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Restaurants that describe themselves as wine bars increasingly pair serious cooking with broad wine lists, informal service and shareable dishes. VinePair reports that the model is spreading beyond the U.S., though the scale of the trend and its financial effects are not established by data in the source.
Restaurants presenting themselves as wine bars while serving ambitious, full-kitchen food are gaining recognition in the U.S. and spreading internationally, according to a report by VinePair. The profile points to New York’s Lei receiving the James Beard Foundation’s 2025 award for best new restaurant despite describing itself as a wine bar, and quotes hospitality consultants who say the format is showing up across global markets.
Lei’s award puts a high-profile example of the model in view: the restaurant combines a wine-led program with dishes including shao bing, celtuce and short rib. A restaurant spokesperson told VinePair that the wine list came first, with food designed to work alongside a wide range of wines. The source reports that Lei had also drawn positive reviews from several publications after opening in mid-2025.
Jarl de Vries, managing director of Amsterdam-based consultancies Studio Numen and Cocktail Professor, told VinePair that venues labeled wine bars increasingly serve food, host events and offer more than drinks. In his view, a strong wine offer can reassure guests about the broader experience. The report describes the food as often high quality and served in smaller, shareable portions, with service and room design intended to encourage conversation.
VinePair also cites Cult, a wine-focused venue in Bruges, Belgium, which opened in late 2024 and describes itself as “Wijnbar & Apero, Restaurant.” Co-founder Kees Dobbelaar said the team’s earlier experience at Blend showed that offering bites could keep guests from leaving after a drink. Cult has a larger kitchen and serves dishes including dry-aged steak. The account illustrates how a wine-bar identity can coexist with substantial restaurant cooking; it does not establish how common the approach is across the industry.
A Casual Frame for Serious Dining
The label can shape diners’ expectations before they arrive. Jonathan Pogash, founder of The Cocktail Guru consultancy, told VinePair that calling a food-focused venue a wine bar suggests a more casual, social experience than a formal restaurant. That positioning may appeal to guests seeking high-quality food without the conventions of fine dining.
For operators, the model can also connect a varied visit—wine, small plates, dinner or an event—to one identity. Cult’s experience, as described by its co-founder, suggests food can encourage customers to stay longer, but the source provides no sales figures or margin data. Claims that the format improves cash flow should therefore be understood as an industry rationale, not a measured result.
The shift also reflects a wider change in how restaurants describe themselves: the category is not defined only by the drink list. Food, service, atmosphere and wine may all be part of the offer, making the label useful to both guests and businesses as they set expectations.
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From Wine Bars to Full Kitchens
Wine bars have existed for generations, and U.S. versions expanded well before the current attention. What VinePair identifies as different is the emphasis on restaurant-level cooking, rather than a menu limited mainly to cheese and charcuterie. The article also describes many current venues as favoring natural, skin-contact and low-intervention wines, though that preference is not universal.
The report places the format’s growing visibility alongside the broader casualization of fine dining. Pogash told VinePair that economic pressures and the period after COVID-19 may have helped accelerate the shift, while a 2022 New York Times article by Eric Asimov had already examined full-service restaurants using the wine-bar label. Lei’s 2025 award offers a prominent recent example, not proof that the trend began with that restaurant.
“Cult describes itself as “Wijnbar & Apero, Restaurant.””
— Kees Dobbelaar, Cult co-founder, as quoted by VinePair
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How Broad Is the Shift?
The source offers examples and interviews with hospitality professionals, but no industry-wide survey, count of venues or market data showing how quickly the model is growing. The claim that the trend is spreading globally is supported by the consultants’ experience and the Bruges example, not by a measured comparison across countries.
It is also unclear whether adopting the wine-bar label reliably improves revenue or profit. Cult’s account describes a reason for expanding food service, but does not provide financial results. The style of wine, menu and service may vary considerably from one venue to another, so the label does not guarantee a particular guest experience.
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More Venues Will Test the Model
The next indications of the trend will come from how restaurants position new openings and whether established venues expand food, wine or event offerings. Further awards and reviews may show whether wine-bar restaurants continue to gain recognition in the U.S., while examples from cities beyond those in the report could clarify how widely the model is taking hold internationally.
For now, the reported development is a change in restaurant identity and service—not a confirmed industry-wide business formula. Operators’ results and diners’ responses will determine whether the combination of serious wine, ambitious food and informal hospitality becomes a lasting model or remains a visible niche.
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Key Questions
What does “wine-bar restaurant” mean in this report?
It describes a venue that uses a wine-bar identity while serving substantial restaurant food, often alongside a broad wine list and a more informal, social style of service.
Why is Lei part of the story?
New York’s Lei describes itself as a wine bar and received the James Beard Foundation’s 2025 award for best new restaurant. Its spokesperson told VinePair that the wine list shaped the food menu.
Is the trend limited to the United States?
No. VinePair reports examples and industry observations from international markets, including Cult in Bruges, Belgium. The source does not quantify how widespread the model is globally.
Do wine-bar restaurants make more money?
The report discusses possible business advantages, including encouraging guests to stay for food as well as drinks. It provides no financial data proving that the format improves revenue or profit.
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