Lea Wine Bar
“Hidden somewhere in the Helmsley Building above Grand Central, Lea can be easily overlooked by the passerby.”
“Can't speak for the vibe because I went during the Yelp event yesterday, but I think I'd be here more often if I worked nearby!”
“Definetly a hidden gem that has delicious sushi and fantasty drinks.”
Lea Wine Bar
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Coat Check: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Dark room, velvet seats, vaulted ceiling high bar shelves – a great place to meet for business happy hour and cocktails. You'll see more business suits and women in dresses and high heels here than not, and you are served by warm friendly staff who are not afraid to have full conversations with you. It is on the pricey side, but if you're looking for a more upscale – dare I say adult or grown-up – bar to hit up, I'd recommend Lea.
Super cute decor, this little gem is hidden in the Helmsley Walkway. With its black drawn blinds if you walk past quickly you might just miss it. The place has a chic vibe with hostesses that resemble eclectic runway models. The crowd, however, appeared to be local finance industry folks. We had the shrimp
Cocktail which was ok. The real show-stopper was the Marguerite pizza! Ultra thin pizza dough was similar to a super thin croissant and the sauce and cheese was spot on! This dish was sooo yummy we had to order it twice. We also tried the cheese Pom frites with truffles…. Oh so delicious! The Tapas here do not disappoint. For drinks we decided to go with a couple of bottles of the Malbec Red Blend which paired nicely with the pizza. We will be back.
It's okay. Came on a Monday evening after work.
Note – this is located in one of the tunnels on Vanderbilt. Not the tunnel on the same block as the Duane Reade – it's on the parallel tunnel on the opposite side. Basically, – you might walk in circles trying to find it.
The space is pretty nice. From the outside, it looks deceptively large. But once inside, the place is not that big.
The crowd is mostly (boring) suits. (Sorry!). Or people with the rolling carry-on suitcases. So, it's not much of an atmosphere with the crowd. Maybe later in the week is more lively/social? Dunno. Unlike other reviews, I didn't think it was noisy.
The food was pretty good – not great, not bad. Be warned, the pizza is large! So, we ended up ordering way too much food, when considering the pizza. The brie and prosicutto was just okay- kind of bland actually. The mini burgers and guacamole were great. As was the large pizza.
Drinks were okay.
Overall – an easy and safe place to meet for an after-work drink/apps. Otherwise, no need to run there.
Love this place. It's the perfect after work spot with awesome drinks and friendly staff.
Less than a block away from Grand Central station, this spot is perfect for grabbing some drinks and snacks before you or your dining partner hop onto the Metro North. It's a cozy space with a quirky, yet sophisticated decor, so any interior snobs you may be grabbing drinks with will be impressed. The service is speedy, the appetizers are good (though I wouldn't recommend coming here on an empty stomach since Lea's has a strong emphasis on small plates) and the Riesling is particularly amazing. Splitting the prosciutto/goat cheese pizza and the sliders is a good idea– the sliders come with truffle fries…yum! I've been a few times and am always looking forward to my next visit.
We came here for a farewell happy hour for our co-worker. We booked a table in advance for 8 people, not knowing if it was going to be crowded. They had our table ready for us, but it was all the way in the back, near the coat closet and the bathrooms. It was nice to have a more private space, but it really sucked that it had to be in that area. They could've definitely put us in a better position imo.
As for food, we ordered the fries, sliders, shu mai, and some pizza. Fries were pretty good as were the sliders. Shu Mai was very moist and soft, but it lacked in flavor. It tasted very bland, just like I had mush in my mouth. I can't remember what pizza I got, but the meat on it tasted funny. The crust and cheese were good, just the meat's a bit weird. The pizza was also a very thin crust, so for you thick fluffy crust lovers, this might not be for you. The bottle we ordered was delicious though. Not sure what we got, but it was very good.
Overall, it was an okay place. Food was a hit or a miss. Wine was good, but that really depends on what you order. Service was pretty good though, so I will give them that.
Definetly a hidden gem that has delicious sushi and fantasty drinks. I usually come here with coworkers after work to socialize.
Great lounge in midtown Manhattan. I found Lea Wine Bar to be perfect for a smaller group looking for a classy yet intimate after-work happy hour location. The atmosphere is vibrant yet quiet enough for people to carry a conversation. The restaurant started filling up around 6PM when people head over after work. Lea Wine Bar is actually in one of the Grand Central underpasses so is a great location for those who have to take the subway or Metro North afterwards. The servers were all friendly and attractive women while the clientele were mostly men in suits. There is an expansive wine menu but there are also cocktail and beer options. My only gripe is no happy hour specials so expect to still pay the standard $20 for cocktails. However, my cocktail was very delicious..the Sweet Surrender is served in a champagne flute with a strawberry on the rim.