If you can find it, then you've won half the battle. If you try to go there after work on a Thursday, then you're going to experience the yuppie crowd in its element. On the days it's not crowded, (early in the week) Lea a great atmosphere to take a date. The two person tables are intimate and the lighting (or lack thereof) really puts you in the mood for some canoodling. The food is amazing! You wouldn't expect it from a place that seems to place its main focus on its scantily clad waitresses. Usually when the waitresses are bare, the food is horrible. Not the case here. The sushi is the freshiest and tastiest I've ever had. Their mini burgers and french fries are Mmmmm!! Drinks are also well made and almost worth the midtown prices. Their dirty martinis are $14 a pop but dangerously delicious. Beer is a ripoff--$8 for a Heineken? So, if you can avoid the crowd, you'll have a really great (albeit expensive) night. read more

Nice prosecco here. Grab a spot after work in this dimly lit hideaway and catch up with good friends or gossip about colleagues. read more

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Love Lea! My boss recommended it so my husband and I went a on date and it was great! Everything we ate was delicious and the drinks were equally good! Everything we ordered just had such amazing taste! The atmosphere is really nice. It wasn't crowded at all! We had: Calamaretti Wild Mushroom and Truffle Gnocchi Brazilian Pasteis Spicy Crunchy Salmon Roll Drinks: Jalapeno Fly- YUM! (if you like jalapeno drinks) Midnight Tryst- really good and pretty strong. Can't wait to go back! read more

MMM love this place! Yes it's kind of hard to find but if you can find the Bobby Van's entrance then it's right next door. It's nice and dark (I love dark places). I got a table here with someone while I was on a date.. It's so perfect for a date but maybe the second or third since It's kind of loud so you can't really have deep convo. OMG the rock candy mojito is FAB and if your a girl who loves sweet drinks this is your place!! :) Will deff come again! read more

Ive been to Lea twice. The first experience wasn't too special, but last night I had a fantastic time! I was really torn btwn giving Lea three stars and four, but my rule is that if I give it 3 stars I won't go back, but 4 means its good enough to check out again - hence, Lea gets 4. It's a hidden gem with a VERY corporate crowd (despite that, I still had a good time). The service was much better last night and the waitress actually knew what she was talking about. I have to say, the food was ridiculously good. I didn't have super high expectations, though, so that may have been a factor. We ordered the ciabattas (pick 3 for $11). We got eggplant and mushroom caviar, Tuna Tartar, and Brie and Beef. YUM! The tuna tartar and beef and brie were my favorites. Then we got a margherita tortizza - soooo good. I will def be back for the food. Drinks - The wine was pretty expensive. The cheapest bottle of red they had was $48. The martinis were good, but kind of expensive at $12 a pop. This is where my MAJOR dissapointment comes in - they stopped the Ladies drink free after 8:00pm Tuesday nights! :( I was beyond dissapointed. I would def recommend this place for the food, but I think it really depends on what you order. The ciabbata, sushi, and tortizzos are excellent. I have tried some of their other menu items before and wasn't as impressed (rice balls, shumai, etc). read more

It was okay..not super flashy or popular. The couches were a bit uncomfortable too (not enough cushion covering so you can feel the poles ^^). We got sushi here and it was okay, pretty good sushi but not nearly as good as what we tried recently at Lure Fishbar. I tried the Tiger Roll (shrimp and tobiko in a boston roll with salmon on top) and bf got some platter of sushi ^^ Still looked pretty and was tasty though :) read more

Love this bar! The ambience is beautiful and the staff is always so friendly. I usually sit directly at the bar if there is space. I have never had a bad experience here. Food and drinks are excellent. Definitely worth checking out. read more

After braving the crowds at Rockefeller center to see the tree, we needed a drink. Since we had to head back to Grand Central, we started wandering in that direction yelping along the way, and found Lea. Had we not yelped it, we never would have found this place as it is sneakily tucked on the side of a tunnel. I started off with the southern sazerac from their menu. I thought it was good at first sip, but much like when a restaurant gives me diet pepsi instead of diet coke, after a little bit I found it too sweet and handed it to my boyfriend who had already polished off his mint julep-esque cocktail. It wasn't too busy and the bartender (whose name I forgot) was very friendly, so he offered to make me something that I would like not on the menu. Since I like gin, he made me an aviation which was very good. Prices are average for fancy cocktails, about $12 each. It's a nice atmosphere - I would return. read more

Nice little spot, close to everything, but not crazy touristy. Most of the crowd was in after-office attire, lots of locals, despite the proximity to the attractions. They had a good wine selection. Atmosphere was vibrant and energetic, but not overly loud. On a classier side, not a neighborhood bar or anything. I only tried one of their appetizers (really good), so can't really judge the food. But it's a great plase for a drink and a bite, date, happy hour, etc. read more

Hooray, Yelp Event! What a cool little hideaway Lea is! Well, uh... almost a little TOO hidden away, if you ask me! I almost didn't find it! Still, this place has a verrry classy atmosphere, delectable appetizers, and tasty cocktails! Bravo!! read more

Came here on a Thursday night around midnight. It was hard to find... near grand central, in the East Helmsley building, not the West Helmsley building. I found myself in the West Helmsley building, and walked around it trying to find the East building, but just ended up at the other side of the West building. The solution is to walk East, that's why its called the East Helmsley building. The place is really nice. Dark, classy atmosphere with nice decor. I suppose the drinks are strong? I knew I was pretty happy when I left the place. read more

Romantic yet chic, the place is beautiful! I kinda like that it's hidden under the Helsmley building, it just adds to its allure. The staff is friendly and good looking (I'm sure some of you are into that! ;) read more

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. read more

Intimate decore, friendly staff, romantic colorfull feel on walls. Drinks- eh....could be better It's the type of place you can imagine a cute little couple sitting in the corner somewhere intimately tantalizing each other's sensual imaginations of what could and could not happen as the night progresses. A little hard to find but yet not too difficult. Understated entrance which makes it interesting as you go in. Very old feel, enjoyed it, I'll return for that intimate fantasy that i envisioned in my head. Good yelp event place ^_^ read more

Super loud and super crowded on any day. So service can be pretty slow and you're pretty much cramped the whole time. For a wine bar the wines aren't particularly good nor are the waiters particularly helpful. The place is more of a post work bar for people getting drunk before their trains at grand central. So the crowd here is pretty rowdy and mainly B&T. I wouldn't recommend this place unless you find yourself right outside grand central and desperately need a glass of mediocre red wine... read more

Such a hidden gem! We had our holiday party here last night and it was wonderful. Fury was attentive and easy to work with. Can't say enough great things about our lovely waitress - VERY patient with our hungry and thirsty group, had a great memory; nailed it each time and we switched up drinks a lot. Everyone from the coat check gal to the hostesses, the bartenders, and the back of house service was excellent. The passed appetizers tasted fresh and REALLY delicious, and the drinks were consistently well-made. Be sure not to pass on the tuna tartar, calamari, chorizo, empanadas and the meatballs. Thanks for a great party! read more

I masochistically enjoy the intimidating wall of Imperia vodka bottles, which takes advantage of the high ceilings quite well, making the bar area into an imposing show of needless opulence. There were two bartenders on duty when I was there (for the Yelp event); one had a very strong accent and was difficult to understand over the music, but mixed drinks well, while the other provided me with two of the worst drinks I've had in quite some time. I think they were supposed to be mojitos, but really, just awful. The music was generic, poppy, and waaaay too loud. After the bad drinks, this is the main reason I wouldn't return. As far as the tapas, there were little arancini (fried rice balls stuffed with cheese) which were decent, but very ill-advised for finger food. The rest of the fare was just not memorable: standard chicken and beef satay with weakly flavored sauces, some mini veggie kababs, those kinds of safe choices. read more

A go-to place for quick business meetings in a relaxed, posh-ish environment. The tables are small, but so are the plates. The wines by the glass are thoughtful, and thought pricey, no more so than other similar places. The server attire, dim light and hip music make this veer a bit towards Buddha Bar lounge, but it doesn't go so far that you'll have to dress hipster. I've always enjoyed the vibe, had a good time, and connected with staff, who strike a good balance overall between what Americans expect and what Europeans expect. Part of the charm, indeed. Also, a comment about the food: I've tried only a fraction of the menu, and it was all either "just fine" or "very good". Nothing killer awesome, but certainly of careful standard. I've always been happy. Heading there tonight for two meetings! read more

"You can't sit there." Unless you have a reservation, every table is reserved. Even the empty ones. Drinks are pricey. I came here occasionally after work but not my favorite place. read more

I seldom write average reviews but I was a bit disappointed after my experience here. I was meeting a girlfriend for cocktails and nibbles. First I'll say the waiting staff were really friendly and the service was great, so hats off to them. But the cocktails were weak. This really surprised me as anywhere else I've had cocktails in New York has been more than generous with their shots. Ending up spending more dollars than I wanted to make up for the lack of spirits was a reason not to return. read more

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. read more

Tucked away in a tunnel by Grand Central, Lea is a sexy little spot with delicious cocktails. A friend and I went for a drink late Wednesday night and it was pretty empty, minus a few stragglers from what seemed to be the remnants of a birthday party. We plopped down on some uncomfortable seats by the window and one of us looked at the snow outside while the other watched Olympic skiing on the projection screen lowered over their wall of booze. Off the signature cocktail menu, we ordered Northern Lights, which was very light and refreshing, and 230 Pimms, which has good, but the basil was too overwhelming. I actually wanted to order a different, whiskey-based cocktail at first but our server strongly advised me against it because it's "really really strong." I should have ignored her because the two drinks above were both weak pours. read more

Location location location. 30 seconds away from grand central platforms mean the commuting crowd have a fun place to go. Used to be a big Bear Stearns hang out but still caters to a mostly wall st crowd. Large bar with sushi, small plate appetizers make it perfect for happy hour. Great spot to have a martini, do a quick client drink and catch up on the street gossip. Beautiful model-esque waitresses in skimpy outfits are the key to keeping these guys coming back. After around 8:30pm the place lets out a deep sigh and about 90% of the dudes are all gone in a flash. Best for after work happy hour. read more

I would expect more from this place. There is no bottled water, what wine bar doesn't have bottled or sparkly water? Getting my bartenders attention took too much effort(there was two bartenders). I ordered a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc with an order or edema me,shrimp shumai ,and the shishito peppers. Decor wise it's a classics feel that I feel fits the area. What really would impress me is good service. Without good service accompanied by great food you just have a general establishment. (Booshy bartenders gotta go) read more

Lea Wine Bar - Shishito pepper are almost gone. - Wine Bars Near Me - New York, New York

I love this place! I worked in the area and walked by it a few times before going in. It a great little low key spot with amazing little dishes, cocktails. The crowd is unpretentious and the staff is simply the best. They are amazing and always on point with the service every single time I have been here which is a gem in NYC.They serves a little of everything so every pallet will be satisfied thats a guaranty! Its a must see, great place from a business happy hour. read more

I came across Lea wine bar on Monday on an outing with my wife. It's an interesting area for that type of business to be at. It's in the middle of a walk way, kind of a little hideaway area. When you walk in, it almost feels like a place that the average person can't afford but you can. They have a good selection of beers and wines. I had my Peroni beer and my wife had cucumber martini, actually she had 3 cucumber martini's. I had a king crab roll which was absolutely delicious and my wife had tomato and mozzarella on bread with olive oil, and mushroom and truffle gnocci which she loved. And there is a sushi chef on the premises doing everything right there. The atmosphere is pretty nice, great for after work people and a great sit down and chill place, especially if you're shopping in the area. The work staff are very eager to help and they are constantly making sure your water is filled and plates are out of your way while digesting their great tasting food. We really enjoyed ourselves and it didn't break the bank, the prices are good. Next time I'm going there with my homies! read more

The small plates are delicious as well as the drinks. Great after work spot. Definitely one of NYC's hidden gems.

Great spot for after work drinks. There is not much of happy hour deals but the drinks and food are great. The decor is nice, a loungy feel to it and the music is fun. Good place to bring co workers and you will definitely meet many other young bankers. It has become my go to spot read more

Upper end bar tucked away under arches of Helmsley building - a true grown up gem near Grand Central. Was already busy at 5pm on Thursday night but they never rushed us to order to settle our tab. Prices were a bit high which cost a star. read more

Lea needs a complete management turnover. Food was average. What sinks this place is the hostess. She is very unprofessional, lazy, and not at all friendly. Seems like this Bar died during the Post Christmas 2012 period. At that time the smart Blondie Coat check girl should have been running the show. The spirit of this joint took the first TRAIN to dumpsville! I hope Management watches Bar rescue and dumps the classless Hostess and her gang of servers. read more

This place is right by work and a glass of wine and a tasty roll is the perfect thing before jumping into grand central for a train ride. I like all of their rolls and he pizza isn't bad at all, but it's a bit pricey. The staff is great and I've received a nice free wine education from the bar manager over the last few months. Highly recommend stopping in for a dark ambiance, friendly staff, and quick access to a train. read more

Small, quaint - but hard to find (it's next to Bobby Van's.) Went here for the Yelp Elite mingle last night. Drinks were well made. Apps were tasty. Coat check gal was a riot (although they need to get her a proper step stool...watching her teeter on the stool in those heels to get the coats on the top rung - scary!) It's a cute spot near to Grand Central for a drink before dinner. read more

This wine bar steps outside Grand Central station was dimly-lit and flag-your-bartender busy around 8pm on a Wed night. A flirty singles after-work crowd seemed to be energized by the thumping lounge jazz. The decor can best be described as eclectic -- buddhas, a chandelier, red Frenchy walls, and semi nude paintings. From the half-page by-the-glass section of their wine menu ($10-15) I chose the La Giribaldina, an Italian Sauvignon Blanc. It was surprisingly good -- rustic, minerally and medium-bodied. They also serve sushi, cheese plates, and bar food. This place was not the easiest to find but it felt like it's been 'discovered'. read more

Pros: Great crowded Excellent service Very good wines Surprising menu Cons: Small (Gets very loud and crowded fast) Long lines for the bathroom read more

Good selection and decent price for glass of wine. HH after 8pm. Service was fine and very comfortable bar. I was there 5-8pm on Thursday. You'll see many people in suits or nice outfits who are hanging out after work. Kind of hard to find a bar. It's in arcade on 46st and park. read more

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If you want a great wine bar (and full bar) with small plates right near Grand Central Station (just outside the entrance to the North tunnel), this is perfect! A great place to have a drink (or two) and some small food before getting onto a train. The food is all tapas and sushi, so this is not the place to plan a large dinner, but their small plates are amazingly great. (The sushi is a bit limited but the tapas and their ultra-thin crust pizzas are world class.) BIG NEWS: They say they have 50 wines by the glass, so this is a great place to taste wines if you are not with a large group. Their mixed drinks are also great. When I ordered a Martini the waiter asked whether I wanted it shaken or stirred -- he did not expect me to give him that information on his own. He even explained the difference between the two methods in terms of the taste. Most of the waitresses could be fashion models (very tall and poised) and the owner, which I met on my third visit, is a very hip and stylish man. This is NYC at its best for drinking and light eating. I think they have a DJ late in the evening, but I have never been there that late. I discovered this accidentally while walking to Grand Central from the North. I am thankful I did. All I can say is stylish, tasty, trendy, friendly. Go there! read more

i was here for a Yelp event many many months ago. i'm bummed i missed Irene F. at the event, but thankfully... i got to mingle with Sam P. for a while before all the guests arrived. this place DOES have a location problem. i kept getting lost and trying to figure out where the heck Lea was... then finally, i saw people smoking cigarettes outside of what looked like a bar/lounge. you enter and it's pretty nice. the decor is pretty lovely, but slightly lacking something. the staff are all beautiful and the drinks follow through as well. the Lychee Martini was one of the strongest yet delicious ones i've had in NYC. the mojitos are yum!!! you'll find many businessmen types here- the "suits" of NY. it's pretty interesting because it's snuggled away from the busy streets. i like that touch. the bathrooms aren't gross, the food is delicious, the decor is fine.... i'd def. recommend this place to classy-"suit" peeps and ask them if they like enclosed/secret-ish bars/lounges. then this is the place for them. it's totally not my scene- so i'll probably never return unless i have a secret lover to hide. haha. j/k. i'd come back! read more

Lea is a MUST try if you are even in NYC. Classy decor, amazing drinks/tapas and service that goes above and beyond.

This place was a bit tough to find, but it was so lovely to walk into. That, unfortunately, was the only nice thing about my evening (apart from my friends dining with me). We came here for some sushi after seeing the menu online. To our surprise, the prices were higher on the actual menu. Our waitress came and took our order, but couldn't remember it so she went to get some paper and took our order again (it was a pretty small order). One friend received her two rolls about fifteen minutes before we received ours. She ordered a spicy tuna and a yellowtail avocado, but received two identical looking spicy rolls. After checking with our waitress as to whether those were correct, my friend was informed that she did not specify to make the yellowtail not spicy and spicy is their default version. Never heard of that before. When my other friend and I received our rolls, we were even more confused. She had an Alaskan roll and I had a Boston roll, and they looked identical. And neither actually looked like one of the two. Again, we had to ask the waitress because this didn't match our order, and she had the sushi chef come out...who proceeded to explain rudely that our rolls both had mozzarella cheese in them....obviously. Both he and the waitress rudely told us that all ingredients were listed on the menu and each place makes rolls differently. No. the ingredients were not listed on the menu. And, no, there is never mozzarella cheese in any sushi roll. Overall, terrible. The service was super slow and filled with attitude. And though I can only speak for one part of the menu, it was awful. read more

Decent, but not that great. A little tough to find, but that's not an issue when it's worth the effort. The staff was semi-not nice to us at the Yelp event until we started ordering stuff from the menu because we were starving (calamari was the only thing they could offer us and was OK, definitely not great, give me tentacles dammit!) and thirsty...the first round of drinks was pure sugar, but damn those mojitos were so good!! I would definitely come back here for the mojitos....mmm...other than that, not somewhere I'd go to eat but a fun little lounge that probably attracts an interesting crowd. read more