Sixteen seats, five hundred bottles, zero compromises
Greenwich Village · New York · Asian, European · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 8, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Frevo’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You walk through an art gallery to get to a 16-seat counter, and the wine list hits like a second piece of art — dense, considered, and clearly built by someone with a point of view. Burgundy and Italy anchor the thing, but there's enough Spain and broader France in the mix to keep it from feeling like a greatest-hits shrine. Sommelier Axel Penzo's fingerprints are all over this.
The list runs 400 to 600 bottles deep, which is borderline absurd for a restaurant with fewer seats than a minivan. Burgundy is the obvious obsession — Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Domaine Dujac Chambolle-Musigny sit alongside Domaine Leflaive and Etienne Sauzet on the whites side, meaning both ends of the Côte d'Or are well covered. Italy punches just as hard: Giacomo Conterno and Bruno Giacosa represent classic Barolo, Gaja covers Barbaresco, and the list doesn't feel like it's just checking boxes. Spain shows up with real intention — Álvaro Palacios L'Ermita and Vega Sicilia Unico are here, which tells you they're not just tacking on a Rioja for show.
Twenty to thirty-five pours by the glass is a serious program for a room this small, and at $15–$25 a glass the range is accessible without feeling dumbed down. Given the caliber of the bottle list, the by-the-glass selections are your best foot in the door if you're not ready to commit to a $200+ bottle on a Tuesday. We'd expect Penzo to rotate these thoughtfully — this isn't a laminated card that hasn't changed since the Obama administration.
Etienne Sauzet Puligny-Montrachet — $60+
Sauzet is a reference producer in Puligny and tends to be slightly less marked up than Leflaive at comparable quality. For Burgundy white at this level in a New York tasting-menu context, it's about as fair an entry point as you're going to find on a list anchored by DRC.
Álvaro Palacios L'Ermita
Everyone gravitates toward Burgundy here — and honestly, fair. But L'Ermita from Priorat is one of Spain's most compelling expressions of Grenache, and in a room full of Pinot devotees it tends to get overlooked. It's a different kind of profound.
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Look, DRC is on the list and that's genuinely impressive. But unless you're celebrating something life-changing — or expensing this — the markup on trophy Burgundy in Manhattan is a reliable gut-punch. The same terroir story gets told at a fraction of the cost by other producers on this very list.
Domaine Dujac Chambolle-Musigny + French-technique tasting menu course
Dujac's Chambolle is silky, aromatic, and generous — it has enough fruit and finesse to complement the French-leaning technique coming out of that counter without steamrolling whatever delicate thing the kitchen just spent three hours on. It's a wine that knows how to share the spotlight.
The Bottom Line
Frevo is the rare small room that earns a big wine reputation — the list is serious, the sommelier is present, and the whole setup rewards the kind of guest who wants their glass to match the ambition on the plate. Yes, send your wine-loving friends here. Book ahead.
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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