Vanguard Wine Bar (Midtown West)

Wood paneling, subway tile and marble give this Hell's Kitchen wine bar a loose nod to a Paris café, with vintage French posters and reproduction lighting on the walls. The kitchen sends out shareable plates built for grazing: marinated olives, a whipped white bean hummus, tartines topped with mushroom and truffle or smoked salmon, and combination boards of French and American cheese. Wine comes by the glass alongside a beer list a bartender can talk through pour by pour. High tables near the front fill first with after-work groups before the room settles in for the evening.