Flatiron's Mediterranean Spot Hiding a Serious Cellar
Flatiron · New York · Mediterranean · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed April 8, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Barbounia’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Barbounia lands with serious weight — 400-plus selections anchored by Bordeaux, Burgundy, California, and Italy, which tells you immediately this isn't just a restaurant that happens to have wine. It's been earning Wine Spectator's Best of Award of Excellence since 2012, and the list backs that up. Walk in expecting grilled octopus and leave having discovered a bottle of Tignanello — that's the move here.
The backbone of this list is old-world prestige: Château Lynch-Bages and Pichon Baron for Bordeaux lovers, Louis Jadot Puligny-Montrachet and Domaine Drouhin Oregon anchoring the Burgundy section, and Antinori Tignanello alongside Gaja Barbaresco flying the Italian flag hard. California gets proper representation too — Ridge Monte Bello and Kistler Chardonnay aren't filler picks, they're deliberate statements. Sommelier Vladimir Kolotyan has clearly curated a list that respects both the classics and the producers who earned their reputations bottle by bottle. If there's a gap, it's that adventurous drinkers looking for natural wine or esoteric grapes from lesser-known regions will find slim pickings — this list is a greatest-hits album, not a discovery playlist.
With 18 to 28 pours by the glass, there's enough range to work through an entire meal without committing to a bottle — which, frankly, is a rare luxury at a place with this much depth. The by-the-glass program skews toward crowd-pleasing classics, which fits the room. Expect Champagne from Veuve Clicquot and solid French and Italian options rotating through.
Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir — $65–$80
Oregon Pinot from one of Burgundy's most respected names transplanted to the Willamette Valley — this bottle routinely retails around $40-$50, and at a Park Avenue South restaurant surrounded by four-figure Bordeaux, it's the smartest glass of wine on the table. Come on a Monday when it's half price and it's practically stealing.
Antinori Tignanello
Most tables here are ordering familiar French names or California Cabs, which means the Tignanello gets overlooked. It shouldn't. This Sangiovese-Cabernet blend from Tuscany is one of the wines that rewrote the Italian rulebook, and it's a natural match for a Mediterranean menu built around lamb and bold flavors. Underordered, overachieving.
Sassicaia 2020
Listed at $750, Sassicaia is unquestionably a great wine — but the markup here is punishing. This bottle retails around $200-$220 and you're looking at a 3.5x markup at minimum. Save it for a wine shop and a special occasion at home. The same money goes a lot further elsewhere on this list.
Gaja Barbaresco 2019 + Lamb Chops
Barbaresco's signature grip and dried cherry depth go toe-to-toe with charred, herb-crusted lamb without either one backing down. Gaja's version adds a layer of elegance that keeps it from feeling heavy — it's the kind of pairing that makes you slow down and actually pay attention to what's in your glass.
Monday — Half-price wine night every Monday — applies to bottles from the full wine list.
The Bottom Line
Barbounia is a genuinely impressive wine destination wearing a casual Mediterranean restaurant as a costume — the list is deep, the sommelier knows it cold, and Monday's half-price wine night is one of the better-kept secrets in the Flatiron. The markups on trophy bottles are real, but steer clear of the Sassicaia and you'll find serious value hiding in plain sight.
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.
· West Palm Beach · Mediterranean
Florie's is a hotel wine program that tries harder than it has to, and that counts for something. The all-by-the-glass format is genuinely practical, the French selections show real taste, and a few pours — the Schloss Lieser, the Armand Heitz — would be highlights at any standalone wine bar. The markups are what they are: you're inside a Four Seasons. Go in with eyes open, order the Riesling, and let someone else order the Opus One.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· West Palm Beach · Mediterranean
Del Mar is a Reliable pour in a city that doesn't always try that hard at wine — the Coravin program and the 34-glass lineup show real effort, and the Assyrtiko alone is worth the visit if you're ordering seafood. Markups on the California icons are steep, so steer toward the European picks and you'll drink well without feeling taken.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Washington · Mediterranean
Zaytinya's wine list is one of the more focused and honest Greek programs you'll find at a mid-to-high scale restaurant in D.C. The by-the-glass selection is wide, the pricing doesn't insult you, and the Greek variety depth is genuinely impressive. If you've been waiting for a reason to finally figure out what Xinomavro tastes like, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
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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