French cellar hiding inside a Med feast
Upper West Side · New York · Mediterranean · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 19, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Dagon’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You walk into Dagon expecting shakshuka and lamb cigars, and then the wine list lands on the table — and it's quietly, confidently French in a way that catches you off guard. This is not a Mediterranean restaurant that phoned in a wine list; someone actually thought about this. Sommelier Alon Moskovitch's fingerprints are all over it.
The list runs 150 to 250 bottles and reads like a love letter to southern France and the Rhône, with Domaine Tempier Bandol and Château Simone Palette anchoring a Provence section that most Manhattan restaurants wouldn't even attempt. Mas de Daumas Gassac brings Languedoc credibility, while Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage and Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape represent the Rhône at its most serious. There's even a nod to Alsace via Domaine Weinbach, and for anyone who drifts to the prestige shelf, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti makes an appearance — more as a statement than a practical order. The gaps are real: outside France, the list thins out quickly, and if you're hunting Italian or Iberian bottles to match the kitchen's broader Mediterranean spirit, you'll come up short.
Twelve to twenty options by the glass is a healthy pour program for this neighborhood, with prices landing between $14 and $22 — reasonable for what's on offer. The glass list skews toward France, which is consistent with the bottle program and honestly the right call given the kitchen's direction. Rotation details aren't well-documented, but with Moskovitch running the floor, we'd expect the pours to track with the bottle list rather than sitting stale.
Domaine Tempier Bandol — $12–$180 range
Tempier Bandol rosé is one of Provence's benchmarks and consistently shows up at restaurants at painful markups — here it's offered within a list that values France fairly, making it one of the smartest bottles you can open at the table alongside the lamb dishes.
Château Simone Palette
Most diners skip right past it because Palette is one of France's smallest and least-known appellations, but Château Simone is the appellation — it basically is Palette. It's structured, unusual, and completely unlike anything else on the list. Order it and you'll be explaining it to your table the whole night, which is half the fun.
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Look, it's DRC, and yes it belongs on a serious list. But at a Mediterranean restaurant on the Upper West Side, you're paying trophy-wine prices for a bottle that has no real home alongside chicken liver mousse and lamb cigars. Save it for somewhere it has room to breathe.
Mas de Daumas Gassac + Agu's cigar with ground lamb, potatoes, and spices
Mas de Daumas Gassac red — often called the 'Grand Cru of Languedoc' — brings dark fruit and a wild herbal edge that holds its own against the spiced lamb filling without steamrolling the delicate pastry. It's a southern French bottle meeting southern Mediterranean food, and the logic is airtight.
The Bottom Line
Dagon earns its Wine Spectator credentials with a focused, France-first list that punches well above what the UWS restaurant scene typically delivers. Send a friend here if they want serious wine with serious food — just tell them to stay in the Rhône and Provence and they won't go wrong.
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
· Atlanta · Mediterranean
Kitty Dare is punching well above its weight for an Atlanta restaurant wine list — fair prices, genuinely adventurous selections, and the rare willingness to pour all of it by the glass. We don't have visibility into service or food specifics, but the list alone is worth coming for. If you want a Lebanese white from 70-year-old vines for $13/glass, this is your place.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Mediterranean
Fia has the bones of a genuinely good wine program — thoughtful white selections, a few hidden gems, and a Champagne section that sets a mood — but steep markups and a list that doesn't stray far from the expected hold it back from greatness. Go for the Aligoté or the Trebbiano d'Abruzzo, skip the trophy bottles, and you'll drink well without feeling taken.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Monterey · Mediterranean
Dametra Cafe isn't a wine destination, but it's not trying to be one either — and that honesty is refreshing. The sparkling selection is genuinely fun, prices are fair across the board, and the few left-field picks like Chateau Musar Jeune give the list just enough personality. If you're in Monterey and want a bottle that doesn't feel like a markup shakedown, this is a safe call.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
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
