Lei
Wine bar · Chinatown
15-17 Doyers St, New York, NY 10013
Highlights
Intimate wine bar serving creative Chinese-American small plates
Intimate wine bar serving creative Chinese-American small plates
"Lei is an exciting new Chinatown wine bar, owned one of the partners (and beverage director) at King and Jupiter. The mostly European and American wines are poured alongside Chinese dishes like cat’s ear noodle with cumin lamb, sweet and sour short ribs, and sesame shao bing with butter." - will hartman, willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, sonal shah, bryan kim
"Verdict: The run of exciting new downtown wine bars continues. It’s not yet on the level of Sunn’s or Ha’s Snack Bar, but this closet-sized spot from a King co-owner has an impressive wine list and creative Chinese-American small plates worth seeking out. Bring a date, drink some German chardonnay, and order the sweet and sour short rib. Most tables are held for walk-ins, but Lei does release some reservations two weeks in advance at 9am. The place only has 24 seats, and they fill up quickly, so get here around opening at 5pm if you don’t want to wait." - bryan kim
"Like nearby Sunn’s and Ha’s Snack Bar, Lei is a fashionably snug place where you can drink good wine and eat something exciting. The candlelit Chinatown spot from a King co-owner is yet another worthwhile addition to the Asian-inspired wine bar subgenre, serving creative Chinese-American small plates that pair well with an extensive, French-leaning bottle list. If you want Champagne, there are around 70 options. There’s also a Chinese pet-nat infused with jasmine tea, and a German chardonnay by the glass that goes down like ice-cold lemonade. Pop in for a drink before dinner at a nearby spot, and try a few snacks like a sweet and sour short rib glazed with strawberry jam or a flaky shaobing stuffed with a chilled pat of butter. photo credit: Matt Russell How to get into Lei Most tables are held for walk-ins, but Lei does release some reservations two weeks in advance at 9am. The place only has 24 seats, and they fill up quickly, so get here around opening at 5pm if you don’t want to wait." - Bryan Kim
"Opening on Friday, June 6 at 15-17 Doyers Street, this intimate 24-seat wine bar is a personal project from an owner who named it as an homage to her late sister. It aims for a casual, walk-in-friendly wine-bar vibe that complements nearby BYOB celebratory spots rather than competing with wok-heavy neighbors; the focus is on delicate Chinese techniques like steaming and braising that pair well with wine. Working in an all-electric, compact kitchen, the chef (a Mission Chinese alum) and the team built an edited menu of fewer than 15 dishes—highlights include hand-rolled cat’s ear noodles with lamb braised in cumin and tomato, specials that might riff on Taiwanese three-cup preparations, a chrysanthemum salad dressed mostly with tea blended with vinegar, and house-made sesame shaobing served with butter. Bottle storage and the wine program were carefully planned by the wine director, and desserts lean playful and nostalgic, from guava shaved ice to an eight-treasure pudding with sticky toffee and vanilla ice cream." - Emma Orlow
"Annie Shi, co-owner of King in the West Village and Rockefeller Center’s Jupiter, is opening a wine bar at 15-17 Doyers Street in Chinatown. A spokesperson says: "Located on the historic Doyers Street stretch, the cozy spot serves low-intervention wines from classic producers as well as up-and-coming voices. The food menu, which features dishes rooted in Chinese recipes with playful nods to Annie’s upbringing in New York City, is designed to eat well with the broad wine list," per a spokesperson. The project is targeting a late-spring to early-summer opening." - Melissa McCart
