Old-school power dining, serious wine credentials
Midtown East · New York · American · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed April 8, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Aretsky's Patroon’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Patroon lands with the quiet confidence of a place that's been doing this right since before most wine lists in New York got interesting. Four hundred to six hundred bottles, a Best of Award of Excellence held since 2014, and a sommelier on staff — this is not a list that was assembled by the general manager on a slow Tuesday. You're in capable hands from the first page.
France, California, and Italy form the holy trinity here, and the depth across all three is genuinely impressive. On the French side, you're looking at Château Latour and Château Margaux — these aren't just trophy bottles on a vanity list, they signal a cellar that's been thoughtfully built over years. California is equally serious: Screaming Eagle, Opus One, Caymus, Kistler, and Silver Oak represent the full spectrum from cult to classic. Italy gets its due respect with Sassicaia and Tignanello anchoring the Super Tuscan corner. The list skews toward the establishment rather than the adventurous, which fits the room perfectly — this is Midtown East, not the East Village.
Twenty to thirty by-the-glass options is a genuinely generous pour program for a steakhouse of this caliber, with glass prices running $15 to $40. That upper range suggests some real bottles are being cracked open rather than defaulting to patio-pour inventory. Sommelier Elizabeth Lennon's presence means the glass list is curated with intent, not just filler.
Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon — $15–$40 by the glass
Silver Oak by the glass at a place like this is the move — it's a name people recognize, it's built for red meat, and ordering it by the glass lets you sidestep a bottle markup that's going to sting in this zip code.
Kistler Chardonnay
In a room full of Bordeaux heavyweights and cult Cabs, Kistler tends to get overlooked. It shouldn't. This is benchmark California Chardonnay — precise, layered, and genuinely exciting — and it holds its own against the Dover sole better than anything else on the list.
Château Pétrus
Pétrus on a Midtown steakhouse list is almost certainly a four-figure bottle carrying a restaurant markup that'll make your eyes water. It's a trophy, not a drink. Unless someone else is paying, this is a flex for the table next to you, not for you.
Tignanello + Dry-aged prime steak
Tignanello's Sangiovese-Cabernet blend has the structure to stand up to a heavily marbled dry-aged cut without bulldozing it — you get the fruit and the grip without either element going to war with the other. It's the right call at a table this serious.
The Bottom Line
Patroon is the kind of place where the wine list matches the room: polished, confident, and built for people who know what they want. The markups are real, but so is the cellar — and Elizabeth Lennon's presence means you're not navigating it alone.
Midtown · New York · French Brasserie
La Grande Boucherie earns its place as a reliable stop for wine in Midtown, especially if you're leaning French. The glass list is genuinely wide and has some smart picks buried in it — the Fleurie and the Wiemer Riesling both punch above their price points. Markups trend steep as you climb the bottle list, so your money works hardest in the by-the-glass section. If you're here for the brasserie experience, the wine program holds up its end of the deal.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Steakhouse
BLT Prime's wine program is glass-only, which limits your options if you came for a big bottle moment, but the pricing is honest and the selection is more thoughtful than most steakhouses bother with. If you're keeping it casual and ordering by the glass, you can drink well here without feeling taken advantage of — and that's not nothing in this city.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Restaurant
The Palm Midtown is not where you'd expect to find Puzelat and Ruth Lewandowski sitting next to each other on a wine list — which is exactly what makes it worth a second look. Six bottles is a short menu, but all six are defensible picks at prices that don't insult you. If you're in the mood to trust the list and not overthink it, this works.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Murray Hill · New York · Classic American Steakhouse
Wolfgang's is a reliable steakhouse wine experience in the sense that you know exactly what you're getting: a list built around the bottle you already know, priced for the room you're sitting in. If you're here to close a deal over a Porterhouse for Two, the wine list will do its job without embarrassing anyone — but it's not going to surprise you, and it's almost certainly going to cost more than it should. Go in with eyes open and a strong second-choice red in mind.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Mediterranean
Zaytinya's wine list is a rare thing in New York: a focused, regionally coherent program that commits hard to Greek and Eastern Mediterranean varieties without making you feel like you need a flashcard to order. The by-the-glass selection alone — 18 options, all under $18, featuring producers most wine lists wouldn't touch — makes this worth visiting even before the food arrives. If you eat here and order a Cabernet, that's on you.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
SoHo · New York · Italian
A long bottle list with Italian, Burgundy and Champagne sections, fronted by a 22-wine glass page. For a glass, try the Skerk Orange Wine from Friuli at 25/95, and for a bottle on a lighter budget, the Volpaia Vermentino at 60; upstairs in the café, the labeled list pours Palistorti di Valgiano's orange Tuscan blend at Glass $22. Confirm prices before you order, because the site's Upstairs Café dinner menu and the beverage PDF do not match. This unrated guide covers the posted wine lists, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown Roswell · Roswell · American
Canton St. Social is a solid neighborhood restaurant in historic downtown Roswell, and the wine program appears to be built for exactly that — supporting a good night out without overcomplicating things. We don't have enough sourced wine data to tell you what to order, which means your best move is to ask your server what's pouring well that night and go from there. Worth a visit for the food and atmosphere; the wine list is a work in progress as far as our research goes.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Worcester · American
The Boynton is a great neighborhood spot for a cold beer, a burger, and a game — and that's exactly what it should be. The wine program is along for the ride, not driving the car. If wine matters to you tonight, this isn't your destination; if you're here for the food and the vibe, order a beer and enjoy it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Atlanta · Atlanta · American
Hard Rock Cafe Atlanta's wine list is a Lazy List by every measure — grocery store brands, steep markups, no specials, and a rotating staff with little incentive to know what's in the glass. If you're here for the memorabilia and the atmosphere, lean into a cocktail or a beer. If wine is non-negotiable, the Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling or Columbia Crest Cab will get you through the night without regret.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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