The amount of wine you get depends on the waiter/waitress and like many reviewers it is on the low side. The menu states 3oz per person per serving, but even this was a stretch on some of the glasses. On the last wine, which was extremely bad, I was glad that it was about half that.
Wine Glasses: Ok another major negative was that for the entire seating, they did not change the wine glass. We started with a bubbly white, followed by a white, then a red and finally another bubbly white. And I was cleaning the glass with water and my napkin after each serving.
Plating: As I said above, it’s a shared concept. They serve the table with one plate from which you take a portion to your own plate. But they served us on a chipped plate as can be seen in the photograph. Isn't this more than just looks, but a health/safety issue?
Overall: I believe all the issues above are from them wanting to rush you out the door. Missing a chipped plate, not switching wine glasses, the sommelier not tasting the wine before serving it, etc. I could not recommend a place where you feel eating is a race to the finish.
Tables: We took a round table for 2. While it might look nicer and more intimate, I would in stay away from this. With the wine glasses, plates, knives/forks and food being a shared concept, we had to constantly juggle helping the waitress as she never had two hands (carrying multiple plates for the other tables). Takes out from the experience when you become the help for the wait staff.
Food Quantity: Was perfect. I know many diners complain about the price to quantity ratio however I found the amount of food was good. Could have made the dessert a bit more generous.
Food Quality: Excellent. The taste of all the food was exceptional.
Food Pace: The biggest negative of this place. We felt rushed through the entire meal. Came here thinking we would have a relaxed time, but it was just the opposite.
Wine Paring: The first and last wine we were served were extremely bad. The first one even had the smell of cork which is quite difficult to do with a bubbly wine. The middle two were exceptional. The amount of wine you get depends on the waiter/waitress and like many reviewers it is on the low side. The menu states 3oz per person per serving, but even this was a stretch on some of the glasses. On the last wine, which was extremely bad, I was glad that it was about half that.
Wine Glasses: Ok another major negative was that for the entire seating, they did not change the wine glass. We started with a bubbly white, followed by a white, then a red and finally another bubbly white. And I was cleaning the glass with water and my napkin after each serving.
Plating: As I said above, it’s a shared concept. They serve the table with one plate from which you take a portion to your own plate. But they served us on a chipped plate as can be seen in the photograph. Isn't this more than just looks, but a health/safety issue?
Overall: I believe all the issues above are from them wanting to rush you out the door. Missing a chipped plate, not switching wine glasses, the sommelier not tasting the wine before serving it, etc. I could not recommend a place where you feel eating is a race to the finish.
Came here for a tasting menu with wine pairings which was a good value. I got pretty tipsy but was left feeling hungry because the foods were lighter and smaller portion than anticipated, and I am a small person, I wanted a slice of pizza after. That being said, the food was good and flavorful! Service was also great. I tried great and adventurous wines I would have never tried otherwise.
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