Wall Street's Best Excuse to Drink Burgundy
Financial District · New York · American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 8, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Crown Shy’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Crown Shy arrives with the quiet confidence of a place that knows exactly what it's doing. Set inside a beautifully restored Art Deco tower in the Financial District, this isn't a list thrown together to impress expense accounts — it's a curated document, heavy on Burgundy and Champagne, that rewards anyone willing to spend time with it. Wine Spectator has handed them a Best of Award of Excellence since 2022, and one look at the producer roster tells you why.
We're looking at somewhere between 400 and 600 selections, and the depth in Burgundy alone is staggering — Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Henri Jayer, Armand Rousseau, and Domaine Leroy are not names that show up on lists that aren't taken seriously. The Champagne section is equally impressive, with Krug and Salon anchoring a program that goes well beyond the standard Veuve-or-Moët defaults most restaurants lean on. Italy gets its proper due as well, with Giacomo Conterno, Bruno Giacosa, and Gaja representing the Piedmont heavyweights. If there's a gap, it's that the New World feels like an afterthought here — but when your Old World bench looks like this, that's a forgivable omission.
The by-the-glass program runs roughly 18 to 25 options, with prices landing between $15 and $30 — reasonable given the address and the caliber of what's in the cellar. The sommeliers (Miles Meltz, Benjamin Forey, and Allie Saft run the program) rotate pours that actually reflect the list's strengths rather than just offloading whatever needs to move. Don't expect to find DRC in the glass program, but don't be surprised if something genuinely exciting shows up.
Domaine Leflaive (entry-level Burgundy white) — $60–$80 range
Domaine Leflaive at the lower end of Crown Shy's bottle pricing is about as good a deal as you'll find in a Manhattan dining room. This is a producer whose wines regularly fetch multiples of what Crown Shy charges for the entry point — grab it before they reconsider.
Bruno Giacosa
Most tables at Crown Shy are chasing the Burgundy hits, which means the Giacosa — one of Barolo's greatest traditional producers — gets slept on. Don't make that mistake. These wines can hang with anything on the list and often outperform at the price.
Krug Champagne
Krug is magnificent, full stop. But in a Financial District restaurant with a clientele prone to ordering it reflexively, you're paying a premium on top of an already premium bottle for the logo. The Salon nearby on the list is the more interesting move for the money.
Armand Rousseau (Gevrey-Chambertin) + Dry-aged duck
Rousseau's Gevrey has that earthy, iron-edged quality that makes duck feel like the dish was built around it. The richness of dry-aged bird fat cuts right through the wine's tannin structure and the whole thing just clicks.
The Bottom Line
Crown Shy is the rare Financial District restaurant where the wine list is genuinely worth the trip on its own — the food is great, but the Burgundy and Champagne depth here is the main event. Yes, you'll spend real money, but you're in capable hands with one of New York's sharpest sommelier teams guiding the way.
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
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
