Terroir Murray Hill (439 Third Ave, between 30th and 31st Sts)

This is the third location of the Terroir empire (the others are in the East Village and Tribeca).  A reverse-L shaped, 15 seat bar resides on the left side of the establishment, while eight six-person high top tables fill the right side of the space.  Dozens of wines available by the glass and bottle and there are six quality craft beers on tap.  The food is a mix of small plates, charcuterie and other types of wine-bar food.  There are not many wine bars in Murray Hill, so if you are in that nabe and are looking for a different scene from the typical Murray Hill night out of sports bars and Irish pubs, this is the place for you.  If a few more such spots open up, then we will have the makings for a Murray Hill wine-focused NYC bar crawl.

Winston’s Champagne Bar (Gansevoort Park Hotel, 420 Park Avenue South, entrance on 29th Street)

Located as part of the Gansevoort hotel, this just might be the most expensive, non-nightclub establishment in Manhattan.  Much has been made of the of the $18 artisanal cocktail bars that have sprouted around Manhattan recently.  Well, if Winston’s had an $18 drink on their menu, it would have been the least expensive one!  The focus, as the name suggests, is on champagne, available by the glass or bottle.  There is also red and white wine on the menu.  The least expensive offering was a glass of red wine for $20.  The bottles of champagne started just below $200 and went all the way up to $28,000 (no, that is not a typo).  The space is bi-level and has seating in front and a small bar area toward the back.  Up a spiral staircase (that is next to a yellow grand piano), there is some more seating on the second level.  Not my first choice to for a night out, but if you like champagne and wine and you’d like to spend some money, Winston’s is worth a visit.

Have you been to Terroir Murray Hill or Winston’s?  If so, I’d like to hear from you!  Please share your thoughts here.