Saratoga Springs

Forno Bistro

Downtown · Saratoga Springs · Tuscan Italian

The Reliable

Forno Bistro isn't a destination wine list, but it's a fair and functional one that respects your wallet — especially on Mondays when half-price bottles make a $30 Chianti feel like a genuine gift. Send your friends here for a fun dinner; just don't send the ones who want to talk about terroir.

Thirsty Owl Wine Bar and Bistro

West Side / Route 50 Area · Saratoga Springs · Wine Bar and Bistro

The Wild Card

If you're in Saratoga and want an honest, unpretentious look at what the Finger Lakes can do, Thirsty Owl earns the stop — especially on the patio in the warmer months. Just go in knowing this is a winery showcase, not a global wine bar, and you'll leave happy.

The Saratoga Winery

West Side / Route 29 · Saratoga Springs · Winery with American Fare / Wood-Fired Pizza

The Wild Card

The Saratoga Winery is a legitimate Wild Card: a single-producer list of cold-hardy New York grapes served in an Adirondack tasting room with live music and wood-fired pizza. It's not a destination for serious wine exploration, but it's a genuinely fun, low-stakes way to drink something you've never tried before.

15 Church

Downtown · Saratoga Springs · Upscale New American

The Lazy List

15 Church has the bones of a genuinely good wine program — the range is there, the interesting picks exist — but the pricing is aggressive enough that you'll spend more time doing mental math than enjoying your glass. Stick to the Old World bottles and avoid anything with a recognizable California label.

Saratoga Race Course Dining Rooms

Race Course / Union Avenue · Saratoga Springs · American, trackside dining

The Lazy List

Come for the races, stay for the atmosphere, but don't come here for the wine. If you need something in a glass to toast a winner, grab the Champagne and leave it at that.

Nine Maple Avenue

Downtown / Maple Avenue · Saratoga Springs · Jazz Bar / Cocktail Bar

The Lazy List

Come to Nine Maple Avenue for the live jazz, the whiskey program, and the atmosphere — the wine list is a placeholder, not a reason to visit. If you're committed to ordering wine, grab the Château D'Esclans Rosé and enjoy the music.

Rooftop at Saratoga City Tavern

Downtown / Caroline Street · Saratoga Springs · Bar Food / American Pub Fare

The Lazy List

Come for the rooftop, stay for the beer — because the wine list is an afterthought and everyone involved seems fine with that. If wine is on your agenda tonight, this is not your stop.

Fish at 30 Lake

30 Lake / Downtown edge · Saratoga Springs · Seafood / Contemporary American

The Reliable

Fish at 30 Lake is a dependable option in a tourist town — the wine list won't offend anyone, but it won't thrill you either. If you're eating here for the seafood, stick to the lower end of the glass list and call it a night.

Cantina

Downtown / Broadway · Saratoga Springs · Mexican / Southwestern

The Reliable

Cantina's wine list won't win any awards, but it won't ruin your dinner either — and with almost everything available by the glass, you can explore without committing. Stick to the Albariño or the Finger Lakes Riesling, skip the Champagne, and save your serious wine night for somewhere else.

Winslow's Tavern

Outskirts · Saratoga Springs · American Tavern

The Wild Card

Winslow's Tavern is hiding a genuinely serious wine program behind an unpretentious exterior, and that gap between expectation and reality is exactly what makes it worth seeking out. Markups keep it from Rager territory, but the curation is legitimately exciting — go in knowing what you want and you'll drink very well.

Boca Bistro

Downtown · Saratoga Springs · Spanish Tapas / Mediterranean

The Lazy List

Boca Bistro's happy hour is a genuine win and the room is fun, but the wine program punches well below the restaurant's weight — overpriced bottles, grocery-store labels, and zero depth in Spanish wine for a Spanish tapas concept. Come for the $3.50 Garnacha at 5 PM, not for anything on the bottle list.

Max London's Restaurant + Bar

Downtown · Saratoga Springs · Contemporary American / Wood-fired pizza and bistro

The Reliable

Max London's wine list is exactly what it needs to be for a lively Broadway bistro — approachable, functional, and not especially memorable. Send a friend here for the pizza and the atmosphere; just go in with reasonable expectations on the wine side.

Hattie's Restaurant

Downtown · Saratoga Springs · Southern American

The Reliable

Hattie's is a Saratoga institution that earns its reputation on the food, not the wine list. The list is short, safe, and priced fairly enough that ordering a bottle won't sting — just don't come here expecting anything beyond the basics.

Sperry's Restaurant

Downtown · Saratoga Springs · Classic American Steakhouse and New American

The Reliable

Sperry's is Saratoga's dependable dinner institution, and the wine list is a mirror image of that identity — reliable, approachable, and not trying to reinvent anything. Send your friends here for a great steak and a bottle of Jordan; just don't send them expecting to discover something new.

Lake Ridge Restaurant

Ballston Lake · Saratoga Springs · Upscale American, Steak & Seafood

The Lazy List

Lake Ridge has the dining room and the food to support a genuinely good wine program — it just doesn't have one yet. Steep markups on grocery-aisle brands, a thin list with no by-the-glass clarity, and zero sense of curation make this a place to eat well and drink carefully.

Wheatfields Restaurant & Bar Saratoga Springs

Downtown / Broadway · Saratoga Springs · Italian-American

The Lazy List

Come to Wheatfields for the house-made pasta — it earns its reputation. But the wine list is a lazy lineup of commercial brands at steep markups, and no one on staff is going to steer you toward anything interesting. Grab a glass of Prosecco during happy hour (50% off Monday through Friday, 3-7pm) and redirect your wine energy somewhere else in town.

Morrissey's Lounge & Bistro

Saratoga Springs · Saratoga Springs · American

The Reliable

Morrissey's is the kind of place where the wine list quietly overachieves — a France-forward, fairly priced program that gives you real options without requiring a wine degree to navigate. If you're in Saratoga and want a glass of something genuinely good with dinner, this is a reliable stop.

Solevo Kitchen + Social

Saratoga Springs · Saratoga Springs · Italian

The Reliable

Solevo earns its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence on the strength of a well-curated Italian and California core — this is a reliable, crowd-smart list that occasionally punches above its weight. Markups are the weak spot, but if you know what to order, you'll drink well in Saratoga Springs.

Taverna Novo

Saratoga Springs · Saratoga Springs · Italian, Northern Italian

The Wild Card

Taverna Novo is quietly punching above its weight for Saratoga Springs — a legitimate Italian wine list with real producers and fair prices tucked into a small neighborhood room. If you're up here for the races or just passing through, this is absolutely worth detouring for a bottle.

Salt & Char

Saratoga Springs · Saratoga Springs · Regional

The Reliable

Salt & Char is a reliable, well-curated wine destination for Saratoga Springs — the kind of list that rewards anyone willing to look past the Napa Cab defaults, backed by a staff member who actually knows what's in the cellar. Markups lean steep, as they do at every upscale steakhouse, but the quality floor is high enough that you're unlikely to feel burned.

Chianti Il Ristorante

Downtown Saratoga Springs · Saratoga Springs · Italian

The Reliable

Chianti Il Ristorante is the Italian wine list Saratoga Springs deserves — focused, fairly priced, and serious enough about Italy to hold a Wine Spectator credential for nearly a decade. It won't blow your mind with discovery, but it will reliably deliver a great bottle to go with your pasta.