Burgundy Dreams in a SoHo Wine Den
SoHo · New York · Small Plates · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 8, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Bibliothèque’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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.
NoHo · New York · Italian
Il Buco has one of the most compelling Italian wine lists in New York City — deep, principled, and staffed by people who actually care. The markup is real, so budget accordingly, but this is a room worth splurging in.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown · New York · Steakhouse
STK Downtown is a place where people order Champagne to celebrate, not to drink — and the wine program is built accordingly. If you're here for the vibe and someone else is paying, pop the Dom and enjoy it; if you actually care about what's in your glass, you're in the wrong room.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown · New York · Upscale Seafood & Steakhouse
Three happy hour wines do not a wine program make. Ocean Prime is a place you eat well and drink safely — but if wine is a priority, this list will let you down before the bread basket arrives.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
Midtown · New York · Steakhouse
STK Midtown is a great place to see and be seen, but the wine list is there to pad the check, not to excite you. If you're here for the experience, lean on the cocktails or grab a glass of Bonanza at the bar — don't expect the bottle list to reward any real curiosity.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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
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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