The Space
Racines NY sat at 94 Chambers Street in Tribeca and took its cue from the Parisian bar a vins. The name means roots in French, and the room was the New York extension of a respected Paris original, brought over with Michelin-pedigree chef Frederic Duca and a serious set of wine partners.
It read as more than a wine bar. The wine list ran 2,800 bottles deep, French-centric but global, and was curated by Pascaline Lepeltier, a Master of French Service and one of the most decorated sommeliers working in the city. NYC Tourism listed it among America's best wine restaurants.
A 2,800-bottle natural wine list in Tribeca, curated by one of the city's most decorated sommeliers.
The room balanced a Parisian wine-bar feel with the polish of a destination restaurant. Tribeca Citizen's first-impressions coverage described a space that worked equally for a glass at the bar and a full sit-down meal.
Seating flexed between counter wine drinking and table dining, which suited the format. You could come for a single biodynamic glass or settle in for the small-plates progression.
Wine was the entire argument. The list leaned natural, with organic and biodynamic vinifications and a roster of small estates alongside the big French names. Lepeltier's hand showed in both the depth and the by-the-glass choices.
The kitchen, run by chef Diego Moya, stayed vegetable-forward and built around local, sustainable sourcing. The menu offered about a dozen small plates designed to drink with the wine, with guests encouraged to order for the table.
The crowd was wine-serious, a mix of Tribeca locals, industry people, and sommeliers who came specifically for the list. It drew the kind of guest who reads a wine list cover to cover.
Tasting Table and Tribeca Citizen both framed it as a wine destination rather than a casual drop-in, and the room reflected that.
The by-the-glass list was where Lepeltier's curation showed. The place to start.
The 2,800-bottle list rewarded going off the beaten path with the staff's help.
Chef Diego Moya's plates were built to drink with, ordered for the table.
On a list this deep, deferring to the floor was the smart move.
Racines NY was for natural wine drinkers, sommeliers, and anyone who treats a deep bottle list as the reason to book. It was a wine destination first.
For open rooms with strong drinks programs in the city, see below.
Racines NY occupied 94 Chambers Street in Tribeca, a block from the Chambers St station hub served by the 1, 2, 3, A and C lines. That made it an easy arrival from most of Manhattan.
The location put it among Tribeca's wine bars and restaurants, walkable from the Financial District and the West Side. The block stays a quiet, low-rise stretch of downtown.
When open, a quieter early dinner or a late glass at the bar let the wine list and the floor team shine without the full-room rush. Sommeliers tended to drift in later in the evening.
Racines NY has since closed. For an open room with a strong drinks program downtown, see the siblings below.
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