Old Hollywood glamour, serious Napa firepower
Center City · Philadelphia · Steak House · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 9, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list arrives like it owns the room — and in a 1940s supper club draped in dark wood and white linen, that's exactly right. We're talking 800-plus selections across California, Italy, and France, the kind of depth that makes you want to cancel your next reservation and just sit here all night. This is a wine program that takes itself seriously, and mostly earns it.
California is the clear anchor — Caymus, Silver Oak, Stag's Leap, Jordan, Ridge Monte Bello, Chateau Montelena, and the full Napa trophy shelf including Opus One, Harlan Estate, and Screaming Eagle if you're feeling spendy. Italy holds its own with Sassicaia, Tignanello, and Barolo heavyweights Gaja and Bruno Giacosa sharing space on the list. France gets the prestige treatment: Chateau Margaux and Chateau Latour are here for the big nights and the expense accounts. The list skews classic and collector-focused — if you want skin-contact Slovenian field blends, this isn't your room, but that's fine, because what they do they do very well.
Twenty to thirty-five pours by the glass is a strong showing for a steakhouse, and the quality level is high — Cakebread Chardonnay, Far Niente Cab, Gaja Barbaresco, and Dom Pérignon by the glass are not things you stumble into at most restaurants. The Monday half-price wine night applies here too, which makes these already-elevated pours genuinely exciting. Rotation feels curated rather than random, with the glass list functioning as a highlight reel of the bottle program.
Gaja Barbaresco 2020 — $28/glass
Gaja at $28 a glass is a legit deal — this is one of the great names in Barolo/Barbaresco and the 2020 vintage is drinking beautifully right now. On Monday it's $14. We'll be there.
Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello
Everyone at the next table is ordering the Opus One. Meanwhile, Monte Bello is one of California's most serious and age-worthy Cabernet-based blends, with a track record going back decades, and it tends to get overlooked in a room full of trophy bottles. That's your edge.
Château Margaux 2019
At $95 a glass, you're paying restaurant markup on one of the most allocated bottles in the world — that's a lot of trust to put in storage conditions and serving temperature you can't verify. If you want Margaux, order a bottle you can inspect. If you're going glass-by-glass, the Gaja does more work for less money.
Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon + Dry-aged bone-in ribeye
Caymus is big, ripe, and built for red meat — the fruit-forward richness stands up to the char and fat on a dry-aged bone-in without trying to compete with it. It's the obvious call, which is sometimes exactly right.
Monday — Half-price wine on Mondays — applies to bottles and by-the-glass pours, making the already-strong glass program genuinely great value.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Butcher & Singer is the real deal — a deep, well-managed wine program in a room that actually deserves it, with Bart Riley on the floor to help you navigate. Monday nights, with half-price wine, it becomes one of the better wine deals in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia · Philadelphia · American
Vernick Fish is a reliable wine destination for anyone who wants quality Chardonnay and Burgundy alongside serious seafood — just know you'll pay for the privilege. Send a friend here, but tell them to avoid the trophy bottles and lean into the French side of the list.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Rittenhouse Square · Philadelphia · French
Parc is a reliable, France-first wine list that fits the room perfectly — you won't discover anything new here, but you also won't go wrong. If you're eating onion soup and steak frites in a beautiful Parisian-style brasserie, this list does exactly what it should.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Rittenhouse Square · Philadelphia · American, French
a.kitchen+bar is the real deal — a deep, well-curated list run by sommeliers who actually know what's on it, earning that Wine Spectator badge honestly. The markups sting on the high end, but the depth and staff knowledge make this one of Philadelphia's best rooms to drink serious wine.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Center City · Philadelphia · Italian
Vetri Cucina is the Italian wine list Philadelphia deserves and rarely gets — stacked with producers that serious collectors chase, staffed by people who can actually talk you through it. Yes, the markup stings on the trophy bottles, but the depth here earns every bit of that Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Old City · Philadelphia · Italian
Panorama has been one of Philadelphia's most credible Italian wine programs for three decades and the list backs that up with producer-level specificity and fair pricing. If you're eating in Old City and wine matters to you, there's no better seat in the neighborhood.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Philadelphia · Philadelphia · Italian
Osteria is one of the best Italian wine programs in Philadelphia, full stop — the depth of producers alone earns the Rager badge. Budget for it, skip the obvious names, and let the list take you somewhere you haven't been.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Hartland · Hartland · Steak House
Palmer's is a reliable steakhouse wine list that delivers exactly what its suburban clientele wants — well-known California names, solid execution, and nothing too weird. If you're a wine adventurer, you'll want to temper expectations; if you're celebrating with a ribeye and a Jordan Cab, you'll leave satisfied.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Town Square · Jackson · Steak House
The Million Dollar Cowboy Steakhouse has a sommelier, a Wine Spectator credential, and a list that knows its audience — which is Jackson tourists who want great steak and great Napa Cab, full stop. Send a friend here if they want a proper California red with a serious piece of beef; just warn them to skip Opus One and let Jordan do the work.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Milwaukee · Milwaukee · Steak House
Ward's House of Prime is exactly what it says it is: a classic Milwaukee steakhouse with a wine list built to match big cuts of beef. The Wine Spectator Award of Excellence is well-earned, but don't come looking for adventure — come looking for a great California Cab and a slab of prime rib.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.