1,800 Bottles Deep and Worth Every Penny
Flatiron · New York · Italian and French · Visit Website ↗
Updated July 2026
Reviewed March 24, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Café Carmellini’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You open the wine list at Café Carmellini and it has weight — physically and philosophically. Nearly 2,000 bottles curated across France, Italy, Austria, and beyond tells you immediately that someone here actually cares. The sapphire velvet booths and neoclassical grandeur of the old 250 Fifth mansion set the stage; the wine list doesn't disappoint the room.
This is a serious cellar masquerading as a restaurant wine list. Burgundy gets real estate — Domaine Faiveley Mercurey Vieilles Vignes and Domaine De Villaine Bouzeron anchor the mid-range, while the list reaches back to gems like Château Cos d'Estournel Saint-Estèphe 1995 for the deep-pockets crowd. Austria gets a surprisingly thoughtful nod with both F.X. Pichler Grüner Veltliner and Tement Sauvignon Blanc on offer, and the inclusion of Domaine Sigalas Assyrtiko from Santorini signals a list that isn't just chasing the usual suspects. The Italy representation feels appropriately proud without being provincial — Vajra's sparkling rosato from Piedmont is exactly the kind of discovery a list this size should deliver.
Eighteen by-the-glass options is a real program, not a token gesture. The range runs $22 to $55, which is Manhattan pricing but the selection earns it — you're not stuck choosing between a Pinot Grigio and a Malbec. Rotation and curation appear intentional, with pours like Pierre Paillard Grand Cru Les Parcelles Champagne available by the glass, which is the kind of decision that builds loyalty.
Domaine De Villaine 2021 Bouzeron — $40+
Aubert de Villaine's lesser-known Aligoté project in Bouzeron routinely punches above its price in a cellar context. At a restaurant of this caliber, finding it at entry-level bottle pricing is a quiet steal — it's Burgundy credibility without the Burgundy markup.
Vajra 'N.S. Della Neve' Rosato Extra Brut
A sparkling rosé from one of Barolo's most respected houses is easy to overlook on a list this size, but Vajra's extra brut style is electric — bone dry, precise, and wildly food-friendly. Most tables will walk right past it chasing Champagne. Don't be most tables.
Château Cos d'Estournel Saint-Estèphe 1995
A legendary bottle from a legendary vintage, and priced accordingly — then some. Unless you're celebrating something that warrants a truly splashy spend, the markup on trophy Bordeaux at a room like this will sting. The wine is great; the value proposition is not.
Domaine Sigalas 2022 Assyrtiko + Crab mille-feuille
Sigalas Assyrtiko brings volcanic minerality and citrus tension that cuts through the richness of the mille-feuille's buttery layers without overpowering the delicate crab. It's the kind of pairing that makes you slow down mid-bite.
The Bottom Line
Café Carmellini is the real deal — a wine program that matches the ambition of the room and then some, with staff who can actually navigate 2,000 bottles without breaking a sweat. The markups are steep, but this is the list you bring someone to impress, and it delivers.
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.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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