French Wine Meets the Dragon's Den
Chelsea · New York · Asian · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed April 19, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Buddakan’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The room hits you first — 30-foot ceilings, Buddha statues, the kind of theatrical energy that makes you want to order something expensive. Then the wine list lands and it turns out the drama isn't just for the décor: this is a France-forward program with real range, tucked inside what most people assume is just a scene restaurant. The Wine Spectator Award of Excellence it's held since 2018 is earned.
The list leans hard into France and makes no apologies for it. You've got Burgundy covered by the reliable Drouhin and Jadot houses, Rhône represented by Guigal and Chapoutier, and Alsatian bottles — Riesling and Gewurztraminer — that actually make sense against the kitchen's spice-forward flavors. Bordeaux classified estates and a scattering of international names (hello, Cloudy Bay) round things out without diluting the French identity. At 150-200 bottles it's not exhaustive, but it's curated with a clear point of view, which we'll take over a bloated list any day.
Twelve to eighteen options by the glass is a solid spread for a restaurant this size, and prices running $12–$18 are reasonable for the neighborhood. The selection tracks the bottle list's French sensibility, so you're not stuck with generic Pinot Grigio pours — expect Rhône whites and the occasional Alsatian to show up here. Rotation isn't aggressive, but if you're working the glass program strategically before committing to a bottle, there's enough to explore.
Guigal Côtes du Rhône (by the glass) — $14
Guigal's Côtes du Rhône is one of the most consistently overdelivering bottles in French wine. At the by-the-glass price point in a room like this, it's the smartest drink in the house — honest, food-friendly, and nobody at the table will feel shortchanged.
Alsatian Gewurztraminer
Most people at Buddakan are eyeing the Burgundy or reaching for a cocktail. But Alsatian Gewurztraminer is the sleeper pick here — aromatic, slightly off-dry, and built to handle lemongrass, ginger, and black bean sauce in ways that a crisp Chablis simply won't. It's the wine the menu is quietly begging you to order.
Dom Pérignon 2013
At $325 a bottle, the Dom is doing what Dom always does at restaurants — charging you for the name and the moment. It's a fine Champagne, but you're paying a significant premium over retail for the privilege of popping it in a loud dining room. Save that budget for a serious Burgundy or Rhône bottle that will actually hold up in conversation.
Alsatian Riesling + Chilean Sea Bass with Black Bean Sauce
The sea bass is rich and umami-heavy from the black bean sauce, and it needs something with enough acidity and aromatic lift to cut through without getting bulldozed. Alsatian Riesling — dry, mineral, with just a hint of stone fruit — does exactly that. It's one of those pairings that makes the food taste better and the wine taste better at the same time.
The Bottom Line
Buddakan is a better wine restaurant than it has any obligation to be — the room is built for spectacle, but the France-focused list has genuine thought behind it. Markup runs steep on the trophy bottles, so play it smart: stay in the Rhône and Alsace lanes and you'll drink well without the sticker shock.
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.
· Alpharetta · Asian
Sushi Sumo isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list makes that abundantly clear. If you're here for the sushi, stick to sake or beer — both will serve you far better than a mass-market Merlot. The wine program gets a Lazy List badge not because of the price, but because three identical-label bottles and zero effort is a choice, and not a good one.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Asian
Tabla's wine list punches above its weight for an Asian restaurant in Atlanta. The white-heavy, aromatic-focused selection makes genuine sense with the food, pricing at the entry level is fair, and the BTG depth is real. We'd send a friend here for wine without hesitation — just order the Grüner first.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Asian
Wagyu House Atlanta's wine list does its job for a high-end group dinner or event — the bottles are recognizable, the glass pours are priced fairly, and the Champagne section gives big spenders something to point at. But if you're coming in hoping for genuine wine exploration, the list won't meet you halfway. Order the S.A. Prum, eat the wagyu, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
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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