Shmoné

By Isis O’Flynn-SHAHAF

65 West 8th Street

This wine bar in the West Village doesn’t take reservations, but it does take curious palates and a desire to learn. Shmoné is an inviting gem for all who want an intimate evening with good wine and no fuss.

This beautiful space is nestled right next to its partner, the Michelin-starred restaurant Shmoné. Chef Eyal Shani is the creative genius behind the restaurant and 40-50 other highly successful projects. However, the wine bar is his first beverage focused business.

The idea for the project took shape after the team explored the vacancy of Shmone’s storefront, opening the door to a natural extension of the restaurant. Shmone Wine emerged at the right time, allowing the team to create a focused wine program designed to flow seamlessly between both spaces. Luckily, the building shared the same landlord as the restaurant, which made the process easier. The wine bar opened its doors in February 2025.

In January 2025, Yonatan Chaitchik joined the project as wine director. While working at high-end restaurant Saga, he had been receiving offers to join new places but he never took them because “I didn’t exactly know what I wanted to do next.” However, when the opportunity arose to join Shmoné, he accepted gladly. Not only was he intrigued by the project’s exciting design, he felt a personal connection to the mostly Israeli and Jewish team. “The political climate for Jews in New York in the last couple of years made me realize that I want to work for—and with—people who are more like me,” he said.

“It was exciting to walk into slightly unknown territory for all of us. Also for me, I’ve never been in a position of managing or buying beverages before and here I had to do both right away,” Chaitchik said. The process of wine selection is highly intentional, with almost every bottle served given a two day tasting trial. The wine is tasted on the first day, and then again the next day after it has had time to breathe. The core of their program is mainly made up of wines from Burgundy, which are “the best wines on earth,” according to Chaitchik. Although they have their preferences, the team at Shmoné always likes to make sure their guest is satisfied. When there is a new wine trend, they experiment with it at the bar. “This summer, a lot of people wanted chilled reds, which we’re all about it. We had great, great offerings from various places,” said Chaitchik.

Not only has the wine bar become a home for passionate wine lovers, it serves as a place for locals and out-of-towners to enjoy an escape from the busy streets of the Village and indulge in welcoming company. Guests can expect the server to provide a history of the bottle they are drinking, as well as the opportunity to taste new types of grapes and regions. “Old-school consumers will always ask for Napa Cabs. We don’t offer that because we don’t love these with our own food. Generally speaking, we’re trying to challenge the guest a little bit,” said Chaitchik.

Although Shmoné was designed with the hope of being approachable to all, some of their bottles are priced at roughly $3,900. High-end in quality, but lowkey in atmosphere, there is no pressure to purchase an expensive wine. According to Chaitchik, “Instead of spending a lot of money, you can probably get the same bottle for a better price here, than anywhere in the city…because I want people to come and drink champagne, and I want it to be approachable.”

Bringing the wine bar to life was no small feat, and Chaitchik couldn’t have done it without his trusted friend and executive chef Orienne Shapira. The duo were given mostly creative freedom to mold the project. In a neighborhood like the West Village, which is filled with popular wine bars, they had to define what made Shmoné stand out. “There are so many wine bars that are not really thoughtful and curated. And there are some very high-end ones that offer amazing wine, very, very intricate dishes and fancy stuff. But also they’re very expensive and unapproachable. So we wanted some sort of middle ground,” he said.

Chaitchik and Shapira worked extensively to bring together the quality of Shmoné’s wine with the inviting and relaxed atmosphere they envisioned for the space. “I want to feel like they’re coming into my living room,” he said.

Whether you are looking for high-end wine paired with great conversation and elegant food inspired by Tel-Aviv, or a casual end to your Monday night, Shmoné Wine Bar is the place to be