Amuse Wine Bar

What a jewel … Everything about this wine bar (with oysters, cheese & charcuterie, and small plates is lovely. From Shawn — a friendly, knowledgeable bartender and host — to the wine and fresh, amazing oysters. The atmosphere is perfect — relaxed, comfortable, and high-​quality; great music at the perfect audio level to add to the ambience without distracting from the company. Love!

If you order a bottle of wine you will get free half dozen raw oysters. They were very fresh.

I enjoyed my time at Amuse, and its distinctive feature is its couches and T.V., which give this place a very relaxed atmosphere. I liked the wide selection of red and white wines (this bar offers 10+ types of each), and I enjoyed a glass of the merlot red wine. The free goldfish snacks in white soup-​spoon shaped bowls were artfully arranged at the bar where I sat and added a fun touch.
I stopped by right before a corporate party for which Amuse was closed to the public, and I felt glad that the bartender, Shawn, didn’t kick me out even after it started. He was an approachable, empathetic bartender to talk to, especially after experiencing street harassment by two men before coming into this wine bar.
I want to come back to Amuse, to get a sense of its atmosphere when a private party isn’t happening, and to try one of their food items, too.

Stopped in for the first time last night and grabbed a seat at the bar while I waited for friends. Before I knew it I had tried three different wines and was being toasted by the owner and sommelier for some good news. First bar I have been to in a long time where you can go in and talk with those around you. This is 100% a result of the owner and bartender and their positive attitude.

Friendliest wine bar in the city. The wine is excellent and their multiple is well below three.
Everyone is a friend here, enjoy a great conversation with the staff when you come here.

The atmosphere and service were great but the results weren’t.
Honestly, the wine was good, but pricey, however it was the pork meatballs that created an issue.
About 2 hours after leaving the restaurant, I was on a date. All was going well, but out of nowhere I felt queasy and uneasy. What follows is a true account, names (except mine) were changed to save embarrassment.
Pigs are known as unclean animals. Renowned for living in their filth, they get a pass due to their soft hair, cute snout and curly tail. I possess none of these features (nor do I live in filth). But I say that to say this, I will never eat pork in a meatball form again for as long as I live.
Back to my date. Have you ever felt like something is going so well that nothing could ruin the moment? I submit that a red liquid accented with chunks of meat and stomach acid, spewing from your mouth hole could do just that. Rushing away from my date on multiple occasions to get that swine flavored evil out of me, I was able to save myself from a sitcom like embarrassment and an expensive laundry bill (not my own but for my date, I’m still a gentleman pork puke be damned).
I know what was in the meatballs because I got the chance to see it twice, but I don’t know which ingredient was haunted by the soul of that dead pig. It was obvious. That pig was not ready to die, and it was damn sure not ready to be eaten in a pleasantly atmosphered lower east side wine bar. Whatever evil that farmer did before slaughtering porky, it was enough to inspire the kind of vengeance that only a hooved creature with the intelligence of a 4 year old could unleash.
You win this round pig. I’ll see you on the other side.

In a part of the city that is known for a lot of other things other than a friendly, relaxing wine bar, Amuse offers everything you need for a fun get together with friends and co-​workers, a perfect date night, or a casual drink at the bar. James (the bar owner) and the staff are top notch, delivering great service and making you feel like family the second you walk through the doors. Their menu is full of a lot of options, both food and drinks. As more of a beer drinker, their tap beers are great and different (in a good way!) from what you’ll find at a lot of other bars in the city.
While I’ve been a few times, we also hosted our New Years Eve party here. From beginning to end, there was zero stress involved as James was as easy going as any bar owner could be for such a big group and evening. Prepping the bar, helping us keep the costs to a minimum, providing the best staff and not giving us a hard time over a few too many broken glasses, I highly recommend hosting your party here!
On the same block as Los Feliz, if you’re looking for a true escape in the heart of the LES, go to Amuse! And if you’re there when Vincent is bartending, even better. You’re in for a great day/​night when you find your way here.

Amuse is located in the heart of LES, you’d think it’s crazily packed like it is at ten bells, but based on the numbers of weekends I went, it’s been surprisingly pleasant, definitely not another hipster joint! conversations are flowing, my wine glass never gets empty, plenty of wines to choose from, and we were very comfortable, plenty of rooms for small and large groups! With all that being said, there’s price tags that comes w it, glasses are ranging from $ 12-​$ 15!

I went here with very high expectations — as it was my girlfriend’s birthday dinner — and this place went way above and beyond. Perfect place for a quiet romantic evening. Warm lighting and décor was matched by the incredible service. Big shout out to Vincent, who treated us like royalty on our special night. I don’t write many reviews, so when I do, it’s for a really good reason. Will be going back here soon enough!

Had a great time at Amuse. The wine selection was perfect. Service was beyond that — hung out and spoke with the staff for over an hour. Overall this place really is what you’re looking for when it comes to a wine bar. I would give 6 stars.
Their hand cut fries are amazing and the staff knows a lot about cheese in case you are a cheese fanatic!

Great venue! Came here for casual drinks on thurs night. Nice and quiet. Good service. Order a beer, draught or wine and get your subsequent drinks (needs to be the same one) for half price — bargain!!! Cheese platter was on the small side which was a shame, but the rest of the meals were quite nice. More nibbles than proper dinner meals. Will definitely come here again for wine night!!!

Randomly came across this place while wandering around the LES and loved it so much. Great happy hour deal before 7pm for wine and beer flights complete with snacks. The shishito peppers were spot on and cheese plate just perfect. The wine selection by the glass was extensive and interesting. Loved the beer selection very much as well, so much so we scoured the internet to see how we can buy them for our apartment.
Very quaint for the LES and a nice spot to grab a drink before dinner. I will definitely be back!

This cute romantic wine bar has me sold their customer service was outstanding and so was their little appetizers and cheese platter. I stumbled upon this place as our ride dropped us off right in front. I was looking for a place to pregame before heading to the venue for my best friend’s bachelorette party.
I’m really glad that we did stumble right in front of this place and of course I did check Unilocal reviews before entering. We entered and were seated right away, browse the menu and picked some appetizers and wine off the menu. The waiter was super sweet and courteous and made me a delicious wine spritzer the girls had some wine and champagne to celebrate the evening of shenanigans that we were about to embark on.
I will definitely return to this cozy cute and romantic little spot if I’m ever in the neighborhood I will make it a point to stop in. There mushrooms caramelized onions with feta bruschetta is amazing mouth warming deliciousness. It was so good I had to order a second tasting my friends enjoyed the avocado and shrimp bruschetta which I didn’t try since I have shellfish allergy. We also ordered a cheese platter which came with three different cheeses, raisins, cranberries and homemade jam with a side of bread. Delicious!
My mouth is watering just thinking of the mushrooms caramelized onions and feta bruschetta. Oh soooooo good! A must try.

Every time I come here, my experience improves each time. Such a wonderful variety of wine to choose from. If you aren’t a wine drinker, don’t worry — they have a couple of artisan beers that are pretty awesome.
I have never ordered the cheese plate (although I would have loved to). I notice a lot of the reviews in reference to the cheese plate aren’t positive.
SWEET POTATO FRIES ARE TO DIE FOR!
Service is exceptional. According to our receipt, our waiters name is Zach. He has been our waiter each time. He is informative, helpful, patient, and overall seems like a genuine person that’s eager to help.
I love the décor. It’s relaxed, not over the top. Believe it or not, I am in love with the way the bathroom looks. I feel as if i am in the south of France.
Live bands are a huge plus. I am almost hesitant to share this hidden gem on the lower east side.

Warm and friendly, cozy and delicious. Swung by on a Friday evening for the happy hour and had a delight experience. We had a couple rounds of the wine flights, red and whites. It was perfect for those who are not winos because you can sample several different bottles without breaking the bank. You dabble on the wine, figure out which you like, and order another round if you desire. The meat and cheese plate that came with our flights were good; enough to nosh but not enough to last thru the glasses. Anyway… I approve!

I absolutely loved this place. Randomly Unilocaled wine bars les and this was suggested. In so glad I didn’t look any further. I wanted a nice place to meet up with a friend and found that this cozy spot served as a warm place to warm up and share laughs. We went on a Monday night and there were only a few patrons so we received vip treatment.
I loved the food and took advantage of the 1 order of the 5 flutes for 25. My friend had 3 orders of the 3 for 15 flutes. we left in good spirits.
I’m going back

I’ve been here twice now and been pretty happy both times. It’s a cute spot with a variety of seating options, which I appreciate. The couches are very, very comfy — ideal if you’re just doing drinks/​snacks. Service was a little slow when I went most recently about a week ago, but we were planning on a leisurely happy hour before dinner in the area anyway, so it wasn’t a big deal.
There’s a good deal of variety with the wine selection. My two friends and I each ordered wine flights ($ 15 for a flight includes a free charcuterie or cheese sampling during happy hour), all of us trying 3 different wines each. We ended up swapping a few tastes between ourselves, but everyone ended up with 3 they enjoyed. I particularly liked the Pinotage — very smokey and full bodied. The Prosecco Brut my friend ordered was also very good. Since there were 3 of us, the kitchen combined our samples to give us a little taste of everything available. Our favorites of the meats were the speck and sopressata picante, and from the cheeses we liked the goat cheese, manchego, and some other type of soft cheese I can’t recall that had honey on it.
It sounds like they consistently have good happy hour deals. When we were wrapping up, the manager informed us of their «buy one, get the same one unlimited» special in which you buy one glass of wine, then get every additional glass of that same wine FREE during a certain time period. That is basically AYCD for the price of the first glass! I wish I remembered the exact days/​hours he said, but I’m sure if you call and inquire they’ll let you know. I’ll definitely be returning for it!

Great bar tenders, amazing wine, cheese and meat selection for happy hour! For $ 15 you get any 3 wines, 3 cheeses and 3 meats… they are a few bites each but definitely worth it. The atmosphere is quiet and chic and they even have a black and white movie playing in the background withgood music. A great place for a drink with a friend or to bring a date! We came before dinner so we didn’t fully indulge but we will 100% be back!

Stopped at this place while in LES and looking for a place to grab a drink. It’s a nice lounge atmosphere with slightly dim lights and tables for casual dining and wine drinking.
They had good wine and champagne selections, so that worked out well for the group I was with. The food on the other hand, was another story. We got a few orders of bruschetta and fries. The fries were good, but the bruschetta was way off. It was drenched in either the olive oil or vinaigrette they used, which in turned left you with a mouth full of liquid and made the bread soggy. All of the bruschetta orders had the same issue, which was really unfortunate considering the rest of the dining and drinking experience was pretty good.
Overall good experience, but the bruschetta really put a damper on things. Seems like an easily fixable problem if this is their main recipe. The feedback from the group was unanimous in disappointment, so this is something I hope they change in order to keep the experience consistent.

Excellent choices of wine by glass — modest selections but of unique items. Reasonable prices and the happy hour 3 wine flight with a charcuterie plate is one of the best deals in the city at $ 15. The «amuse sandwich» of slow cooked pork with excellent seasonings and herbs was wonderful with nice very crispy French bread. Very welcoming staff and comfie couch seats (a few) and other LES hip seating very nice.
Ludlow St appears to be in an renaissance.
Will be back at later hours soon to check out other things and the scene then. All in all a very nice experience.