Martini bar that actually knows its wine
West Village · New York · American · Visit Website ↗
Updated September 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · May 20, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Cecchi's Bar and Grill’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Cecchi's, the vibe hits first — dim lighting, Art Deco bones, the kind of place where people are absolutely ordering a dirty martini before they even look at a menu. The wine list doesn't announce itself loudly, but it's got enough California and French muscle to hold its own in a room that really, really wants to sell you a cocktail.
The list leans hard into California and France, which is exactly what Wine Spectator flagged when they handed out the Award of Excellence in 2025. You've got Napa heavyweights like Far Niente and Stag's Leap alongside Cakebread and Rombauer for the Chardonnay crowd, and on the French side, Château Lynch-Bages and a Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Échézeaux for those who want to spend serious money. The Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé is a nice touch — it tells you someone with taste built this list, not just a purchasing manager filling slots. Gaps exist outside these two regions, and adventurous drinkers looking for natural wine or anything off the beaten path will feel the walls close in.
We don't have a full by-the-glass breakdown, but with a sommelier named Robert Oppenheimer running the program, we'd expect at least a workable pour selection that tracks the bottle list's California-France axis. In a room this buzzy, a short but well-chosen glass list is table stakes — and the WS credential suggests they're not phoning it in.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 — $175
Artemis is Stag's Leap's workhorse Cab — consistently well-made, reliably drinkable, and at $175 it's the least punishing way to get a serious Napa red at a West Village bar where everything else at this tier costs more.
Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé 2021
Most people at Cecchi's are eyeing the Champagne or going straight to Cabernet. The Domaine Tempier Bandol is a benchmark Provençal rosé from one of the appellation's greatest estates — structured, savory, and wildly underordered in a room full of people drinking martinis. Their loss.
Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay Napa Valley 2019
At $125, Cakebread Chardonnay is a recognizable name that trades entirely on its reputation. It's fine — but you're paying a premium for the label, not the juice. The Rombauer drinks similarly and comes in cheaper.
Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé 2021 + Steak frites
Bandol Rosé isn't just a warm-weather sipper — it's got enough structure and savory depth to cut through the fat of a proper steak frites without overpowering it. It's the kind of pairing that makes people put down their martini glass and pay attention.
The Bottom Line
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.
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
· Yountville · American
RH Yountville is a genuinely beautiful place to drink wine — the room earns that much on atmosphere alone, and the California-forward list will keep most guests happy without any friction. But in Yountville, where the competition includes some of the most serious wine programs in the country, 'happy without friction' isn't the same as memorable. Go for the experience, order confidently by region, and don't expect the list to surprise you.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bakersfield · American
Yard House Bakersfield is a beer hall that happens to sell wine, and the list makes no effort to hide that. Markups are aggressive, selections are safe to the point of being anonymous, and the only reason to open a bottle here is if your table voted against another round of IPAs. If you're wine-focused, redirect your budget to the Jean-Luc Colombo Rosé by the glass and call it a night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Yountville · American
The Kitchen at Priest Ranch is a one-winery show, and that's exactly the point. If you want to spend an evening exploring what a single Napa estate produces across whites, rosé, Zinfandel, Merlot, and multiple Cabernet expressions — including older large-format bottles — this is a genuinely interesting way to do it. Just don't come expecting breadth or outside discovery. Send a friend here if they love Priest Ranch or want to.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
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