West Village's Most Serious Wine Bar
West Village · New York · Mediterranean, Small Plates · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 8, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Lelabar’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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.
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
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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