17 top wine restaurants in New York City 2021
New York is the epicenter of wine in the US, so be prepared to browse some serious wine lists as you dig into this guide to great wine restaurants. The core of the guide is the favorite restaurants of Arvid Rosengren, Best sommelier of the World in 2016, but we're continually adding new favorites to the guide.
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Phone: +1 212 613-8660
Address: 400 5th Avenue #2, New York
Escape the world and the 5th Avenue by entering the Italian fine dining restaurant Ai Fiori on the second floor of the Langham Hotel, only steps from the New York Public Library. The discrete space in brown and beige is made for couples, Italian families and power lunches alike. On our latest visit, two guys that both sounded very much like Kendall Roy in HBO's Succession discussed cap tables and funding at the table next to us. The venue is classic, the service is old school and forthcoming and the food is very good. In fact, this is the only place in the world where I've ordered the same p...
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Phone: (212) 219-2777
Address: 239 West Broadway, New York
Bâtard is a restaurant in Manhattan, New York City. Another downtown classic from Drew Nieporent (along with Tribeca Grill), Bâtard is a fancier stop, but the wine list is full of treasures, often at a very good value. Burgundy is a specialty.
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Phone: (212) 235-7133
Address: 5 King Street, New York
Charlie Bird is a restaurant in Manhattan, New York City. The vibe at Charlie Bird is hard to describe at first. Yet it is a restaurant that more and more people try to emulate. It's an awkward elongated space, it can be loud and the "ambiance" of the busy 6th Avenue outside the windows certainly isn't serene. Yet, Charlie Bird is about comfort. About taking all the pretention out of dining. It's a place you can show up to in a t-shirt, jeans and sneakers, eat an unfussy, well-cooked meal and drink world-class wine. (Full Disclosure: Charlie Bird is also part of the Delicious Hospitality grou...
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Phone: (212) 517-1932
Address: 70 Pine Street, New York
Crown Shy opened in the financial district early 2019 and is a partnership between the chef James Kent, formerly at NoMad, and Jeff Katz, managing partner at Del Posto. The building is a 67-stories beauty from 1932 that recently was converted into apartments and hotel rooms, with Crown Shy at the ground floor. The venue is expansive and beautiful, and the food has earned good reviews, but we would like to point out the wine selection (see below). The place is busy and appreciated by financial types and wine lovers alike. (The name? It refers to tall trees, and yes, you can guess the address o...
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Phone: (212) 288-0033
Address: 60 East 65th Street, New York
Even though Daniel Boulud's classic French cooking may have fallen from grace in the eyes of some critics, this still is one of the temples of food and wine you must visit in the city. Dress up. Come early. Grab a Martini in the bar. Study the tome that is the wine list while waiting for your company. Marvel at the effortless skill and elegance of the service team. You're going to eat and drink extraordinarily well, and dream of simpler times.
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Phone: (212) 889-0905
Address: 11 Madison Avenue, New York
Eleven Madison Park is a restaurant in Manhattan, New York City. "A temple of gastronomy and for many a must visit. The wine list is similarly impressive and expansive. Former Wine Director Cedric Nicaise has built what can only be described as a dream list. Not cheap, but then again, if you've secured a reservation at one of the world's most praised restaurants, skimping probably isn't your number one concern.
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Phone: (917) 966-5300
Address: 238 Malcolm X Boulevard, Brooklyn
L'Antagoniste is a restaurant in Brooklyn. Great French bistro in Bed-Stuy, you won’t be disappointed in the food here but the wine is the star of the show. Some amazing bottles, at (for NYC) amazing prices.
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Phone: (212) 777-2410
Address: 2 Lexington Avenue, New York
Maialino is a restaurant in Manhattan, New York City. Perhaps the restaurant I have frequented most since moving to the city. The food here is excellent, classic Italian. The space is comfortable and the staff disarming. Anyone will feel at home here.
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Phone: (646) 892-3050
Address: 128 1st Avenue, New York
Noreetuh is a restaurant in Manhattan, New York City. This is an East Village-restaurant I recommend to anyone who visits New York and wants a unique gastronomical experience. The chef-sommelier duo both hail from Hawaii and like no one else in NYC champion a cuisine that for most is underexplored. Expect rice. Fermented stuff. Lots of seafood. Pork. And yes, spam! It's different and delicious.
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Address: 187 Mulberry Street, New York
Pasquale Jones is a restaurant in Manhattan, New York City. Commonly called "PJ", a large part of the footprint of this little gem of a restaurant is taken up by the two huge wood-burning ovens. Pizza is naturally a prominent part of the menu, and I dare say you can't drink better wine with pizza anywhere. Drink some white Burgundy with the instant classic Little Neck clam pie, and a mature Italian with the amazing roasted pork shank? (Full Disclosure: Pasquale Jones is part of the same group of restaurants as Legacy Records, but I have no financial stake in it)
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Phone: (718) 222-1901
Address: 127 Columbia Street, Brooklyn
Casual and friendly spot on the waterfront in Brooklyn, with terrific Italian-leaning food from Maialino alumns. Although small, the menu is thoughtful, seasonal and fresh. Pasta is a standout. Go in summer for that added benefit of the cosy backyard.
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Phone: (212) 328-7880
Address: 177 Prince Street, New York
In New York craving some top Chinese comfort food and wine to go with it? This place in Soho ticks your boxes. Grab a place at the bar or at a table and feast on surprising and tasty dishes like Peking duck benedict. The venue is buzzing with all kinds of guests and if you're into Spice Girls and George Michael music - that can make you happy too.
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Phone: (917) 966-6094
Address: 329 Van Brunt Street, Brooklyn
A welcome addition to a neighborhood that's rapidly becoming a drinking destination. Perhaps most publicized for being home to one of the city's best burgers (no small feat), this restaurant by Billy Durney, of perennial favorite Hometown Bar-B-Que. Much of the clientele seem to enjoy beer or cocktails, so perhaps the wine flies under the radar a bit. All the better for us drinkers! This is a casual destination, even if it can be hard to snag a seat due to its popularity.
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Phone: (718) 599-4900
Address: 295 Grand Street, Brooklyn
The Four Horsemen is a wine bar and restaurant in Brooklyn, New York. Williamsburg wine bar and restaurant with an outspoken focus on natural wine. I imagine this either sounds like your dream or a true nightmare. The truth is a little more grey. The fact of the matter is that the wine list at Four Horsemen is far more nuanced and full of delicious wine without flaws. The food way overperforms too, and the soundtrack is always on point (as is to be expected, LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy is one of the owners). Portrait by Damien Lafargue.
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Phone: (212) 375-9001
Address: 99 East 52nd Street, New York
The Four Seasons restaurant in the Seagram Building was New York like nothing else. It was politicians, celebrities, cocaine-fueled power lunches, glitz and glamour. When it closed and the guys from Major Food Group took it over to open not one, but three restaurants in the space, the New York dining scene was on their toes, ready to pounce. Fortunately, the end result is stunning. Full of the same spectacle you'll find at the group's downtown red-sauce Italian masterpiece Carbone, you'll feel lost in time (at least until the check drops). Of the three restaurants, The Grill is the most access...
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Phone: (212) 333-1220
Address: 9 West 53rd Street, New York
If I had to pick only one "best wine list" in the city, this might be it. Out of all the restaurants on the fancier side of the New York spectrum, no wine list is as aptly modern and open-minded as the one at The Modern.
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Phone: (212) 941-3900
Address: 375 Greenwich Street, New York
Tribeca Grill is a restaurant in New York City. Tribeca Grill has been around for decades but with the new executive chef Brenton Lee you can expect new waves from the kitchen. The wine list has always been rock solid at Tribeca Grill. It is broad, international and excels in the Rhône selections. Go there for lunch and indulge in a fantastic mature bottle or two.