The Best Places to Sip Champagne in New York

Serious wine nerds convene at this Nolita wine bar that’s an offshoot the Parisian original. You’d expect the Champagne to be top-notch, and it is: You’ll find four pages of offerings, which range from a 375ml bottle of Krug ($70) to magnums of Special Club bottlings (from $450) and verticals of Jacques Selosse—the staff members are clearly fans. It’s the place you go when you’re looking to explore grower Champagnes (aka independent farm-to-bottle wines) and zero-dosage bottlings (which forgo the commonly added sugars for an uber-dry finish), and it’s a good bet when you want to blow it out with friends. Case in point: We’ve got our eye on a few jeroboams (three liters, or twice the size of a magnum).

249 Centre St.;, compagnienyc.com

It’s worth stopping by this Union Square wine bar after 9 p.m., when master sommelier Laura Maniec’s spot offers the appropriately titled “Champagne Campaign.” The deal? All bottles of French bubbles are half off. That means you can grab a killer bottle of vintage Champagne for close to retail (some as low as $55)—if any of these were actually available in stores. Bonus: You can also score the deal at Corkbuzz’s other locations in the Chelsea Market and Charlotte, North Carolina.

13 E. 13th St.; corkbuzz.com

What better way to sip Champagne than in a Baccarat crystal flute? You’ll definitely feel like you fell out of a scene in Gossip Girl when you post up along the bar’s cozy banquette at this glamorous midtown hotel. Piper-Heidsieck Rare Brut 1999 is available by the glass ($80) as is Ruinart Blanc de Blancs NV ($45), but the best value is a bottle of the Louis de Sacy Brut Originel for $140. Sticker shock? Nah, we know: You fancy.

28 W. 53rd St.; baccarathotels.com

“Punk sommelier” Paul Grieco, as he’s often dubbed, is known for his unconventional approach to wine (case in point: Summer of Riesling, where he puts the focus on an oft-underappreciated wine). He sources rad Champagne bottles you won’t find elsewhere, and brings in winemakers and experts to host events with no shortage of bubbles. At the Tribeca location of his famed wine bar, the four-page list denotes the breakdown of grapes, dosage levels, fermentation details and disgorgement dates (which mark the last step in production) for the Champagne bottlings, something you don’t see on most wine lists. Plus, he highlights five cheeky reasons you should drink Champagne right now, including (but not limited to) “because Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, drinks it every day for breakfast…before he runs 10K and performs 67 pushups.” Good enough for us.

24 Harrison St.; wineisterroir.com

This beloved Williamsburg wine bar draws bubble lovers from afar with its extensive list of small producers and heritage houses. Just about every label on the Champagne list has a cult following (think Frédéric Savart and Ulysse Collin). If you want to get in with the cool wine kids, close your eyes and point to one—you really can’t go wrong—or get a rec from one of the helpful staff members. Plus, the menu is constantly changing, with “Last Call” bottle deals on a regular basis.

295 Grand St., Brooklyn; fourhorsemenbk.com

What better to go with Champagne than… pizza? While it’s not a classic pairing, it is an excellent one, and the wine list at Danny Meyer’s ode to Roman-style pie in Gramercy does not disappoint. Renowned names like Bollinger pop up, as do sommelier darlings like Pascal Agrapart. It’s all shockingly affordable, with an entire section of the wine list touting “Champagne Under $100.” The lowest priced bottle, Ployez-Jacquemart Extra Quality Brut, clocks in at $60.

29 E. 29th St.; martamanhattan.com

Pull out your notebook, because this intimate Greenwich Village lounge is all about having fun and learning something...about booze. The menu breaks down the differences between sparkling wine regions around the world and even includes a “Champagne for Dummies” section. You’ll leave feeling like a wine pro after studying some awesome sips. Champagne-specific bottles range from $52 for Hubert Beaufort to $668 for Dom Perignon PR 1995, but the best part is you’ll end the night without homework.

127 Macdougal St.; airschampagneparlor.com

Sommeliers have long raved about the fabulous pairing of Champagne and Chinese food, and one of the best spots to test that theory is at a famed Chinese chef’s Bryant Park restaurant, which specializes in roast Peking duck. The trilevel space includes a terrace, and the giant bar makes stopping in for a drink a casual yet luxurious experience: Cocktails come in gold-leaf-rimmed glasses and musicians provide live entertainment on Thursday evenings. Plenty of Champagne bottles hover around the $100 mark, and what’s unique is the rotating list of special offerings. Since 2018 is the Year of the Dog, the restaurant includes other dog-year vintages on the list, including a bottle of Louis Roederer Cristal 2006 ($398).

3 Bryant Park; dadongny.com

Walking into Maison Premiere is like dropping by a 1920s New Orleans speakeasy. The Champagne list may not be extensive, but it is focused on one detail: what best pairs with oysters (there are no less than 30 types on offer). Even if you don’t have a shellfish craving, it’s worth stepping in for the bubbly. Beloved producers include standout growers like Marie Courtin, Georges Laval and even Champagne Bourgeois-Diaz by the glass ($18).

298 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn; maisonpremiere.com