Royal Wine Merchants

This was the third place I went in search of a particular brand of rum. It’s near my office, hidden away near Stone Street, but I’d never been there before.
They didn’t have the rum, but unlike the previous two places, Royal Wine Merchants said they’d try to track it down. By the time I got to work, I had an e-​mail from Laurie saying she had ordered it. 24 hours later I was back and picking up my bottle of rum. What great service!
Now that I know about Royal, they will be my go-​to liquor store near work. It’s a a tiny place on a quiet FiDi street but looks well-​stocked, and my fellow Unilocalers seem to be fans. It’ll be a perfect place to stop when I leave work and head to a dinner party and know that I must get wine along the way!

Royal Wine Merchants is fantastic and friendly.
I was brand new in the neighborhood when I stopped in for the first time. I was looking for some nice sparkling wines as a gift during the holiday season. The staff was beyond helpful — gave me several options in my price range and offered helpful guidance on which were the best value (even when the price meant a smaller sale for the shop).
I returned on a second occasion to purchase wine for a party I was attending. Again, the staff was great. He asked how the wine was going to be received, and whether it would unceremoniously rest on a table of other drinks (which was the case). With that in mind, he selected something that was good, but economical as well. His thought being, no need to go for the big spend if it won’t be noticed, and possibly not enjoyed appropriately.
This great little shop will get all my wine business.

Based on other Unilocal review I decided to check out Royal Wine Merchants in FIDI. A tiny store packed with all kinds of wonderful wines and spirits. They had some unique stuff and the owner was extremely helpful. I came in looking for domestic bourbon/​whiskey and they had many things I had never seen before. I settled on a whiskey from Alabama of all places. Took it home and it was great. Pricey bottle but well worth it. I appreciated the fact that even though there were other customers he spent some time with me discussing the spirit selections. I will definitely be back to this little gem soon. I thought the prices were OK but not cheap unlike some ot the other reviews. What you are paying for here besides the exorbitant rents in NYC is the quality of the slections and the knowledge of the owner. Works for me.

It’s very simple. This is the best wine shop in NYC. Fantastic wine at all price points from all over the world, and you can find bottles with age on them without the corresponding price inflation. It’s a real wine shop (small is the first key) storing wine in the correct condition in the correct quantities with the correct inventory turnover.
Robert is generally there. Give him your price point and palate/​meal pairing, then be open to some hidden gems. Well done Royal Wine Merchants. Finally, NYC gets it right.

Lovely wine shop on a nice, quiet street. The staff is very helpful and knowledgeable, and the store itself has a great selection of wines with affordable prices. They also recently donated wine for a charity wine tasting that I’m hosting so thank you, Royal Wine Merchants!

I recently moved to the FiDi from Boston. It took me about a week to find Royal Wine Merchants, and now it’s the only liquor store in the neighborhood I will go to. The prices are way cheaper than anyone else in the area, and they have great stuff. As others pointed out, the store is small, but the place is packed with good quality gems. The people that work there are always super helpful, knowledgeable, and are ready with recommendations with pros and cons about the different types of wine and liquor.

I visited this albeit small yet organized shop twice in the last month. They had several brands of Scotch I’ve never seen before. Reasonable prices, especially for the financial district. Friendly knowledgeable staff.

Royal Wine Merchants is about the size of a breadbox, but full of charm. Their store’s absolutely charming, stocked with a selection of wine — and liquor — focused on quality, not quantity. Even with limited real estate, there’s a bottle for every budget.
They’re open everyday except Sunday (last I checked), and if you want to schedule a private appointment, they’re amenable to that.

Nestled into a small, narrow space on South William Street, Royal Wine Merchants is a beautiful, albeit small, wine store that harbors a decent selection and relatively wide price range. From $ 15 bottles of Prosecco to $ 80 bottles of Barolo and a private section in the back of the store for bottles with price tags I won’t even dare to imagine. Up front by the register, you’ll find a small liquor section, but if it’s spirits you want, you’re better off walking over to Bowling Green and checking out The New York Wine Exchange.