French Finesse Hiding in Midtown Madness
Midtown · New York · Mediterranean · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 19, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Acadia’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Walk into Acadia expecting loud Midtown energy and you get it — but the wine list quietly signals that someone here actually cares. A focused, France-first list with real producers and a sommelier on the floor is not what you expect at 57th and Seventh. This place earns its 2024 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence by leaning hard into what it knows.
The list runs 150-250 bottles and it's essentially a love letter to France, which is either a strength or a limitation depending on your mood. Burgundy gets serious treatment — Domaine Leflaive and Faiveley anchor the whites and reds respectively, and the Rhône section punches above its weight with Château Rayas and Guigal in the mix. Bordeaux fans will find Château Lynch-Bages and Cos d'Estournel, while the Loire section offers genuine pleasure with Domaine Vacheron and Henri Bourgeois rounding things out. If you're looking for Argentina or Oregon, look elsewhere — but if you want France done properly with depth, this is your spot.
Twelve to twenty options by the glass is a healthy pour program for Midtown, and the $14-$22 range reflects the neighborhood's premium without going completely off the rails. We'd expect the Loire and Southern France picks to anchor the glass list given the Mediterranean menu — look for Provence and Rhône representations here. Rotation intel is thin, but with Prabal Belbase on staff, the by-the-glass program should at minimum be curated rather than accidental.
Henri Bourgeois Sancerre — $70
Loire Sauvignon Blanc from a top-tier producer at a price that doesn't make you wince — cuts right through the table-side hummus and keeps the conversation going.
Domaine Vacheron Sancerre Rouge
Most people default to white Sancerre, but Vacheron's Pinot Noir-based red is a genuine gem — lighter than Burgundy, more structured than you'd expect, and almost always overlooked on a France-heavy list like this one.
Cos d'Estournel Bordeaux
Trophy wine at a trophy price in a room full of people ordering rotisserie chicken. The markup on prestige Bordeaux in a Midtown setting rarely makes sense, and this is no exception — you're paying for the label, not the experience.
Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape + Rotisserie Chicken
Rayas is an anomaly — a Grenache-forward Châteauneuf that's all elegance and red fruit rather than muscle. It mirrors the simplicity and richness of a properly roasted bird without bulldozing it. One of the more inspired combos on this list.
The Bottom Line
Acadia is a French wine program wearing a Mediterranean menu as its costume, and it mostly works — especially if you've got Prabal Belbase steering your order. Markups will sting on the bigger names, but the depth and curation make it worth a visit for anyone who wants serious France with their hummus.
Midtown West · New York · Russian-American
The Russian Tea Room treats wine as an afterthought dressed up in Champagne flutes — five famous labels at punishing prices with no range, no by-the-glass program, and no apparent curiosity about wine beyond what looks impressive on a table. Go for the spectacle, order the caviar, but don't come here expecting a wine list.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Restaurant
David Burke Tavern's list is a Chardonnay lover's comfort zone with a solid sparkling section propping up the top — but the narrow focus and steep pricing mean you're paying for familiarity, not discovery. Send a friend here if they want California whites and a glass of Champagne; send them somewhere else if they want to explore.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Restaurant
Corima's wine list is proof that ten well-chosen bottles beat a hundred thoughtless ones every time. If you care about what's in your glass, this place is worth your attention.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Village · New York · American
Cecchi's is first and foremost a bar, but the wine list is more serious than the neon and noise suggest. Steep markups are the main ding — but if you know what to order, there's real pleasure here.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
SoHo · New York · Steak House, Small Plates
The Corner Store is a reliable, well-credentialed wine list doing exactly what a good SoHo steakhouse should — France and California, done with intention, in a room that makes you want to order another bottle. Just watch the markup on the big Bordeaux names and let the Rhône or Burgundy side show you a better time.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Tribeca · New York · American
Farra is punching above its weight class for a neighborhood wine bar, and the Wine Spectator nod is earned — just know that the serious bottles come with serious prices, and the no-sommelier setup means you're doing some of the navigating yourself. Worth it for anyone who knows what they want; potentially overwhelming for those who don't.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Ocean Ave / downtown · Carmel By The Sea · Mediterranean
Dametra is a lively Carmel institution that takes its bottle list more seriously than its casual vibe suggests — the markups sting, but the range is genuinely interesting and a few bottles here are worth seeking out. Send a friend who wants something special with dinner, just tell them to skip the Caymus.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Kohala Coast · Kailua-Kona · Mediterranean
Meridia has the setting, the concept, and the menu to deserve a genuinely interesting wine list — instead it serves up resort-hotel boilerplate at punishing markups. Order the paella, drink the cocktails, and save the serious wine for somewhere that cares.
Crowd Pleasers
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Helena · Helena · Mediterranean
Mediterranean Breeze is doing what it says on the tin — a relaxed room, recognizable bottles, and $6 glass pours that won't break anyone's budget. Skip the mid-tier markups, aim for Jordan or Kim Crawford, and you'll have a perfectly decent night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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