I've time traveled to 2002, when Antica Enoteca Old World Wine Bar opened in conjoined basements beneath 200-202 Lark St. in Albany. Only now it's lighter, brighter: A lick of white paint, pale abstract art, high-tops in the front room instead of snuggle nooks occupied for the night, and a reworked bar that holds more booze, more stools and makes more sense.

The simple news is that this beloved subterranean space and secluded rear patio — home, post-Antica Enoteca, to the Wine Bar & Bistro, Lark + Lily and Mio Posto in increasingly food-focused succession — is a wine bar again. The latest, Post Wine Bar + Kitchen, is young, funky and lacking a little finesse in execution. But anyone who has ever lived in Albany's Center Square knows small plates and affordable wines by the glass are exactly what this neighborhood needs.

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The spot has been delightfully reworked by August Rosa of Pint Sized (Albany and Saratoga Springs) and Craig Dutra and Nicholas Warchol, co-owners of D.P. Dough, an Albany-based calzone franchise, whose sweat equity is largely responsible for the wine bar's resurrection, though closer inspection reveals talented women at the core: The woodworking skill of Warchol's fiancee, Kelsea Adams, is evident in the bar, the neatly mitered corners of a wraparound counter and perimeter patio benches in the remodeled rear patio, where paint, planters and a shade sail have infinitely enhanced the tiny fresh air space; and Adelia Sugarman, previously of Capital Wine and Spirits on Lark, is behind the accessible list of familiar organic and biodynamic pours.

The focus is on natural wine, the trending and sometimes polarizing commitment to traditional, low-intervention methods of wine production. In an educational move, Post explains its wine list focus as being on "small producers ... minimal intervention ... and native yeasts." That wines are priced closer to double markup over retail prices, not the standard triple, is particularly appealing and consistent with Warchol's sweetly egalitarian desire for Post to be "the wine bar of the people." By avoiding pretentiousness or imposing wine snobbery, the friendly and affordable approach targets the youthful Lark Street crowd for whom a flinty Fritsch Gruner Veltliner or small-batch, funky-nosed sparkling pet-nat may be equally new.

Chef Abigail Ruddy (Wine Bar, Rivertown, Peck's Arcade, Savoy Taproom) has taken the kitchen reins, with Josh Davis (Dove + Deer, Nighthawks) as sous. A squad of vaguely familiar servers appears to have been plucked from local arts projects and the area dining scene, which only fuels the feeling you know half of them. It has a terrifically collegial air.

I rarely waver over criticism, but I catch my older, experienced self critiquing things my younger, less savvy Center Square self may not have noticed or known. Post taps into that Eurotrash/ruin bar/cave a manger feel, but there are red flags: Bathrooms spray-painted entirely yellow or teal, from the plastic plants to soap and paper towel dispensers, have college dorm appeal; light, flimsy silverware feels mere cents above foil cut-outs; and wine glasses, well, I'll get to them. Even with youth on its side, Post is a wine bar, and guests shouldn't be aware of every cost-cutting move.

We can't score a seat outside and accept an inside booth with Lark Street foot traffic pattering overhead, where we sip tequila Grapefruit Gibbous (a Paloma elsewhere) and natural wines by the glass. With a tight menu of a dozen small plates and four mains, we go all in.

The turmeric deviled eggs stained tangerine with chile oil are a delight; Baby Gem lettuce tossed with pecorino and white anchovy makes a fine Caesar; roasted baby eggplant softly collapsing misses only some other flavor to bring it to life; and golden oyster mushrooms over thick slabs of ricotta-smeared rosemary bread are instantly improved by a vigorous shake of tabletop salt.

The prettiest assemblage is an English pea falafel in a tangle of pea shoots, pickled shallots and emerald salsa verde, though the falafel itself is plain. (It's hard to recall even days later.) In literal simplicity, charred broccoli stacked like fallen logs and scattered with hacksawed almonds pairs well with a coarse walnut-and-red-pepper muhammara that just needed a longer blitz. Some will stay with olives, charcuterie and cheese, but Post's basic small plates will comfort and feed.

We're picking wines for fun, wines meant for tasting, swirling, discussing: A flinty Gru-Ve, juicy Beaujolais and sparkling double-fermented pet-nat Sulauze. But we're hampered by design: Post's stemware is thin, one-shape glass, the upper bowl etched with a wraparound melting logo commissioned from prolific local designer Caroline Corrigan. This may not be a popular position, but I'm taking a firm stand: Wine glasses are important in material, shape and size. At a minimum, they should be plain and clear. Such dense print — in white, peach, teal and navy, depending which wine you choose — is a wine-obscuring mistake. (You can, however, shine a phone light through the glass to project the print on the table. It's fun.)

The four mains present a baffling mix of cheffy technique and kitchen error: We know the tender roast chicken has been brined, but the intensity of salt and cloves left in the flesh puckers faces, a knot of soggy black chard is beyond identification, and roast potatoes, some half hard, are suctioned to the plate by a tarry black-garlic sauce. Crisp yucca frites are smashing with a rare grilled hanger steak, though it's so tough we debate if it's skirt before a server locates a sharper knife. Bok choy with buckwheat soba noodles, served cold, would work better as a small plate, since such a mountain of uniformly colored and flavored food is a chore, and the curry chickpea stew prompts table-wide shock with chickpeas like jawbreakers and creme fraiche curdled in a brutally vinegary sauce. The kitchen is closed by this point, so instead of sending it back, we placate ourselves with chocolate cake.

There are other clues the owners are young and pumped: Daily specials include late-night happy hour from 10 p.m. to midnight; all-day happy hour runs on Monday, when the kitchen is closed; Tuesday is three-for-two small plates, with other promotions such as 15% off select bottles on Wednesday, $1 off cocktails and pints on Thursday and summer movie Mondays. There's even the restoration of Vinylmania, a '60s freakbeat dance party exported straight outta 2012, when the owners DJ'd or MC'd karaoke at the former Elda's across the street. I get it, though the efforts scream student ID.

I'll say it again: Post Wine bar + Kitchen is young, funky and lacking a little finesse in execution. Nonetheless, the revival of the basement wine bar on Lark, particularly as a natural wine bar in downtown Albany (which Troy has had for years), is a twin win.

Two glasses of wine and two small plates will cost around $46 before tip. Brunch ($10 to $20) includes a complimentary brunch cocktail or coffee.

More Information Post on Lark 200 Lark St. Albany Phone: 518-621-7889 Web: postonlark.com Hours: Dinner, 4 p.m. to midnight Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday. Brunch, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Price: Moderate. Food: Small plates, four mains. Cheese and charcuterie boards. Brunch menu featuring breakfast sandwiches and bowls, Persian pancakes, tamales and vegan/vegetarian options. Drink: Accessibly priced, natural wine list, cocktails and full bar. Spotlight on local beer and area distilleries. Kru coffee. Ambiance: Much loved, cozy, subterranean bar and hidden patio given a refresh. Noise level: 2 Good for: Wine anytime, brunch, snacks, date night, small groups, solo dining. Access: Steep stairs into the basement and up to the rear patio. Not suitable for wheelchairs, though sidewalk tables might be an option. Noise rating: 1- quiet; 2 - comfortable/conversational; 3 - loud; 4 - disruptive. Price range: Inexpensive, Moderate, Somewhat Expensive, Very Expensive See More Collapse

Susie Davidson Powell is a British freelance food writer in upstate New York. Follow her on Twitter, @SusieDP. To comment on this review, visit the Table Hopping blog, blog.timesunion.com/tablehopping.