Breslin Bar & Dining Room
Ace Hotel's Best Kept Drinking Secret
Midtown South · New York · British-American Gastropub · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed March 25, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The Breslin's wine list doesn't announce itself — it sits quietly behind a bar scene that would rather you order a beer or a cocktail. But flip past the drinks and you find a focused, Old World-leaning list that actually makes sense with what's coming out of the kitchen.
Selection Deep Dive
At 100 to 150 bottles, this isn't a deep cellar situation, but it's curated with some intention. The Rhône Valley gets real attention here, which is the right call when you're serving lamb burgers and pig's foot — those robust, funky dishes want wines with grip and earth, not fruit-forward crowd pleasers. France anchors the list, with the Old World doing most of the heavy lifting throughout. There are gaps — don't come looking for a serious New World selection or much depth below the surface — but what's here fits the room.
By the Glass
Somewhere between 12 and 18 options by the glass, which is respectable for a hotel dining room that functions more as a bar than a destination wine spot. The pour program tracks with the bottle list's Old World sensibility, so you're not stuck choosing between generic Pinot Grigio and generic Cabernet. Rotation feels static rather than dynamic — don't expect a lot of seasonal surprises.
2007 Domaine des Martinelles Crozes-Hermitage — $55
A Northern Rhône Syrah from a solid producer at $55 a bottle is genuinely fair pricing in a Manhattan hotel restaurant. This is the kind of wine that earns its keep at the table — earthy, savory, and built for the meat-heavy menu.
2007 Domaine des Martinelles Crozes-Hermitage
Most people walking into the Breslin are ordering cocktails or reaching for something safe. The Crozes-Hermitage gets overlooked because it's not a famous appellation, but that's exactly why it's priced fairly and drinks above its station — Syrah from this corner of the Rhône plays perfectly against the kitchen's fat-forward, intensely savory cooking.
Generic by-the-glass house pours
With a list that has some real character on the bottle side, the lower-end glass pours feel like an afterthought. If you're not going to commit to a bottle, you're better off leaning into the cocktail program, which is clearly where the bar's energy actually lives.
2007 Domaine des Martinelles Crozes-Hermitage + Lamb Burger
Northern Rhône Syrah and lamb is one of those combinations that exists for a reason. The wine's peppery backbone and earthy depth go toe-to-toe with the lamb's richness without getting steamrolled by it — this is the bottle you order when that burger hits the table.
🎲 The Bottom Line
The Breslin isn't a wine destination, but it's smarter about wine than it has any obligation to be given its gastropub identity and hotel-bar foot traffic. If you're eating here — and you should be — the 2007 Crozes-Hermitage is your move.
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