"The Contra team's natural-wine small-plates bar and a 2016 James Beard finalist — walk in for a solo counter dinner."
About Wildair
Jeremiah Stone and Fabian von Hauske Valtierra opened Wildair in 2015, two doors down from their Michelin-starred Contra on Orchard Street. It is not a tasting-menu room: it is a loud high-top natural-wine bar where the food arrives in waves and the beef tartare has been on the menu since opening night. A James Beard Best New Restaurant finalist in 2016, it reset what an American wine bar could be, pairing Contra-level cooking with small plates you eat standing if the stools are full.
The Kitchen
Stone and von Hauske met cooking in New York and Copenhagen, opened Contra in 2013 and won it a Michelin star, then turned the smaller room next door into Wildair two years later. Von Hauske, who trained in pastry, runs the sweets; Stone drives the savoury board. The cooking is precise but unfussy: a beef tartare that shifts with the season, once dressed with walnut pesto and ume and crowned with potato crisps, priced around 16 dollars and never off the menu. The pissaladiere eclair, stuffed with anchovies, olives and Swiss mountain cheese, is the dish regulars order on sight. A pithivier with broccoli rabe and chilli jam shows the kitchen's reach into French technique, and the wagyu strip steak with thrice-fried potatoes, in the mid-30s, is the one plate built to share. Expect to spend 60 to 110 dollars a head before wine across three or four plates. The natural-wine list, one of the deepest in the city, is the real draw: the floor team pours boldly by the glass and rarely missteps. The address is 142 Orchard Street, between Rivington and Delancey, and the kitchen has held its standard for a decade.
The Room
The room is small, bright and loud by design: white-tiled walls, a marble counter, a scatter of high-tops and maybe forty seats in all. Lighting is warm but unromantic, the volume sits at full conversation-plus once the room fills around eight, and tables are close enough that you will hear your neighbour order. There is no dress code and no host theatre; you walk in, take a stool or wait at the counter with a glass. Service is quick, knowledgeable and unpretentious. It is a bar that happens to cook seriously, not a dining room that happens to pour wine.
Best for Solo Dining
Eat here alone because Wildair is built for one as much as for four: the counter and high-tops seat a single diner without ceremony, the walk-in policy means you rarely wait long on your own, and the floor staff are fluent at walking one person through the natural-wine list by the glass. Order the beef tartare, a green vegetable plate and two pours, and watch the room turn over. For other counters worth eating at alone, see our best restaurants for solo dining, or browse the wider New York dining guide.
Not for
Skip Wildair for a quiet anniversary or a deal you need to hear closed — it is loud, tight and largely walk-in, with no calm corner to retreat to and no reservation that guarantees one.
Frequently Asked
Is Wildair worth it?
Yes, if you eat the way Wildair is built to be eaten: small plates, shared, with wine leading. Jeremiah Stone and Fabian von Hauske opened it in 2015 beside their Michelin-starred Contra, and it was a James Beard Best New Restaurant finalist in 2016. The beef tartare and the pissaladiere eclair are reasons enough. For more downtown rooms, see our New York dining guide.
How hard is it to book Wildair?
Easier than most rooms of this calibre, because Wildair is largely walk-in. A block of tables opens on Resy a couple of weeks out and the rest of the floor is first-come; arrive at 5:30pm or after 9pm for the best shot at a high-top or counter seat. Solo diners almost always get in fast. Avoid the 7:30 to 9 crush on weekends if you want a short wait. It also lands on our best first-date restaurants list for a casual night.
What does a meal at Wildair cost?
Budget roughly 60 to 110 US dollars per person before wine. Small plates run from about 16 dollars for the beef tartare to the mid-30s for the larger dishes such as the wagyu strip steak with thrice-fried potatoes. Three or four plates between two is the right order. The natural-wine list is the splurge: bottles range widely, and the by-the-glass pours are where the staff earn their keep.
What is the dress code at Wildair?
There is no dress code. Wildair is a loud, lively Lower East Side wine bar with high-tops and a counter, and the crowd skews downtown-casual: jeans, sneakers and a good jacket all read correctly. Nobody will turn you away for being underdressed or look twice if you arrive straight from work. Come as you are and plan to stand if the stools are full.
Is Wildair good for solo dining?
Yes, Wildair is one of the better solo seats on the Lower East Side. The counter and high-tops are built for one, the walk-in policy means you rarely wait long alone, and the staff are fluent at steering a single diner through the natural-wine list by the glass. Order the beef tartare, a vegetable plate and two pours. See our best restaurants for solo dining for more counters worth eating at alone.
What should I order at Wildair?
Start with the beef tartare, which has been on the menu since opening night and changes with the seasons. Add the pissaladiere eclair, packed with anchovies, olives and Swiss mountain cheese, and a green vegetable plate to balance the richness. If you are splurging, the wagyu strip steak with thrice-fried potatoes is the one big plate to share. Let the floor pick the wine pours.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Wildair
Largely walk-in. A limited block of tables opens on Resy about two weeks out.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
Address142 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002
NeighbourhoodLower East Side
Phone+1 646-964-5624
CuisineNew American (natural-wine small plates)
HoursTue–Sun 5:30pm; closed Monday
Price$60–$110 per person, ex-wine
Dress CodeNo rules; downtown-casual
Seating~40, high-tops and counter
ReservationWalk-in; limited Resy block
DietaryStrong vegetable plates; advise allergies
