Paris Met Madrid, and the Wine Won
Upper East Side · New York · French, Spanish · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 8, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Chez Fifi’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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.
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
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