Sky-high views, sky-high standards, fair prices
Hudson Yards · New York · American, Seasonal · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 8, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Electric Lemon’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Thirty-four floors above Hudson Yards, the wine list lands on your table and immediately earns its keep — 350 to 500 bottles deep with a clear focus on France and California, anchored by serious producers. This is not a hotel restaurant coasting on its view; someone built this list with intention. The Best of Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator is new as of 2025, but the bones here feel like they've been in place longer.
France does the heavy lifting, and it shows in all the right ways — Krug and Billecart-Salmon holding down Champagne, Domaine Leflaive bringing weight to Burgundy, and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti sitting in the cellar for those who want to go there. California gets its proper seat at the table with Opus One and Ridge Monte Bello, two bottles that could easily feel predictable but here read as confident rather than lazy. The Austrian section is the quiet overachiever: Grüner Veltliner from F.X. Pichler and Riesling from Domäne Wachau are exactly the kind of picks that signal a list built for people who actually drink wine. Gaps exist — South America and domestic alternatives to the big California names feel thin — but the depth where it counts is real.
Twenty to thirty options by the glass at $15 to $35 is a solid program for a room like this, and the price ceiling doesn't feel punishing given the address. We'd want to see more rotation and a few more risk-taking pours — a Grüner or a Wachau Riesling by the glass would be a flex — but the range covers enough ground that you won't feel stuck. If you're splitting a bottle, you won't need to.
Domäne Wachau Riesling — $60
Austrian Riesling at a Hudson Yards price point that doesn't make you wince — this is the move for a table that wants something interesting without committing to a triple-digit bottle. Bright, precise, and underestimated by most people at the table.
Grüner Veltliner from F.X. Pichler
Most people at a table like this are reaching for Burgundy or Champagne and sleeping on F.X. Pichler entirely. That's their loss — this is one of the great white wine producers on earth, and finding it here means you should order it before the person at the next table figures that out.
Opus One Napa Valley
Opus One is a perfectly good bottle that exists on every upscale American restaurant list in the country. At the markup you'll pay here, you're paying for the name recognition more than anything in the glass. The Ridge Monte Bello is a smarter, more interesting choice for similar or less money.
Domaine Leflaive Burgundy + Seasonal fish or roasted vegetable feature
Leflaive's white Burgundy has the texture and acidity to stand up to a composed seasonal dish without bullying it — whatever the kitchen is doing with peak-season produce, this bottle finds the edges and sharpens them.
The Bottom Line
Electric Lemon is doing real work on this wine list — French depth, Austrian personality, and fair pricing for a room with a view that could get away with doing a lot less. Send your friends here, especially the ones who think they only drink Champagne.
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
Ferrisburgh · Ferrisburgh · American, Seasonal
Starry Night Cafe is the wine list you don't expect to find in Ferrisburgh, Vermont — and that's precisely the point. Send your friends here, tell them to skip the Brunello, and let the Ripasso do the talking.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Decorah · Decorah · American, Seasonal
Rubaiyat has held a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2009, and the list earns it — not by being adventurous, but by being well-chosen, fairly priced, and genuinely cared for in a town where that's not a given. If you're in Decorah and want a proper bottle with dinner, this is your place.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Phoenix · Phoenix · American, Seasonal
Flour & Thyme earned its Wine Spectator credential, and the Tuesday half-price night makes this one of the better wine value plays in downtown Phoenix. Steer clear of the Caymus, order the Jordan, and let the wood-fired kitchen do the rest.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Proper
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