Uptown address, seriously downtown wine ambition
Upper East Side · New York · Italian, Mediterranean · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 8, 2026
Wingman Metrics
You walk into a quiet East 60th Street dining room expecting the kind of safe, overpriced wine list that plagues the neighborhood — and then the list lands on your table. Four hundred to five hundred selections, with a Greek column that actually has something to say. This is not your average uptown pasta spot.
Amali has held a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence since 2015, and the list earns it on the strength of three regions done right: Greece, Italy, and France. The Greek section is the real differentiator — Domaine Sigalas Assyrtiko, Argyros Estate, Hatzidakis Winery, and Gaia Wines Thalassitis all in one place is genuinely rare outside of a dedicated wine bar. Italy brings the heavyweights: Bartolo Mascarello Barolo and Antinori Tignanello anchor a list that doesn't flinch from serious bottles. California gets its due with Ridge Monte Bello and Kosta Browne, and France shows up credibly with Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet. The gaps are minor — this is a list built by someone with a point of view.
Twenty to thirty pours by the glass at $12–$25 is a solid program for the Upper East Side, and the range appears to track the list's strengths in Greek whites and Italian reds. Rotation details are hard to confirm, but a list this size usually means the glass pours get some attention. Grab whatever Assyrtiko is open — it belongs with the food here.
Argyros Estate Assyrtiko — $60–$80 (est. bottle)
One of the great white wines of the Mediterranean at a price point that still makes sense. Argyros is a benchmark Santorini producer and it shows up here in a context — next to branzino or grilled octopus — where it completely earns its place.
Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir
Most people at Amali are reaching for Italian reds or Greek whites, and that's fair. But Drouhin Oregon is one of the most consistently elegant American Pinots made, with a French pedigree that makes it feel right at home on a list this Old World-leaning. Easy to overlook, hard to regret.
Kosta Browne Pinot Noir
Great wine, wrong room. Kosta Browne is allocated, celebrated, and priced accordingly — you're paying for the name recognition at full retail plus restaurant markup. The Drouhin Oregon next to it gives you more for less, and it fits the vibe of this list better.
Hatzidakis Winery Santorini Assyrtiko + Grilled Octopus
This is almost too obvious, and we're doing it anyway. Volcanic minerality, bright acid, and saline lift from a Santorini Assyrtiko against charred octopus and whatever lemon-herb situation Amali is running with it — this is the pairing the list was built around.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Amali is the rare Upper East Side restaurant that treats wine as a reason to show up, not an afterthought to the pasta. The Greek program alone makes it worth the reservation — and the broader list confirms this is a kitchen and cellar working in the same direction.
Midtown West · New York · Russian-American
The Russian Tea Room treats wine as an afterthought dressed up in Champagne flutes — five famous labels at punishing prices with no range, no by-the-glass program, and no apparent curiosity about wine beyond what looks impressive on a table. Go for the spectacle, order the caviar, but don't come here expecting a wine list.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Restaurant
David Burke Tavern's list is a Chardonnay lover's comfort zone with a solid sparkling section propping up the top — but the narrow focus and steep pricing mean you're paying for familiarity, not discovery. Send a friend here if they want California whites and a glass of Champagne; send them somewhere else if they want to explore.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Restaurant
Corima's wine list is proof that ten well-chosen bottles beat a hundred thoughtless ones every time. If you care about what's in your glass, this place is worth your attention.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Village · New York · American
Cecchi's is first and foremost a bar, but the wine list is more serious than the neon and noise suggest. Steep markups are the main ding — but if you know what to order, there's real pleasure here.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
SoHo · New York · Steak House, Small Plates
The Corner Store is a reliable, well-credentialed wine list doing exactly what a good SoHo steakhouse should — France and California, done with intention, in a room that makes you want to order another bottle. Just watch the markup on the big Bordeaux names and let the Rhône or Burgundy side show you a better time.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Tribeca · New York · American
Farra is punching above its weight class for a neighborhood wine bar, and the Wine Spectator nod is earned — just know that the serious bottles come with serious prices, and the no-sommelier setup means you're doing some of the navigating yourself. Worth it for anyone who knows what they want; potentially overwhelming for those who don't.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Decatur · Decatur · Italian, Mediterranean
Café Lily is your dependable Decatur neighborhood restaurant that happens to take its wine seriously enough to earn a Wine Spectator nod — nothing flashy, but never a disappointment. Go on a Tuesday, order the lamb, and let the half-price wine night do the rest.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Uptown Park · Houston · Italian, Mediterranean
Lombardi is a dependable upscale Italian with a wine list that earns its Award of Excellence — Italy is well-represented and the prestige bottles are genuinely exciting. Pricing leans steep and the program could use more energy, but for Houston's Uptown Park crowd looking for a Barolo with their pappardelle, this delivers.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Uptown · Dallas · Italian, Mediterranean
Avanti is pulling off something rare in Dallas: genuinely great Italian bottles at prices that feel like a Wednesday night deal every night of the week. Wednesday half-price wine just makes a great deal mathematically irresponsible — go now.
Old World Focus
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
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