My friends and I went to Lockwood to get some last minute Valentine's gifts and we decided to visit Claret which is literally on the corner of the block. We were greeted by a man, we later learned was the owner of the Wine Bar. Very personable and always ready to help us. We ordered a Aperol Spritz ($13), x3 cosmopolitans ($not sure) and a x2 glasses of wine ($13 each). For food we had the charcuterie board which you can customize! I think we got 7 items one which was $36, but there are options for 5 items $27 and 3 items $17. Each is served with Served with toasted baguette slices, grapes, fig jam, and whole grain mustard. We also had the The Champignon Pizza which was made of Fresh Herb Sauce, Mushroom Medley, Red Onion Confit, Fresh Mozzarella, Goat Cheese, White Truffle Oil ($17) and Truffle Mac N Cheese made of Black & White Truffle, Aged Gruyere Mac n Cheese ($17). Wow everything was so delicious! We ate and ate and kept ordering! For dessert we decided on Creme Brûlée ($12). Check came out to about $200 before tip. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Inside it was such a great atmosphere. Looked like lots of locals were there.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]We came on Friday night and learned they are playing live music every week. We jammed to some pre 2000 pop/rock songs. It was so great we DID NOT want to leave![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] It turned out the owner and one of my friends know each other from social media and he comped our dessert which was so sweet of him to do! We already made a date with my friends to come back next Friday! We literally cannot believe we didn't think of coming here sooner, but better late then never! read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Great place in the neighborhood and a chill time.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] My partner and I come to try a different dish every week. There's only one server but they try their best to be attentive and they're super friendly. Must-try spot if you're in Sunnyside! read more

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We came here during Halloween and were lucky to get a spot. I've been here before and always enjoy the wines and the charcuterie. Also the service is excellent. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Sometimes they have live music which is always a plus for me.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Claret Wine Bar is one of those places that just feels like love.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I've been coming here for years, but it's extra special to me now it was one of my favorite impromptu date night spots with my mom (and sadly our final cheers!) before she passed in '23. We made so many memories here. Still come back often, and it always feels like a little piece of her is here too. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It's run by two sisters (pretty sure one of their husbands is usually helping out too), and the whole vibe feels like family: warm, easy, and real.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] As fate would have it, my sister and I come here often and they remind us so much of ourselves... it honestly makes us laugh every time. Great wine list, cozy vibe, and small plates that are actually worth it. Our go-to faves: the Margherita pizza (obviously), the shrimp, truffle mac, and mussels. Everything's made with care and it shows. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Perfect for a casual night out that still feels special.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Claret Wine Bar - The Margarita Pizza - Wine Bars Near Me - Sunnyside, New York

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The owners are fantastic. The place was packed but they were so attentive. They really tried to make the holiday special. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place is pretty and clean.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I would definitely go back. They were so nice about accommodating my food allergies. read more

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Their happy hour with a bottle of wine and shareable pizza is a must order. The staff is so kind, welcoming and knowledgeable about wine. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It's a local haunt that's always buzzing in Sunnyside and for good reason[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

My boyfriend and I on a Friday night walked by and saw live music going on and it peaked our interest, though the music seemed to just be wrapping up. The owners saw us outside and started chatting with us, talking about the beginnings of the bar and the changes in the neighborhood. They seemed like lovely people, so we decided we'd come the next weekend to try out the scene, and my goodness--SO glad we did. Now we missed the happy hour but we did still get to catch the live music of the week, which was a very cool Balkan Jazz Band. We saw the owners again (they remember us!), and we ordered some wine as per their recommendation. The red wine my boyfriend ordered was particularly really tasty, and as someone that doesn't normally try red wines even I was into it (it was a Red Tuscan wine, total recommend). We also tried the hummus and chocolate cake. The cake was good, moist and rich in all the right places, but definitely too big a piece to finish on my own. The hummus actually surprised me with how good it was and that really stood out. Overall, with the classy ambiance and all, I love this wine bar, the sweet owners, and the wine selections they have to offer. I will certainly be coming back so I can get a taste of more wines on this list, and so I can try the Truffle Mac and Cheese I keep hearing about! read more

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This is my new fave happy hour wine spot! Can't beat the $30 wine and cheese/meat combo. My friend and I get one each so we have a good selection of items. Their rose is perfect, [[HIGHLIGHT]]especially when enjoyed outside on a nice day.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

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Great Service, People working there was very nice! Food was awesome and will give the ownership thumbs up!

Great service and ambiance. Flamenco night is so fun. Food is yummy! The music was lively and set the tone for the evening. Place was packed so get there early if you want to see the show! read more

Claret Wine Bar - Flamenco - Wine Bars Near Me - Sunnyside, New York

Great food and service. As a wine bar, they should do a more reasonable markup and stop serving $12 bottles for $60. I would love to go there and drink good wine at a fair price, that's what a wine bar in Queens is expected to do. read more

Been coming here for yonks. I think I have only eaten three things as I'm a creature of habit. The margarita pizza is great. It's a thin cracker crust. The salads are solid. I'm not a wine drinker, so I always have a Paloma and something else. They have live music nights which I assume are lovely as well. There's an early bird special here too I think. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Great place, great staff, wonderful atmosphere.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]It's gets crowded quickly, especially in the summertime.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]I recommend going anytime during the day, or early evening on weekdays and weekends.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The happy hour combo of wine + charcuterie board / pizza is pretty good. Especially the pizza. Fantastic flavor and their personal pizzas. Haven't gotten a lot of the other food there, though. Staff could take a bit of time to swing back around, whether busy or almost empty. [[HIGHLIGHT]]But you gotta go to Claret knowing that it's a go-with-the-flow, relaxed kinda place.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Once you think of it that way, you can manage your expectations and have a great experience like I've had on multiple occasions! read more

Loved the atmosphere and drinks. Nice date night spot. Service was great! Definitely recommend. read more

Claret Wine Bar - Rosé, Old Fashioned and Grapefruit Margarita - Wine Bars Near Me - Sunnyside, New York

Unfortunately, I just had a very poor experience at this establishment. Was here as a part of a group for a party and had an otherwise excellent time throughout the night. I went out front toward the end of the party and was joking and having a good time with other party members, and had positive things to say about the establishment. The party was ending, and I made a joke regarding how even though the party was ending, it was highly unlikely that they would kick a large party out of their establishment, especially with everyone drinking and having a good time. I mentioned that doing something like that would result in poor reviews, which I couldn't possibly imagine. We were also talking about another restaurant we had frequented the night before. During this time, the owner of the establishment overheard my personal conversation and sadly misheard or misinterpreted my personal conversation. (this is why eavesdropping is not helpful, if I had ANY issue with this establishment I would have certainly let them know) The owner personally confronted me and asked me to come to the front of the restaurant. Here, she told me that her husband, the other owner, heard what I said and wanted to know what the issue with their service was. I was obviously confused, as this was highly unusual. My girlfriend started to interject and the owner turned to her and touched her, and told her "I'm not talking to you." from there I walked away from the situation. I received no apology for this interaction. I even tried to clarify to the owner what I said, which I had no reason to do because they were both listening to a conversation they had no part in, AND they were wrong about what was said. I FULLY CONSENT to the sharing of any and all surveillance or security footage that the owner may think would refute my description of events. My partner and I left the establishment disappointed in this very uniquely rude experience. read more

I Visited Clarets Wine Bar on a Saturday with the family for a good friend's engagement party. The staff including Jackie were excellent and very attentive to us and everyone of our guest. The food was delicious I would highly recommend their personal pizzas and get the Hot Honey to spice it up a bit, delicious! Overall the experience, the ambiance, and the great quality of service made the time spent at Clarets impeccable. Would recommend to any and everyone. read more

New FAVE!! Haven't taken the best photos but been here a few times as it's always a great group hangout spot or casual date night. My friends were surprised to find this lively joint at this quaint neighborhood. Fridays are perfect because of the LIVE MUSIC. So id say go there earlier to get seats since it gets packed. The servers are extremely attentive and super friendly. It is on the slightly pricier end but I'd say the cheese and meat selections were perfect to pair with their delicious wine collection. Don't miss out on the Brie! ;) read more

Claret Wine Bar - Wine Bars Near Me - Sunnyside, New York

Visit Date: December 14, 2018 My thirty-one director wanted to have a girl's night out for our thirty-one team so she suggested we do dinner in Sunnyside, so I made the trek out to Queens, once again mildly cursing my choice to sign on with a director from Queens, but also happy because I like being on this thirty-one team. I was going to have a drink or two but I ended up driving to Mineola to take the train in with my good friend who signed up under me to sell, but is just selling mostly for the discount because LLR is her main business. Because I was driving drinking was out for me. We were going to visit The Lowry which I hope to eat in one day but they were closed, we were going to go to the skillman but it was too crowded so we chose Claret. The food that I did manage to get served was good. I ordered waters, garlic shrimp without the baguette and a salad. The garlic shrimp was very tasty. My salad never came out. It seemed they were fishing for my salmon in Alaska and growing the vegetables and lettuce themselves. The kitchen and service that night seemed to be a semi-sh*t show one server seemed to be helping a crowded restaurant. By the time she told me the order was finally in for my salad everyone else was finished eating so I told the server to forget my salad. When I got back to the Woodside LIRR I found a halal cart and got myself a salad with lamb and chicken. Because of the service and no salad I have to give them 3 stars if I come back again and it's better I'll give them five stars. I was also disappointed that they didn't serve coffee. What establishment doesn't serve coffee?I also think the restaurant owner or manager needs to hire more than one person on a Friday night. Sadly because of the issues I had I don't think I'd recommend this establishment. read more

Claret Wine Bar - Garlic shrimp - Wine Bars Near Me - Sunnyside, New York

Claret is a gem in the neighborhood that should not be taken for granted. Kevin, Jaci, Justin, Neil, and the kitchen staff all are amazing and very friendly which makes you feel at home. Good wine selection and delicious food. I recommend Sizzling Shrimp, Tomato Soup, Charcuterie & Cheese Plate, and Smoked Salmon Tartine, these are the ones that I have tried so far and did not disappoint. They have live music every Friday and offer various genres and music for every taste. I have listened to the majority of the bands and I can assure you that everyone is exceptionally talented and the majority of them are classically trained. They try to support local talents first which is very important to support local. You don't need to go to Manhattan to enjoy great music and jazz, just go to Claret to satisfy your cravings for great music and great food with a nice vibe. You'll thank me later. read more

Claret Wine Bar - An Evening with Jazz, Broadway and Oldies with Jaz Gabriel and Zach zarrow - Wine Bars Near Me - Sunnyside, New York

Came here for dessert. Had the crime brûlée and it was delicious. Overall desert options were limited but can't complain considering this was a wine bar with a great ambiance and a wide selection of wines read more

Claret Wine Bar - Crème Brûlée - Wine Bars Near Me - Sunnyside, New York

So glad I finally visited this place! Kevin was absolutely amazing, he did take care of everything from top to bottom. We enjoyed wines and also Mussels Pil Pil dish which we loved so much, that we ended up order one more dish before we leaving. Fantastic place, a charming gem in Sunnyside. Definitely recommend to visit. read more

I went on a Sunday night around 9:30 and it was pretty empty for the most part. I wasn't crazy that the menu, but the person I was with said we should go. There really aren't that many places in the area, Skillman Avenue. Nothing on the menu really jumped out at me but I ordered mussels in marinara-esq sauce and the other person ordered the pasta with pesto sauce which was supposed to come with chicken but she asked to substitute it with shrimp. My food was mediocre. The sauce barely had any flavor. It was an appetizer portion and a pretty decent amount for such. I actually left full. The pasta came out room temperature to cold and without any shrimp. When we informed the waiter of this, she said oh I thought you said/ I told the kitchen mushroom. Not sure how you confused as they sound pretty different. The waitress took the food back to reheat it and my friend ended up keeping the mushrooms but if it were my order I would not be happy because I hate mushrooms. The food seemed like it was just reheated in a microwave. The normal price was $16 and we were charged $17, for the shrimp price. It's $1 so not that big of a deal, but still, the order didn't come out as requested so the price should have reflected the original. Service was pretty slow for the amount of people, But she was friendly I guess. They also serve pizza, one (the prosciutto) has the exact same toppings as a pizza a Lombardi's in Soho (who copied who?) But I didnt try it to see which was better. Maybe one day I'll return to compare the tastes but as of now I dont have a desire to return here. read more

Claret Wine Bar - Pasta with Pesto (and mushroon) - Wine Bars Near Me - Sunnyside, New York

Claret Wine Bar has a charming outdoor experience...that I didn't experience. Instead I sat inside but by choice. I went there for lunch with my wife this afternoon. It was a beautiful day and we wanted to try a new place. The entire front of the establishment is open with a lot of breathing room which is refreshing. It has a good size bar with plenty of tables. We sat at the tables along the right wall that had bench seating. Now this is more of a funny thing, but the bench seats and the actual chairs are completely different heights. So my wife and I were at completely different heights while sitting across from each other. If you are on the bench like I was, it feels like the other person across from you is sunken very low. The back of the restaurant could use some work. There's a back area with a television which looks like a completely different restaurant then the front. I ordered a prosciutto salad and my wife had a prosciutto pizza. Both orders took...honestly kind of a long time to come out but were both presented very well. The salad comes with the greens wrapped inside of the rolled up prosciutto which was a nice touch. Again since I was just in Italy...the prosciutto was nothing like what I've experienced there but that's an unfair comparison. To compare it to other American restaurants I'd give it a 3 out of 5. The pizza was tasty and had a delicious crispy crust. It's a perfect size for one person and she liked it. I had a taste and it was very good. Now for the wine. There is a long list of wine and cheeses that you can try. I don't drink alcohol so I have no idea. But my wife had some riesling that she said was good...but that's about it. read more

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My husband, daughter, and I went to Claret on a Sunday afternoon. Sadly the service was lackluster - both standoffish and slow, despite only one other table. Due to this we decided to leave prior to ordering so I cannot comment on the food - just that it was an unwelcoming and disappointing experience for us. We have lived in the neighborhood for many years and decided to come back for a retry after a mediocre experience a couple years ago. I so wish our experience had been different as now it's just crossed off for us. read more

Came here for a friends event and really liked this place. It was very cozy and warm. The bartender was very friendly and helpful in making my wine selection. I'm looking forward to coming back on a regular night. read more

Went on a Friday night for the live music, Paola was amazing and so entertaining! Ordered the organic Pecorino (white wine). Light and very delicious! Very friendly staff and super attentive even while being so busy! Definitely going back and bringing friends! read more

Very chill neighborhood wine bar. They have fantastic live music, often with a Spanish tinge. Solid food options. Excellent imbibing options. Definitely worth a journey from anywhere in the City if you get an invite. read more

I've been coming here for the Friday night music and absolutely love the vibe here. The thin-crust pizza is straight up addictive and I wish they delivered to me. read more

Love this place! Favorite Happy Hour spot :) After scanning the menu my interest was piqued by the chicken liver pâté and the wonderful wine list. The wine list lived up to my girlfriends expectations (she's the one with good taste), and we'll definitely be back to work my way further down the list. Favorite this visit was the Calicanto Cabernet, closely followed by Blancat Malbec. The atmosphere was chill, friendly staff and good music. They could maybe do a bit more with the table decor, but each to his own! I kept thinking the music needs to sound more like a wine bar, but I don't know what type of music I expect at a wine bar?! Come for the happy hour, stay for the wine list!! read more

Claret Wine Bar - Wine Bars Near Me - Sunnyside, New York

Nice music on Fri 6/17/22 , performed Serhat , Sunnyside resident . Fantastic show ! He will be back in July . I can't wait to go again , great artist . read more

Nice new spot in the hood. It was need and filled the niche. Great for some appetizers and a glass of wine of course. I wouldnt go there expecting to have dinner. But they have great salads, cheese plates and appetizers. Very tasty though with a diverse range of flavors. You can tell the chef is probably well versed with wine pair with the menu they offer. the range of flavors can adapt to compliment their variety of wine. Well sized wine list with rotating seasonal varieties and specials. The block is one of my favourites in the neighborhood. Its pretty with iron lamp post and they take advantage of this with french doors and outdoor dining on this corner block bordering the lush and green sunnyside gardens. They have liv music. Not sure of the schedule but usually jazzy. Ive seen a sax accompanied by a full bass and its was great. I recommend. read more

Claret Wine Bar - Wine Bars Near Me - Sunnyside, New York

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So happy I stumbled upon this spot... the music and chill outdoor setting drew me to stop. I was attended by Olive, a great server! Very hospitable, had great recommendations and stellar service. I had the lobster roll, absolutely delicious! Portion was perfect, with side salad and chips. I will return to try the pizza! read more

Superb! Friendly and professional staff (everyone: kitchen staff, servers, bartenders, owners); yummy, varied food; great spirits selection; best wine list in the neighborhood; rota of musicians on Friday nights. It's become a real neighborhood meeting spot. Not that newbies should be discouraged (not at all, it's EXTREMELY friendly). I've met several people who've been a little intimidated to go there because it's called a wine bar. I'd encourage you to ignore that. It's a restaurant/bar that has a bigger wine list than most bars - not some snooty place where that's all you're expected to drink, nor is it more expensive. Also, it has a superb corner location with large picture windows on two sides, terrific sunlight; people-watching; romantic at night; lovely to watch the snow or rain. A special spot. read more

Great place to enjoy with friends, owner/bartender, great, waitresses are wonderful, and very nice and polite to clients. Nice addition to the neighborhood. Highly recommended read more

Been meaning to stop in here for a while, finally got the opportunity last night when the Christmas lights lured me in. My boyfriend and I were the only ones there for dinner that night, based on the reviews it seems to be more of a happy hour meat and cheese type of place. Very disappointed in what they consider a margarita pie and how they think it's ok to charge $14 dollars for a cracker with bland tomato sauce and cheese. The pan tomate was good. The meatballs were tolerable in the pasta and meatballs, not quite sure what that pasta was. Sigh, kudos to the server though, I liked his Pringle's sweater. I'm at a lost at what to think of this place and my wallet hurts and it wasn't worth the money spent. The wine was good. Yes, the wine and pan tomate were good. Meh. read more

Favorite spot in Sunnyside! Claret is such a wonderful gem, and my husband and I have been regulars for years. A great variety of excellent drinks, beautiful space with a view of the trees in Sunnyside Gardens, and run by the best people. Jaci and Kevin are so kind and always make us feel like family. Every time we're there we either see friends from the neighborhood walking by or they're also going to Claret. Just such a charming spot with a personal neighborhood feel. It's pretty perfect and always our go-to. read more

Loved this place! Excellent pizza and just a great vibe. So thankful for this neighborhood joint!

Great wine selection. I love the location; great place. I do hate their playlists. 80s rock stuff is hard to listen to. read more

Best happy hour menu in Queens!! $28 for a bottle of wine & a cheese plate. If you like blue cheese, get the Rogue Smokey Blue...hands down best blue cheese I've ever tried. Truffle Tremor and P.Robert Triple Creme Brie were pleasantly light and delicious also. read more

I feel a little bad giving this place 2 stars, but everything on Friday night was really a solid, "Meh. I've experienced better". 3 friends and I came here after enjoying a yummy dinner (which resulted my my getting sick...but I'll get into this on that restaurant's review) nearby. Our intention was to enjoy dessert and perhaps have a wine nightcap. Upon entering we were guided to a nice bench, given menus and served water. I noticed their pretty awesome draft beer and wine menu and made a mental note to come back and check them out...but our main goal here was dessert. Out of the group of 4, only 3 of us were in the mood for dessert and there were exactly only 3 types of dessert on the menu...so we got them all. The dessert du jour was Red Velvet Cake, I ordered their Tahitian Vanilla Crème Brûlée and my other friend ordered their Molten Chocolate Cake with whipped cream. Each item was $8. We legit waited 46 minutes for our desserts to be served and when we asked about it our waitress wasn't apologetic in the least. In fact, her response was, "I told you it was going to take awhile. Do you still want them?", my group and I were flabbergasted - we never had a heads up that our order were going to take almost an hour to arrive. Had I known, I probably would have just ordered a beer. The dessert presentations were all very pretty and all came with a rose made out of cut up strawberries and chocolate syrup as stems. My creme brûlée was ooookaaaaay. It wasn't impressive, but it was okay. The red velvet cake was disappointing on few different levels. The icing was meh, the cake itself wasn't very moist and it was a tiny round portion - we were expecting a slice of cake...a generous one given the $8 price tag. This was a tiny little cupcake sized portion. Pffft. The Molten Chocolate Cake was easily the winner in this trio and as delicious and as decadent as it was, I wouldn't endure the painful service just to order this again. One of my friends also ordered a sparkling rose wine and that took like 20 minutes to arrive to her (I think we had to ask about that too) and when the waitress came over and poured it in front of us, it wasn't what my friend ordered. It was a flat rose. We pointed that out to her and 5 minutes later she returned with the correct bottle. I felt that considering that we were still waiting a ridiculous time for our desserts, and the rose wine and she poured the wrong one, the waitress should have just left the flat wine and comped it. Her attitude was simply unapologetic and there was no semblance of customer service. Given our experience here and how there are plenty of cool places in this part of Sunnyside, I don't think I would return or recommend it to anyone...it's a shame too because my friend (who had the wine issue) that suggested Claret Wine bar really likes and is a regular patron here. But I'd only return if I was with friends who really wanted to. read more

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