Beaux-Arts Bones, Serious French Wine
Upper East Side · New York · American · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 19, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Casa Cruz New York’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Walking into a six-story Beaux-Arts townhouse on 61st Street with Keith Haring on the walls and Champagne on the menu sets a very specific kind of expectation — and the wine list mostly meets it. This is a French-first program with real ambition, anchored by names that serious wine drinkers recognize immediately. It's not a casual list and it doesn't pretend to be.
The list runs 200-300 bottles deep with a clear French spine: Burgundy heavy-hitters like Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Louis Jadot anchor the top end, while Bordeaux shows up with Château Margaux and Château Lynch-Bages for the crowd that still measures quality in classified growths. The Rhône gets respectable coverage through Guigal and Chapoutier, and Champagne rounds things out with Billecart-Salmon and Pol Roger — both solid choices that signal someone with taste put this together. The gaps are real though: outside France, the list gets noticeably thinner, and there's not much here for someone hunting New World or anything remotely adventurous.
The by-the-glass program runs 12-20 options in the $15-$25 range, which is reasonable for this zip code and this kind of room. We'd expect the pours to skew French and classical, consistent with the bottle list. Rotation doesn't appear to be a priority — this feels like a set-it program rather than one that chases seasonal interest.
Pol Roger Champagne — $25
At the top of the by-the-glass ceiling, Pol Roger by the glass in a room like this is a genuine deal — this is Churchill's house Champagne and it drinks well above its price point at a UES townhouse that could easily charge more.
Chapoutier Rhône Valley
Everyone at a table like this is staring at the Burgundy and Bordeaux columns. Chapoutier's Rhône selections offer serious terroir-driven wine at a fraction of the prestige-label price — and they're consistently underordered at rooms like this.
Château Margaux
Yes, it's on the list. Yes, it's real. But the markup on blue-chip Bordeaux at a Manhattan townhouse restaurant is going to be punishing — you're paying for the address twice. Buy it at retail and save the difference for another course.
Guigal Rhône Valley + Split branzino in salt crust
A structured white or lighter Rhône red from Guigal cuts through the salt crust preparation without fighting the delicate fish — it's the kind of pairing that works because neither element is trying to dominate the other.
The Bottom Line
Casa Cruz is a beautiful room with a French wine list that earns its Wine Spectator credential — it's not a deep-dive wine destination, but it's a genuinely good place to drink well if you know what to order. Come for the ambiance, lean into the Champagne and Rhône, and leave the Margaux for someone else's expense account.
Midtown West · New York · Russian-American
The Russian Tea Room treats wine as an afterthought dressed up in Champagne flutes — five famous labels at punishing prices with no range, no by-the-glass program, and no apparent curiosity about wine beyond what looks impressive on a table. Go for the spectacle, order the caviar, but don't come here expecting a wine list.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Restaurant
David Burke Tavern's list is a Chardonnay lover's comfort zone with a solid sparkling section propping up the top — but the narrow focus and steep pricing mean you're paying for familiarity, not discovery. Send a friend here if they want California whites and a glass of Champagne; send them somewhere else if they want to explore.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Restaurant
Corima's wine list is proof that ten well-chosen bottles beat a hundred thoughtless ones every time. If you care about what's in your glass, this place is worth your attention.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Village · New York · American
Cecchi's is first and foremost a bar, but the wine list is more serious than the neon and noise suggest. Steep markups are the main ding — but if you know what to order, there's real pleasure here.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
SoHo · New York · Steak House, Small Plates
The Corner Store is a reliable, well-credentialed wine list doing exactly what a good SoHo steakhouse should — France and California, done with intention, in a room that makes you want to order another bottle. Just watch the markup on the big Bordeaux names and let the Rhône or Burgundy side show you a better time.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Tribeca · New York · American
Farra is punching above its weight class for a neighborhood wine bar, and the Wine Spectator nod is earned — just know that the serious bottles come with serious prices, and the no-sommelier setup means you're doing some of the navigating yourself. Worth it for anyone who knows what they want; potentially overwhelming for those who don't.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Eagle Ranch · Vail · American
The Wild Sage is your dependable neighborhood spot in Eagle Ranch — the wine list won't blow your mind, but it won't embarrass you at dinner either. Watch the markups on the top-shelf Napa bottles and stick to the mid-range, and you'll be fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Waterfront · Traverse City · American
Warehouse Kitchen + Cork won't win any awards for depth or ambition, but it plays its hand honestly — fair prices, solid local representation, and a full by-the-glass program that respects your wallet. If you're in Traverse City and want a glass of something local with a water view, this works.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Truckee · Truckee · American
Sunnyside is a casual lodge restaurant wearing a serious wine list under its flannel — the markup is steep and it won't win any awards for staff expertise, but the producer lineup is legitimately impressive for where you're sitting. If you're already at the lake, this is absolutely worth ordering a real bottle.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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