The Refectory
Ohio's Best French List, Inside a Church
Northwest Columbus · Columbus · Classic French · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed March 22, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Walking into a Gothic church to eat duck confit and drink Burgundy is not something most Columbus residents expect to find on Bethel Road, but here we are. The wine list arrives with the confidence of a place that has been doing this since before most wine lists in Ohio knew what Chablis was. Over 100 labels, a sommelier on the floor, and a house Champagne with the restaurant's own name on the label — this place is serious.
Selection Deep Dive
The list leans hard into France, and we mean that as a compliment. Burgundy gets real attention here — not just the usual suspects, but producers like Domaine Moreau Naudet and Domaine Arlaud showing up with actual depth and vintage range. The Champagne section earns its place too, with grower options like Michel Gonet's Mesnil sur Oger Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs sitting alongside the house Gratiot Pilliere 50th Anniversary bottling. Italy gets a thoughtful supporting role — La Staffa's Rincrocca Verdicchio from Marche and the Grosjean Gamay from Val d'Aosta signal that someone on staff actually cares about the weird-good stuff. Bottle prices stretch from $55 to $600+, but the range feels earned, not padded.
By the Glass
Ten to twenty options by the glass, priced $14 to $28, which is reasonable for a room this calibrated. We'd expect the pours to rotate with the seasons given the sommelier presence, though the data suggests the program runs more fixed than fluid. If the Domaine Arlaud Bourgogne Rouge 'Roncevie' is available by the glass, that is the move.
Domaine Arlaud Bourgogne Rouge 'Roncevie' 2023 — $55–$70 (estimated bottle range)
Village-level Bourgogne from a serious Morey-Saint-Denis producer — you're getting the house style of a top domaine at entry-level pricing. In a room full of splurge-worthy bottles, this one punches way above its tier.
Grosjean Gamay, Val d'Aosta, Italy
Most tables in a French fine dining room are going to reach for Burgundy or Bordeaux. The Grosjean Gamay from Valle d'Aosta is a tiny-production, high-altitude mountain wine that almost nobody orders — and it's one of the most interesting things on the list. Alpine freshness, light structure, and a story worth telling.
Tomasso Bussola Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOCG 2022
Bussola makes great wine, but Recioto is a sweet, late-harvest red that requires very specific context to shine — and a classic French dinner table usually isn't it. Unless you're deep into a dessert course and fully committed, this bottle is likely to sit awkward against the menu.
Domaine Yvon Clerget 1er Cru Volnay 'Les Santenots' + Duck Confit
Volnay Premier Cru is practically designed for duck. The silky tannins, red fruit, and earthy finish of Les Santenots match the richness of confit without fighting it — this is the pairing you bring up at dinner parties for the next six months.
🔥 The Bottom Line
The Refectory is the best wine list in Columbus and one of the most credible French-focused programs in the Midwest — the setting is theatrical, the list is legitimate, and having a sommelier in the room means you're not navigating it alone. Send your friends here for anniversaries, celebrations, or any night that deserves a real bottle.
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