Wall Street's Best Excuse to Drink Burgundy
Financial District · New York · American · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
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 →
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.
NoHo · New York · Italian
Il Buco has one of the most compelling Italian wine lists in New York City — deep, principled, and staffed by people who actually care. The markup is real, so budget accordingly, but this is a room worth splurging in.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown · New York · Steakhouse
STK Downtown is a place where people order Champagne to celebrate, not to drink — and the wine program is built accordingly. If you're here for the vibe and someone else is paying, pop the Dom and enjoy it; if you actually care about what's in your glass, you're in the wrong room.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown · New York · Upscale Seafood & Steakhouse
Three happy hour wines do not a wine program make. Ocean Prime is a place you eat well and drink safely — but if wine is a priority, this list will let you down before the bread basket arrives.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
Midtown · New York · Steakhouse
STK Midtown is a great place to see and be seen, but the wine list is there to pad the check, not to excite you. If you're here for the experience, lean on the cocktails or grab a glass of Bonanza at the bar — don't expect the bottle list to reward any real curiosity.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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
· Baltimore · American
Give the international and local sections a look before defaulting to Burgundy. Sula at $70 and Old Westminster at $90 offer different budget options. These are posted bottle prices, not guaranteed stock; confirm availability. This menu guide doesn't rate service or cellar conditions.
· Key West · American
Caroline's Café is not a wine destination, and it's not trying to be — the identical pricing across all five house labels makes that abundantly clear. If you're in Key West looking for something interesting in your glass, keep walking; if you just need a cold pour of Chardonnay with your lunch and aren't asking questions, $8 gets you there without drama.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Kerns · Portland · American
Noble Rot is the rare restaurant wine program that would hold up as a standalone wine bar — deep list, sharp staff, fair prices, and a view that makes the whole experience feel earned. Send your friends here. Send yourself here.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
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