Bar in New York City, United States

Kaia Wine Bar

100Pearl Points

Wine First, Uptown

About Kaia Wine Bar

Kaia Wine Bar is the practical Upper East Side pick when wine is the point and the group wants conversation over a louder bar scene. Star Wine List recognition in 2026 gives the wine program a credible signal, but the safer play is to treat it as a focused neighborhood wine stop rather than a blowout destination.

Kaia Wine Bar is a New York City wine bar with confirmed Star Wine List recognition for 2026. With limited verified public detail beyond its hours, dress code, and recognition, the safest way to plan around it is as a direct wine-bar stop rather than as a page built on unverified claims about menu, pricing, seating, or service style.

The recommendation is simple: choose Kaia Wine Bar when the plan calls for a New York City wine bar with smart-casual expectations and confirmed evening hours through the week. Hours are 4–10 PM Monday through Thursday, 4–11 PM Friday, 9 AM–3 PM and 4–11 PM Saturday, and 9 AM–3 PM and 4–10 PM Sunday. The Star Wine List recognition for 2026 is the main confirmed trust signal here; without verified menu, price, or seating details, it is better to keep expectations practical and avoid assuming a specific format.

Use it for a wine-bar stop, with expectations kept simple

Kaia Wine Bar is best framed as a New York City option for people who want a wine-bar setting and smart-casual dress code, not as a venue with confirmed details about a tasting format, cuisine, seating count, or price point. If the night needs a different kind of bar or restaurant stop, NR, The Penrose Bar, or Plug Uglies UES may be worth comparing based on your plans.

For planning, the key verified details are the name, city, hours, smart-casual dress code, and Star Wine List recognition. Go in with those facts in mind rather than relying on assumptions about food, reservations, cocktails, or special services that are not confirmed here. For broader planning, use Our full New York City bars guide, Our full New York City restaurants guide, Our full New York City hotels guide, Our full New York City wineries guide, and Our full New York City experiences guide.

Where it fits in a New York bar crawl

In a New York City bar crawl, Kaia Wine Bar is most honestly positioned as a wine-bar stop with confirmed evening availability and weekend daytime hours. It should not be described with unverified hooks such as a particular food program, seating format, cocktail focus, or exact price range.

That makes it useful when you want a clearly identified wine bar in New York City and can plan around the posted hours. If your route needs a broader mix of dining and drinking options, compare it with other New York City venues generically or with options such as The Penrose Bar, Plug Uglies UES, NR, Sushi Sasabune, or goodsugar, depending on the kind of stop you need.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the best time to go to Kaia Wine Bar?

For an evening visit, Kaia Wine Bar is open 4–10 PM Monday through Thursday, 4–11 PM Friday, 4–11 PM Saturday, and 4–10 PM Sunday. It also has weekend daytime hours from 9 AM–3 PM on Saturday and Sunday.

Is Kaia Wine Bar open late?

Kaia Wine Bar is open until 11 PM on Friday and Saturday, and until 10 PM Sunday through Thursday.

What is Kaia Wine Bar known for?

Kaia Wine Bar is a New York City wine bar with confirmed Star Wine List recognition for 2026.

Where is Kaia Wine Bar located?

Kaia Wine Bar is located in New York City.

Location

1446 1st Ave, New York, NY 10021

New York City, United States

Compare Kaia Wine Bar

Kaia Wine Bar versus the UES set

Against NR, Kaia Wine Bar is the more direct wine decision. NR is the better fit when cocktails define the night; Kaia is better when the group wants a glass or bottle and a calmer conversational pace.

Compared with Plug Uglies UES and The Penrose Bar, Kaia reads as more focused and less pub-like. Pick the others for energy and flexibility; pick Kaia when wine quality is the filter.

Sushi Sasabune and goodsugar are not direct substitutes, but they help frame the choice. One is meal-led, one is lighter and daytime-friendly, while Kaia is the evening wine-bar option.

If you cannot make Kaia work

Try NR if the group wants a more cocktail-led night nearby. For a broader, busier Upper East Side bar plan, The Penrose Bar is the safer alternative.

How it compares with nearby New York options

Choose NR if cocktails are the priority; choose Kaia Wine Bar if the night is wine-led and quieter. NR is the better cross-shop for a more composed cocktail-bar plan, while Kaia is easier to justify for an Upper East Side catch-up where the bottle list matters more than bar theatrics.

The Penrose Bar and Plug Uglies UES make more sense for a livelier, more general bar night. Kaia is the narrower recommendation: less useful for a big group, better for two to four people who want wine and conversation. If booking ease and low pressure matter, it is a sensible first look before moving to a busier room.

Sushi Sasabune and goodsugar sit in different decision lanes, so compare them by intent rather than category. Sushi Sasabune is for a sushi-led meal, goodsugar is for a lighter wellness-leaning stop, and Kaia is for the wine-focused middle ground.