Somm Time
Two hundred bottles deep on Broome Street
Lower East Side · New York · Elevated small plates and seasonal cuisine · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed March 25, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
You walk into a spot on Broome Street that looks like a cozy living room and get handed a list with over 200 labels, anchored by regions most New York wine bars wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. Macedonia, Hungary, Switzerland — this is not the Pinot Grigio and Malbec lineup you were bracing for. Someone here actually cares.
Selection Deep Dive
The list reads like a sommelier's personal cellar got democratized: Alsatian Riesling sitting next to Swiss Heida Paien, a Macedonian white holding its own next to Piedmontese Nebbiolo, and a Hungarian red that has no business being this affordable. The Greek Antonopoulos Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc is the kind of pick that makes you realize how much of the wine world you've been ignoring. Small producers dominate, Old World geography drives the selection, and the gaps are honestly hard to find. If you came here hoping for a Napa Cab at the top of the list, you are in the wrong zip code — and that's a compliment.
By the Glass
Glass pours run $15–$18, which is reasonable for New York and downright generous given the quality of what's being poured. The specific by-the-glass lineup isn't published in full, but given the depth of the bottle list and a sommelier on the floor, expect the pours to rotate with intention rather than just clearing slow-moving inventory. Ask what's open — you're likely to get something interesting.
Vinemind Riesling — $60
Retails around $25, so the restaurant markup lands at roughly 140% — tight for NYC standards. You're getting a genuinely interesting Riesling at a price that doesn't make you wince when you order a second bottle.
7 Radku Black Label
A Hungarian red at $70 that most tables will scroll past in favor of something familiar. Don't. This is exactly the kind of bottle this list was built for — obscure region, real character, and a price that reflects the producer's size rather than a marketing budget.
Lightwell Survey Hinterman
At $70 on a $28 retail bottle, it's the steepest relative markup on the list. Lightwell Survey is a fine producer out of Missouri, and the Hinterman is genuinely good — but at 150% markup you're paying a premium for the novelty factor. Everything else on this list offers better bang for that same spend.
Antonopoulos Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc + Seasonal small plates with roasted or braised meat
A Greek red with Cab Franc in the blend has structure and dark fruit without the weight of a big Napa pour — it plays well with rich, savory small plates without stomping on the food. This is the kind of pairing the staff here actually loves talking through.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Somm Time is what a wine bar looks like when a real sommelier builds the list and doesn't try to please everyone — over 200 bottles deep, fair prices, and a genuine point of view that makes every visit feel like a minor education. Send your wine-curious friends here immediately.
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