"The NIU Kitchen team’s latest pivot, NIU Wine, has almost immediately become our favorite spot for a low-key night out, date, or particularly exhausting Thursday that calls for a glass of wine and an excellent panna cotta. The narrow space still has the intimate dinner party energy of NIU Kitchen (which is now located a few doors down the street)—with candlelight, tables perfect for couples, and lots of natural wine. There’s not really a wine menu. You just chat with the owner, and she’ll bring you some bottles to try. There is a rotating food menu, though, and it’s full of wine bar appropriate tapas like bacalhau with sofrito aioli, charcuterie, and a spiced chocolate truffle you definitely want alongside a glass of that red you picked because you liked the label. photo credit: Rami Sabban" - Ryan Pfeffer
"If you’re with a date or just want to hide from scary clouds in a slightly more romantic setting, duck into NIU Wine. The narrow wine bar is really charming, with flickering candles on each table and one of the best wine selections in town—poured by the glass or bottle. It’d be a great winter bar if it actually got cold in Miami. NIU Wine is also part of the NIU Kitchen family, which means you can also order from a small menu of outstanding Spanish dishes. So feel free to linger. It’s much more fun than wading through the flooded Downtown streets." - ryan pfeffer
"NIU Wine is always one of our favorite spots in town for a date night. The narrow space has an intimate dinner party energy, a noise level that’s perfect for conversation, and lots of candlelight, which will elegantly conceal the pimple that sprung to life six hours before your date. There’s not really a wine menu here. You just chat with the staff and they'll bring you some bottles to try. But there is a rotating food menu, and it’s full of wine bar-appropriate tapas, little sandwiches, and a spiced chocolate truffle you definitely want alongside a glass of that red you picked because you liked the label. This place is super tiny, so grab a reservation and you won't have to stress about not getting a table." - ryan pfeffer, mariana trabanino
"It is kind of impossible not to feel hot in NIU Wine. There’s the lighting, of course, which is dark and heavy on candles. But they also have a really delicious menu of small plates you can pop into your mouth without getting sauce all over your face. The wine selection is stellar, and 75% of the people sipping wine inside the narrow room are probably on a date, giving the atmosphere the sexual tension of a middle school dance (but much less awkward)." - mariana trabanino, ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo
"NIU Wine is the drinking equivalent of a cashmere sweater. This snug little wine bar is our favorite spot for a low-key night out, first date, or particularly exhausting Thursday that calls for a glass of wine and excellent Spanish bar snacks. The narrow space has an intimate dinner party energy with candlelight and tables perfect for couples. There’s not really a wine menu. You just chat with the owner, and she’ll bring you some bottles to try. There is a rotating food menu, though, and it’s full of tapas you definitely want alongside a glass of that red you picked because you liked the label." - ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo, mariana trabanino