West Village's Most Serious Wine Bar
West Village · New York · Mediterranean, Small Plates · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 8, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Lelabar on Hudson Street feels like finding a secret — dim lighting, exposed brick, and a wine list that means serious business. This is not a place that threw 40 bottles on a menu and called it a wine bar. The Best of Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator (held since 2017) is earned, and you sense it before you even sit down.
The 400-600 bottle list is anchored hard in Burgundy and France, with Domaine Leroy, Domaine Leflaive, and Domaine Dujac sitting alongside Italy's Gaja and Antinori — names that would be at home in any serious restaurant cellar in the city. California gets a strong showing too, with Kistler and Opus One representing the high end of the American side. The range spans everyday-accessible to full collector territory, which means both a first-date bottle and a special-occasion splurge are genuinely possible from the same list. The only gripe: retail pricing data isn't transparent, so you're taking the restaurant's word on value across much of the list.
Twenty to thirty-five options by the glass is generous for a room this size, and the range tracks the strengths of the bottle list — expect Burgundian whites, Italian reds, and California representation to cycle through. Monday's half-price wine night is the real headline here; that program is active and intentional, not a dusty promotion nobody updates.
Au Bon Climat Santa Barbara Chardonnay 2021 — $95
In a list full of three-figure Burgundy, Au Bon Climat's Santa Barbara Chardonnay is the honest, delicious outlier. Jim Clendenen's legacy wine is serious Chardonnay at a price that won't make you wince when you reorder.
Domaine Dujac Burgundy
Dujac gets overshadowed by the DRC and Leroy names on a list like this, but Jeremy Seysses is making some of the most compelling Pinot Noir in the Côte de Nuits. Most tables walk past it chasing the bigger names — don't.
Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
At $2,850 a bottle, Screaming Eagle is a flex purchase, not a wine purchase. The trophy tax on cult Napa Cab at restaurant markup makes this a monument to status anxiety. The wine is extraordinary; the price in this context is not.
Gaja Barbaresco 2018 + Octopus carpaccio
Gaja's Barbaresco has enough structure and acidity to cut through the oceanic richness of the carpaccio, while the wine's earthy, dried rose character mirrors the char and brine of the dish without bulldozing it.
Monday — Half-price wine night every Monday — applies to bottle selections and makes the list genuinely accessible at the top end.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Lelabar is the real thing — a West Village wine bar with the depth, staff, and program to back up its reputation. Yes, the high end gets pricey, but Monday nights and a smart by-the-glass rotation mean you can drink very well here without selling anything.
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
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