Sweet Grapes Wine Bar

Saturday night, every single bar in town is crowded and busy. My friend and I are walking down the Essex St. and find this wine bar that only have 6people including the bartender and the singer in the stage. I tried to order a cocktail and realize this is a wine bar. I I love Lambrusco from Italy. It’s the grape from Tuscan south. The sparking and sweet berry favor lift my spirit tonight. The bar definitely deserve the name of sweet grape. There are only two beer glasses in the bar. So they have to search to get another glass for my friend’s beer which is adorable. If the bar in the W hotel is the girl from the upper east side, then this wine bar definitely is a girl from Tennessee.

Who doesn’t like wine? This is a VERY small but very personable place. I had a great time here and the wine selection was good. Don’t go there with any particular brand in mind because they rotate out their selection but rather go with an open mind and try something new! The prices are reasonable and the bar tender was knowledgeable and friendly. He even let us hook up our ipod and play our own music! If you want beer don’t bother because they only have ONE however it was a very good beer. You come to a place like this for the Wine, cheese and crackers!

Stumbled into this place a couple of nights ago, randomly, and am glad I did. Nice little cozy spot, not huge space, but nonetheless pleasant. That night, a live band happened to be playing, which was awesome-​the music was pretty good.
Their wines selection doesn’t appear to be that great, though I am not a Sommelier by any stretch of imagination, but their prices are very cheap compared to other NYC wine bars. Glancing through the menu, I think the most expensive wine by glass was about $ 12 bucks. The glasses are also big, so you get a lot of wine for the money you pay.
What I really liked about the place though is the bartender, who was the coolest, down to earth, and the funniest bartender I’ve met in NYC-​needless to say the service was also good.
The place was also very packed on a Friday night, but I didn’t mind because the crowd seemed pleasant and nice, not bunch of drunk idiots acting like teenagers. Will be visiting again soon!

Cute! Lots of diff. wines.

I like any place where they honor your Groupon even after it’s expired and they still treat you with respect.
Sweet Grapes is a small and cozy spot just north of Houston and all of the action. The bartender was very friendly and chatted it up with us the whole time we were there. She walked us through all of the wine samples that she gave us and cut up some fresh fruit for us to try as well.
I think this is a perfect spot to grab a class of wine or two and just chill.

I have to agree with the other people who described it as cozy and a hidden gem. This is a nice neighborhood spot, a great pregame or debriefing point to start or end a night. And the ambiance is great for a date — especially on a weekday evening.

I went here with some friends because of a Groupon offer. The bartender, Vincent, was really nice. He changed the deal so we could get a little more for the deal. He also gave us an extra tastings, so that was a plus. He went out of his way to make the whole visit enjoyable.
The selection of wines was good, but small for a wine bar, and most of them tasted good. Although I wasn’t a fan of their chardonnay. The atmosphere was charming. There was a singer who came on later in the evening. She was good and not too loud that you couldn’t continue to have a conversations.
The only drawback is that the bar is really small, so stay to groups of 4 or less.

eh. Not much really interesting goin on here. If you really know vino it won’t impress you. No food. just eh.

Not the best wine selection (mostly Italian wines, so you draw your conclusions:) —
But very cozy ambiance, friendly service,
Live music and very much your local-​hot-​spot type of atmosphere place

Great place for a date before or after dinner. The place was quiet but there is a good list of red and white wines. It was a bit small– I think it will fit at most 14 people at a time. There was a musician playing her music when we went. Overall a great experience. Did wine tasting and had a really chill time at this venue. Will probably visit again soon =)

Prices here are cheap– I think the most expensive glass of wine was $ 10. But that also renders the Groupon not much of a deal at all. The Groupon for 2 was $ 40, and gave 2 tasting flights (5 samples per flight), 2 full glasses of wine, and «hors d’oeuvres.» So sort of like 4 glasses of wine and a plate of snacks for $ 40.
The plate of snacks was large, but the flavors may have overwhelmed the wine. It included a small amount of hummus, plus a few olives, chocolate raisins, pita chips, crackers (with poppyseed), little hard pretzels filled with peanut butter, and two types of cheese (cheddar and jalapeño-​jack). Not horrible, not spectacular.
The wine and service were okay. There was a selection of maybe 10 reds and 10 whites. The bartender (a girl) somehow read the Groupon as having only four rather than five types of wine in each flight (we had to ask for our 5^th)… and we felt as if we’d overstayed our welcome. So that was awkward.
There was live music– a very sweet-​voiced singer-​songwriter. We just felt bad because the wine bar is such a small space that it would be rude to try to catch up with a friend while the performance is going on. So don’t go in the mid-​to-​late evening (I think the performer started around 9 pm) if you just want to chat.
If you’re in the area, this place might be a nice place to visit for the ambiance, live performances, and reasonably-​priced wine… but not worth making a special trek. And certainly not worth the Groupon.

Went here with a groupon and loved it. The bartenders were both very nice and friendly. The wine selection is nice and varied and it is all completely unpretentious. It makes me want to venture below Delancey more often.
They have live music and the guy playing that night was a young kid singing country music. He had a great voice and was really nice and easy going with the crowd.

Enjoyed my time at Sweet Grape via Groupon. Kyle, the bartender, was knowledgeable and very helpful with
making suggestions. That evening there were musicians at work. You will enjoy the wine selection and the time spent there.

I found out about this place after purchasing the Groupon deal. I trekked down here on a Friday night, walked in, and was definitely taken aback by how tiny this place was. It is a narrow little space with seats at the bar, and maybe enough room for another row of people to stand behind those seats until its at max capacity. We thought there was more room in the back and tried to navigate back there, only to find out that there is no additional seating back there, but instead a singer setting up for a live performance. Realizing there was practically no room for us, we were about to leave, until we found a seat at the bar in the front corner. We gave it a shot, and we were damn well glad we stayed.
This place blew my mind. We told the bartender we had a Groupon to do and all he wanted to do was make our experience the best it could be. The bartender asked us which wines we wanted for our flights and we just said a mix of whites. He set up our flights and gave us two plates of appetizers that were filled with a mix of fruits, olives, cheeses, hummus, and crackers. All of the food was so good and went so well with our wines (not that I know which food pairings go with which ones, and I don’t care as long as the food tastes good).
After we enjoyed our flights, we ordered a glass of Prosecco each. The bartender even put an additional glass of prosecco in front of us and topped our glasses off with prosecco a few times all on the house. This guy was great.
And let’s not forget the live music. I don’t remember this woman’s name but she had a great voice and was singing some great tunes all night, and even weaved in some poems she wrote that were impressively creative.
Definitely will be back at some point. This place was such a great find.

My friend had a Groupon for this quaint wine bar. The owner/​bartender could not have been more welcoming, accomodating, friendly, polite and knowledgeable. The wine was divine, the snack plate very visually appealing and appetizing, and when we devoured all of the cheese and crackers he offered up more. If you have a Groupon it is well worth the money, even if you don’t the prices for glasses of wine are very reasonable, the live music was lovely, and the other patrons were fun. My friend and I will be back there next week with our husbands to enjoy another evening out. Overall a wonderful, fun experience.

I found this cozy little place through their groupon ad. What a wonderful hidden gem. The staff was friendly and the ambience is amazing. The 4 of us had such a great time, we wish we lived closer. It’s a must stop when in the area.
The snack plate was wonderful: cheese, olives, artichoke hearts, chocolate and grapes. Plus their wine is just abundant for such a small place.
Thank you groupon for this gem. Also love music every night. Will be back, thank you sweet grapes.

A rather hidden little gem, this spot features affordable wines in an intimate and friendly environment. The staff is immensely friendly, with just the right mix of attention, chattiness allowing friends to talk.
While only enough seating for about a dozen, I was told they have live music from time to time and I’m sure it is great in such a close quartered venue. With fun owners and staff, you inevitably get fun times.
Well worth a stop in.

Came here from Chicago to run the streets of NYC.
So happy we ran into this awesome hang out!
(we actually came back a couple of times during our weekend visit)
Not only is Bill the owner the coolest guy ever, but very knowledgeable with the wine, and their selection is great.
Warm and intimate atmosphere, and great people.
Will be back for sure!!!
Thanks for everything Bill!

There’s nothing like having a neighborhood hang out where you know you’ll not only have impeccable service, but also get the chance to meet great people and are guaranteed to have a great night. Sweet Grapes is that cozy little place you can’t wait to go to night after night.
Nick is as awesome as they get; gives you a taste of everything and lets you choose what you want and is always down to have a great time. He’ll not only start a conversation, but will also have no problem chiming in on yours. He makes sure to give everyone individual attention when it comes to serving drinks and really is as good as it gets.
The place itself is tiny, but the people who frequent this place all live in the area; this is definitely one of those places where you get to know your neighbors. Everyone who comes to Sweet Grapes is super friendly and while it may get tight in here, you’ll have no problem getting to know everyone and you’ll be having conversations as if you’ve known each other for years.
I have nothing but good things to say about this place and Unilocaling about it will definitely make my local spot a hot spot, but this is hands down a place you have to visit, and once you do, you will never stop coming back.

I’m not employed by this place, but I did choose their wine list. And I was paid for it. I consulted for them, full disclosure. I will not tell you how great the wine list is. Find that out for yourself. I wanted to see if the place was any good, so I went on opening night.
I brought my wife and a friend who happens to be a neighborhood old-​schooler with me, and we liked it quite a bit. Who knows what it’ll develop into, but chill, small, reasonably priced and a pleasant environment are all alright by us.
First off the place is tiny. It can seat maybe 17, with standing room for a grand total of under 30 people at any given time. The décor walks the line between upscale (flowers on the three tables and the bar, historic neighborhood pictures on the wall, candles) and kitsch (fake grape vines, antique guitar, old-​fashioned mechanical cash register). Wine by the glass and bottled beer are served across a classic wooden bar. A few deals, but most of it lands at or slightly below the neighborhood’s going rate. Not a rip-​off joint by any means. Food runs a similar gamut, all simple, from kitsch to classic: shrimp cocktail, mini quiches and artichoke dip to olives and a cheese plate. All priced fairly.
It’s the kind of place where locals would be equally at home with grown up hipsters, as long no more than 14 from each camp crowded the room. The potential for coolness seemed to the there, over the two hours we spent there. Music was mostly jazz, with some baby boomer rock thrown in.
Can’t really judge a place on opening night. I’m sure there will be some growing pains. But all three of us had a good time tonight. Stayed for two more glasses of wine than we’d planned on. Surely will be back. I did the wine list, after all. Everybody else involved is responsible for everything else, and so far so very good.