Burgundy Dreams in a SoHo Wine Den
SoHo · New York · Small Plates · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 8, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Bibliothèque lands like a love letter to France — Burgundy up front, Bordeaux right behind it, and enough serious bottles to make you want to cancel your dinner reservation elsewhere and just stay here. The exposed brick, dim lighting, and intimate scale of the room match the seriousness of what's in that list. This is not a restaurant that happens to serve wine; this is a wine bar that happens to serve excellent small plates.
With 350–500 bottles anchored in France's greatest regions, this list earns its Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence without argument. Burgundy goes deep — Armand Rousseau Gevrey-Chambertin, Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet, and Henri Jayer Vosne-Romanée are names you don't see on a casual Tuesday night list. Bordeaux holds its own with Château Pétrus and Château Margaux in the mix, Champagne punches hard with Krug and Salon Blanc de Blancs, and the Italy section — Giacomo Conterno Barolo, Gaja Barbaresco, Sassicaia — adds serious weight. California gets a seat at the table with Screaming Eagle and Opus One, though the Old World is clearly where the kitchen's heart lives.
Twenty to thirty-five options by the glass is genuinely impressive for a list this caliber — most spots this serious push you toward the bottle. Pours run $14–$28, which is honest for SoHo. The range rotates enough to keep regulars coming back, and Monday's half-price wine night turns an already approachable by-the-glass program into one of the better deals in lower Manhattan.
Kistler Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 2021 — $145
At $145 on a list where Burgundy white prices start much higher, Kistler's Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is the move for people who want serious, age-worthy white wine without sticker shock. It's the bottle that makes you look smart without feeling like you're settling.
Ridge Monte Bello 2019
At $285, Ridge Monte Bello sits in the shadow of the Screaming Eagles and Opus Ones on this list, which is exactly why you should order it. One of the most consistent, terroir-driven Cabernet blends in California — and it doesn't need a hype machine to justify the price.
Sassicaia 2020
At $595, Sassicaia is a genuinely great wine — but retail on the 2020 is widely available in the $150–$180 range, putting this well past the 3x markup threshold. The wine won't disappoint, but your wallet will.
Domaine Dujac Morey-St-Denis 2019 + Duck Confit
Dujac's Morey-St-Denis has that silky Pinot texture with enough earthy depth and red fruit to cut through the richness of duck confit without overwhelming it. It's the kind of pairing that makes the table go quiet for a moment.
Monday — Half-price wine on Mondays — applies to bottles, making it one of the better weekly wine deals in SoHo.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Bibliothèque is the real deal — a SoHo wine bar with a list that can hold its own against the city's best dedicated wine destinations. The markup is honest for what it is, Monday nights are a gift, and the small plates give you every excuse to open a second bottle.
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
Financial District · San Francisco · Small Plates
San Francisco Wine Society is a FiDi wine bar doing more than its footprint suggests — a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence, a smart by-the-glass roster, and a vibe that actually rewards slowing down. If you're in the neighborhood and want something better than the obvious hotel bar options, this is the move.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Proper
Kingsley · Fort Mill · Small Plates
The Corkscrew is doing something legitimately good in a suburb that didn't ask for it — a France-and-California-anchored list with real producers, fair pricing, and enough by-the-glass options to make every visit feel different. If you're in the Fort Mill area and want actual wine with your small plates, this is the move.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
NuLu · Louisville · Small Plates
Nouvelle is doing something genuinely interesting in Louisville: a thoughtful, French-forward wine program in a small plates format that rewards guests who actually read the list. We'd send a friend here without hesitation — and tell them to look past the Bollinger.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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