Minibar by José Andrés
Molecular magic meets serious French bottles
Washington · Washington · Spanish · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 11, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
When your meal starts with a gin and tonic served as a ravioli, the wine list better keep up — and at Minibar, it largely does. The list is tight at 150-200 bottles, but the names on it read like a greatest-hits album of French and Spanish fine wine. This is a destination tasting menu first and a wine program second, and the list knows it.
Selection Deep Dive
France dominates, which tracks with the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence the restaurant has held since 2014. You'll find heavy-hitters like Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Henri Jayer, Domaine Leflaive, and Château Pétrus sharing space with Spanish royalty — Vega Sicilia and Álvaro Palacios's L'Ermita among them. Krug anchors the Champagne section, which feels right for a meal this theatrical. The list isn't wide, but every slot earns its place; there's no filler here, just intentional choices built around the tasting menu format.
By the Glass
With 10-15 glass pours, the by-the-glass program is modest but curated — expect options that rotate to complement whatever version of the tasting menu is running. The pairing program at $150-$250 per person is where this list really lives; ordering by the glass feels like bringing a pocket knife to a dinner where everyone else has a chef's knife.
Krug Champagne — $80+
In the context of a tasting menu running hundreds of dollars per head, Krug by the glass or as a pairing opener is the move — it holds up against the bold, acid-driven bites that open the meal and gives you a reference point for what elevated glassware can do.
Álvaro Palacios L'Ermita
Everyone at the table is eyeing the DRC and the Pétrus, but L'Ermita — Palacios's singular old-vine Garnacha from Priorat — is the Spanish soul of this list. It's a wine that matches the kitchen's Spanish DNA and gets overlooked next to the French flagships.
Château Pétrus
It's an icon, no argument there, but at Minibar's markup levels and in a tasting menu setting where you're sharing attention with 20-plus courses, dropping four figures on Pétrus is a tough sell. The wine deserves a quieter room.
Domaine Leflaive + Jicama with uni and caviar
A white Burgundy from Leflaive — all minerality and restrained richness — cuts right through the brine of the uni and caviar while the jicama's crunch keeps things lively. It's the rare pairing where both the wine and the dish get better.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Minibar is not a wine destination in the traditional sense — it's a culinary theater with a seriously curated supporting cast. If you're going for the experience, lean into the pairing menu; the list was built for exactly that.
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