Greece and France Walk Into a Wine List
Midtown East · New York · Greek · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 8, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Avra Estiatorio’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Avra lands like a confident handshake — thick, organized, and unapologetically Greek-forward before pivoting into serious French and Italian territory. This is not a restaurant that slapped together a wine list as an afterthought between marble deliveries. Between the white tablecloths and the smell of fresh fish, you're holding something that earned its Best of Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator for a reason.
Four hundred to six hundred selections is a big room, and Avra fills it well. The Greek section alone could carry this list — Domaine Sigalas Assyrtiko, Hatzidakis Winery Santorini, Gaia Thalassitis, Gerovassiliou Malagousia, and both Kir-Yianni and Alpha Estate Xinomavro give you a proper education in Greek wine without feeling like a lecture. Then the list pivots hard into Burgundy with names like Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet and Louis Jadot, Champagne courtesy of Krug and Bollinger, Tuscany with Antinori, and California via Ridge Vineyards. The gaps are minor — you're not getting deep South American or German coverage — but for this cuisine and this room, the list is doing exactly what it should.
Twenty to thirty-five pours by the glass is an ambitious program, and Avra commits. Expect Greek whites to anchor the selection — Assyrtiko and Malagousia show up and they should — alongside enough French and Italian representation to keep the table happy regardless of what hits the fish course. Sommelier Sasha Brumfield runs the floor, and that matters: pours rotate thoughtfully rather than sitting stale.
Gaia Estate Thalassitis Assyrtiko 2021 — $85
Eighty-five dollars for one of Santorini's benchmark Assyrtikos in a room like this is as close to fair as you're going to find. It's a wine that punches at the $40-50 retail range, so the markup stings slightly, but in the context of Manhattan fine dining next to $1,200 Margaux and $3,500 Screaming Eagle, this is your move — especially alongside the grilled whole dorade.
Domaine Gerovassiliou Malagousia
Most tables at Avra lock in on Assyrtiko and never look left. Malagousia is the grape they're sleeping on — floral, textured, and totally unlike anything French or Californian on this list. Gerovassiliou basically rescued the variety from extinction, and drinking it here feels appropriately theatrical for the room.
Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Thirty-five hundred dollars for a bottle of California Cab in a Greek seafood restaurant is a choice, and not one we'd endorse. We get it — trophy bottles draw trophy diners — but this has nothing to do with the food, the region, or the spirit of this list. Save it for a steakhouse where it at least makes thematic sense.
Domaine Sigalas Assyrtiko + Whole Dorade
Santorini Assyrtiko and a whole grilled sea bream is one of the most honest pairings in the book — both are creatures of the Aegean, both have saline edges and clean minerality that amplify each other. Sigalas is one of the island's most serious producers, and this combination is the reason Avra exists.
Monday — Half-price wine night every Monday — one of the better deals in Midtown if you're planning ahead.
The Bottom Line
Avra's wine list is the real deal — a Greek-anchored, France-supported, professionally managed program that earns every star on its Wine Spectator plaque. The markup on prestige bottles is steep, but get into the Greek selections and you're drinking seriously and smartly; come on Monday for half-price bottles and you might never leave.
NoHo · New York · Italian
Il Buco has one of the most compelling Italian wine lists in New York City — deep, principled, and staffed by people who actually care. The markup is real, so budget accordingly, but this is a room worth splurging in.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown · New York · Steakhouse
STK Downtown is a place where people order Champagne to celebrate, not to drink — and the wine program is built accordingly. If you're here for the vibe and someone else is paying, pop the Dom and enjoy it; if you actually care about what's in your glass, you're in the wrong room.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown · New York · Upscale Seafood & Steakhouse
Three happy hour wines do not a wine program make. Ocean Prime is a place you eat well and drink safely — but if wine is a priority, this list will let you down before the bread basket arrives.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
Midtown · New York · Steakhouse
STK Midtown is a great place to see and be seen, but the wine list is there to pad the check, not to excite you. If you're here for the experience, lean on the cocktails or grab a glass of Bonanza at the bar — don't expect the bottle list to reward any real curiosity.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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
Downtown · Walla Walla · Greek
Yamas is a casual Greek eatery that has absolutely no business having a wine list this interesting — and we mean that as the highest compliment. If you're in Walla Walla and want to drink something genuinely unexpected without spending fine-dining money, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Stamford · Greek
Kouzina is doing the right things with Greek wine in a city that doesn't ask for it, and that's worth something. Pricing runs a little hot, but if you stick to the Greek producers and let the Assyrtiko do its thing, you'll eat and drink well.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central City · Salt Lake City · Greek
Manoli's wine list is doing something most restaurants in Salt Lake City won't bother trying — it's actually teaching you something about Greek wine without making you feel like you're in a classroom. If you're even mildly curious about Old World grapes beyond the usual suspects, this is worth your time.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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