New restaurant and bar openings: September 11–17, 2014

Aldo Sohm Wine Bar Le Bernardin’s renowned wine master Aldo Sohm is a bit of an overachiever. Instead of abandoning the Michelin-approved seafood powerhouse for his own, more casual-minded vin hub, he remains sommelier for both. The annexed lounge—outfitted with white cork walls, oversized couches and a tasting table in place of a bar—pours handpicked varietals hailing predominately from Europe (Austria, Spain, Greece), but Sohm peppers those stalwarts with approachable California chardonnays and New York cabernet francs, sometimes offering a variety or region in three-glass flights to nudge grape education. “Wine can be very intimidating,” he says. “We’re trying to do away with the ego surrounding it.” Le Bernardin’s acclaimed toque Eric Ripert also does double duty here, complementing the 200-bottle list with an understated, internationally inspired menu of charcuterie (truffle salami, duck rillettes), skewers (baby beets, short ribs), and small plates like goat-cheese-and-potato parfaits and Roquefort-endive salad. 151 W 51st St between Sixth and Seventh Aves (212-554-1143, aldosohmwinebar.com)

Boilermaker The buzziest bar opening of 2013, ’70s-clad Golden Cadillac, shuttered abruptly in July to soul-search, taking those glorious Buttery Nipples down to its retro grave. Emerging from the disco dust is a no-frills neighborhood bar—from Cadillac co-owner Greg Boehm and chef Miguel Trinidad—named for the old-school, sometimes-redneck beer-and-whiskey-shot combination from the Industrial Revolution. Cracking the books on the history of boilermakers, barkeep Erick Castro mixes and matches four pairings, including a stout-and-amaro combo, that change seasonally with the drafts. Along with 12 taps for beer (Ithaca Flower Power IPA, Victory Storm King Stout), find four draft cocktails such as bourbon highballs with homemade cream soda and a jalapeño-jolted pineapple number. “There’s no need for craft-beer bars and craft-cocktail bars to be separate,” Castro says. “They should always go hand in hand.” 13 First Ave at 1st St (212-995-5400, boilermakernyc.com)

Botequim An homage to owner-chef Marco Moreira’s homeland, this Brazilian restaurant shuttles small bites (cod croquettes, turnover-like pastelzinhos) and large-format dishes (whole black bass, roasted suckling pig) from its open kitchen. 132 Fourth Ave at 13th St (212-432-1324, botequimny.com)

Holden & Astor Drawing on the Meatpacking District’s early-19th-century history, Mulberry Project owner Nick Boccio kits out his industrial eatery with ironwork and New American eats from Carmine Di Giovanni (Picholine). 409 W 13th St between Ninth Ave and Washington St (212-675-2400, holdenandastor.com)

Spirited Eat and drink your dessert at this sweets speakeasy, offering espresso-kicked cocktails, beer-infused churros and spiked lollipops in flavors like gin-and-tonic. 638 Bergen St at Vanderbilt Ave, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn (718-783-5700, spiritedbrooklyn.com)

Upholstery Store: Food and Wine At his revamped, Vienna-inspired bar, Café Sabarsky’s Kurt Gutenbrunner dispatches small plates (oysters with caviar) and family-style mains (plum-wasabi tuna ceviche, blackberry-mushroom venison), matched with Austrian wines by the glass or bottle. 713 Washington St between Perry and W 11th Sts (212-929-6384, kg-ny.com)