Serious Bottles in a Neighborhood Wine Bar
Tribeca · New York · American
Updated June 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · May 5, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Farra Wine Bar’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Walk into Farra on Worth Street and the list pulls you up short — this is not a place that padded the wine menu with crowd-pleasing grocery store pours. Burgundy and Champagne dominate in a way that signals someone here actually cares, and the Best of Award of Excellence since 2024 confirms it's not an accident.
The 300-500 bottle list leans hard into the regions that wine obsessives lose sleep over: Burgundy, Champagne, California, and Italy. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Domaine Leroy anchor the Burgundy section — these are aspirational pours, not weeknight wine. On the Champagne side, Krug Grande Cuvée and Louis Roederer Cristal are present for those who think $20 Prosecco is a personality flaw. California gets represented by Kosta Browne and Screaming Eagle, and Italy shows up with Bruno Giacosa and Gaja — a Barolo-Barbaresco one-two that holds its own against the French heavyweights. The list is focused rather than encyclopedic, which is fine — depth beats breadth when the depth is this good.
Twenty to thirty-five pours by the glass is a genuinely strong program for a wine bar this size, and at $15–$30 a glass, you're not getting off cheap — but you're in Tribeca, so calibrate expectations accordingly. The range should let you explore across regions without committing to a full bottle of something you've never tried.
Kosta Browne Pinot Noir — $60-range bottle
At the lower end of their bottle range, Kosta Browne is a California Pinot that routinely fetches big secondary market prices — catching it here at bottle-list entry pricing is the closest thing to a deal on a list that doesn't really do deals.
Bruno Giacosa Barolo
Everyone comes here for the Burgundy, and the DRC and Leroy names suck all the oxygen out of the room. Meanwhile Giacosa — one of the great traditional Barolo producers, full stop — sits quietly on the Italy section waiting for someone who knows what they're looking at. Don't let it wait long.
Louis Roederer Cristal
Cristal is a great Champagne. It's also the most marked-up bottle on any list it appears on because the name does the selling. Krug Grande Cuvée is right there, almost certainly drinks at least as well in the context of a wine bar, and won't make you feel like you're paying for the brand story.
Krug Grande Cuvée + Oysters or charcuterie board
Krug Grande Cuvée's toasty richness and persistent bubbles cut through fat and brine without losing complexity — it's the kind of Champagne that makes you want to eat slowly and stay late.
🎲 The Bottom Line
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.
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
New York · New York · Japanese, Thai
Tao is not a wine destination, but it's not trying to be — it's a scene, and the list services that scene competently. If someone else is picking the restaurant, you can drink well here; just order smart and don't let the bottle service energy talk you into Opus One with your satay skewers.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Mamaroneck Avenue · White Plains · American
The Brazen Fox is a great place to watch a game and eat a burger — just don't come here for the wine list. Order a craft beer, save the wine night for somewhere else.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Fallsview Area · Niagara Falls · American
Order a cocktail. The wine list exists because restaurants are expected to have one, not because anyone here cares about what's in your glass. If you want to drink wine in Niagara Falls, cross the bridge and find a winery.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Avenue · Grand Junction · American
We're not here to pile on a chain restaurant — Applebee's knows exactly what it is. But if wine matters to you even a little, order a cocktail and save your wine night for somewhere that's actually trying.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.