Tribeca's love letter to French wine
Tribeca · New York · French · Visit Website ↗
Updated April 2026
Reviewed March 25, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Frenchette’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Frenchette lands like a confident handshake — 200-plus bottles, nearly all French, and clearly curated by people who actually drink this stuff. It's not trying to impress with Bordeaux first-growths or Napa cult bottles; it's trying to get you to try something you've never heard of, and it mostly succeeds. The warm room and leather banquettes make it feel like the right setting to let someone talk you into a Roussillon you didn't know you needed.
The list runs deep on France — Beaujolais, Loire, Languedoc, Roussillon, Champagne — with genuine producers who mean something, not just names that fill space. Bruno Duchene showing up by the glass is a signal: this is a list built by people who pay attention to what's happening in natural and artisan French wine right now. Spain and Italy get a nod but they're clearly the supporting cast here, which is fine because the French selections are that good. There are gaps if you're hunting for New World or want a broad international tour, but if you came to a place called Frenchette for a Malbec, that's on you.
The by-the-glass program runs 15 to 25 options in the $18–$35 range, which is honest money for this neighborhood and this caliber of wine. The selections rotate seasonally and skew toward natural and low-intervention producers — seeing Alex Foillard's Beaujolais-Villages at $19 and the YoYo Bateau Ivre Roussillon at $23 by the glass puts this program well ahead of most Tribeca competition. If you're indecisive, this is the restaurant where you just tell the staff what you're eating and let them pour.
Alex Foillard Beaujolais-Villages 2024 — $19
Alex Foillard is from the inner circle of Beaujolais natural wine royalty — son of Jean Foillard, who basically co-wrote the playbook. Getting this in a glass at $19 in Tribeca is a genuine steal, and it'll make the steak frites sing.
Bruno Duchene La Luna Cote Vermeille IGP 2024
Most people at this table will walk past a Cote Vermeille IGP without a second glance, and that's exactly why you should order it. Duchene is one of the most compelling natural producers working in Roussillon right now, making wines near the Spanish border that taste like nowhere else in France. At $25 a glass, this is the kind of pour that makes the whole evening feel like a discovery.
Hervé Rafflin La Meunier Premier Cru Extra Brut Champagne NV
At $35 a glass, this is the priciest pour on the by-the-glass list and while Rafflin is a solid grower-producer, the premium feels steep when there are more interesting options at nearly half the price. If you want bubbles, ask what's open — or save the splurge for a bottle.
YoYo Bateau Ivre Roussillon-V.d.F 2025 + Duck liver mousse
The Bateau Ivre has enough earthy funk and dark fruit tension to stand up to the richness of the duck liver mousse without overwhelming it — this is the kind of pairing that feels obvious in retrospect but takes a good list to make possible.
The Bottom Line
Frenchette has one of the most focused and genuinely exciting wine programs in Tribeca — deep on France, fair on price, and staffed by people who will steer you right. Yes, send a friend here for wine.
Midtown · New York · French Brasserie
La Grande Boucherie earns its place as a reliable stop for wine in Midtown, especially if you're leaning French. The glass list is genuinely wide and has some smart picks buried in it — the Fleurie and the Wiemer Riesling both punch above their price points. Markups trend steep as you climb the bottle list, so your money works hardest in the by-the-glass section. If you're here for the brasserie experience, the wine program holds up its end of the deal.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Steakhouse
BLT Prime's wine program is glass-only, which limits your options if you came for a big bottle moment, but the pricing is honest and the selection is more thoughtful than most steakhouses bother with. If you're keeping it casual and ordering by the glass, you can drink well here without feeling taken advantage of — and that's not nothing in this city.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Restaurant
The Palm Midtown is not where you'd expect to find Puzelat and Ruth Lewandowski sitting next to each other on a wine list — which is exactly what makes it worth a second look. Six bottles is a short menu, but all six are defensible picks at prices that don't insult you. If you're in the mood to trust the list and not overthink it, this works.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Murray Hill · New York · Classic American Steakhouse
Wolfgang's is a reliable steakhouse wine experience in the sense that you know exactly what you're getting: a list built around the bottle you already know, priced for the room you're sitting in. If you're here to close a deal over a Porterhouse for Two, the wine list will do its job without embarrassing anyone — but it's not going to surprise you, and it's almost certainly going to cost more than it should. Go in with eyes open and a strong second-choice red in mind.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Mediterranean
Zaytinya's wine list is a rare thing in New York: a focused, regionally coherent program that commits hard to Greek and Eastern Mediterranean varieties without making you feel like you need a flashcard to order. The by-the-glass selection alone — 18 options, all under $18, featuring producers most wine lists wouldn't touch — makes this worth visiting even before the food arrives. If you eat here and order a Cabernet, that's on you.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
SoHo · New York · Italian
A long bottle list with Italian, Burgundy and Champagne sections, fronted by a 22-wine glass page. For a glass, try the Skerk Orange Wine from Friuli at 25/95, and for a bottle on a lighter budget, the Volpaia Vermentino at 60; upstairs in the café, the labeled list pours Palistorti di Valgiano's orange Tuscan blend at Glass $22. Confirm prices before you order, because the site's Upstairs Café dinner menu and the beverage PDF do not match. This unrated guide covers the posted wine lists, not service, storage or markups.
River Market · Kansas City · French
A French-led list with 25 two-price wines up front and a long run of Burgundy, Bordeaux and Rhône bottles behind them. Start with the Chinon Le Garenne at 42 or the Cornas 'Granit 60' at 88, ask which number is the glass price, and confirm prices, since the page is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Union Square · San Francisco · French
A 66-page list that starts with a 20-pour glass page and moves quickly into Burgundy, Rhône and Bordeaux bottles priced in the hundreds and thousands, so decide early whether you are drinking by the glass or committing to a bottle. Start with the $20 Chablis or the $23 Corsican red, and confirm today's list because it carries no print date. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Meatpacking District · New York · French
A French wine list with a wide price ladder: $16 glasses, $40 half bottles and $60 full bottles at the bottom, Pétrus and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti at the top. Start with the $16 Famille Coulon Rhône white by the glass, or spend $115 on the Marcel Deiss Alsace pinot noir, and check prices because the two PDFs show different bottle prices for Delos. This unrated guide covers the posted wine lists, not service, storage or markups.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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Staff
Specials & Deals
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