Paris Met Madrid, and the Wine Won
Upper East Side · New York · French, Spanish · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 8, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Walk into Chez Fifi and the wine list lands like a quiet flex — no flashy cover, just serious depth waiting inside. The intimate townhouse setting on 74th Street sets the tone: this is a place where someone thought hard about what goes in the cellar. Wine Spectator handed them a Best of Award of Excellence in 2025, and one glance at the list tells you why.
Four to six hundred bottles is a serious commitment, and this one earns its pages. Burgundy is the backbone — we're talking Domaine Leroy and Henri Jayer territory, which means this isn't a list padding its prestige with one trophy bottle. Champagne is equally strong with Krug and Salon both present, while Spain gets real love through Vega Sicilia Unico and Álvaro Palacios L'Ermita — a nod to the French-Spanish kitchen running upstairs. Loire shows up with Domaine Huet Vouvray, the Rhône with Guigal's La Mouline, and California chips in with Ridge Monte Bello and Screaming Eagle; the range is genuinely eclectic, not just a Bordeaux vanity project.
Twenty to thirty-five pours is an ambitious by-the-glass program for a restaurant this size, and at $12–$25 a glass, there's real range to work with across an evening. We'd expect the glass list to mirror the cellar's French-Spanish strengths, so Rhône and Loire should be well-represented alongside whatever Champagne they're pouring. The staff — Ramon Manglano and Jirka Jireh are both on the floor — know this list cold, which means asking for a recommendation isn't a gamble.
Domaine Huet Vouvray — $60–$90 (bottle range estimate)
Huet Vouvray punches well above its typical shelf price in terms of complexity and ageability — on a list where Pétrus and DRC are the gravitational center, this is where the actual value hides. Chenin Blanc this good gets overlooked every time.
E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline
La Mouline is one of the great Syrahs on the planet, but it gets consistently overshadowed on lists where Burgundy hogs all the oxygen. At a table eating Basque-style clams or a pepper-crusted filet, this Northern Rhône stunner is the move most people miss.
Screaming Eagle
Look, it's not a bad wine — but on a list with this much French depth, paying Screaming Eagle prices is just buying a brand name. The markup on California cult cabernet in a Parisian-leaning UES restaurant is never going to feel like a deal, and there are far more interesting bottles at a fraction of the price right here on the same list.
Álvaro Palacios L'Ermita + Rice and Clam (Basque-style little neck clams with bomba rice and homemade clam stock)
L'Ermita is a Priorat Grenache with enough concentration to stand up to the briny, umami-rich clam stock and the weight of bomba rice, while its earthy minerality ties back to the Spanish soul of the dish. It's the one bottle on this list that makes the French-Spanish kitchen concept click into place.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Chez Fifi is a genuine rager dressed in quiet Parisian clothes — a 400–600 bottle cellar with real ambition, knowledgeable staff who'll actually help you navigate it, and a kitchen that gives the wine somewhere interesting to go. The markups are UES-steep, but if you know where to look, this list rewards you.
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
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.