Cristal and duck confit, Manhattan does not disappoint
Midtown · New York · American, French
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 8, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Grand Salon and The Bar’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Grand Salon lands like a confident handshake — thick, organized, and clearly put together by someone who spent real time in the cellars of Burgundy and Bordeaux. Set inside the Baccarat Hotel on 53rd, this is not a list that apologizes for itself. You open it expecting luxury and it delivers, which in Midtown Manhattan is less common than you'd think.
The 400-600 bottle list is anchored hard in classic French territory — Champagne, Burgundy, and Bordeaux carry the most weight and deserve the attention. You'll find Krug, Louis Roederer Cristal, Rousseau and Ponsot representing Gevrey-Chambertin, Domaine Leflaive's Puligny-Montrachet, and proper Bordeaux names like Château Margaux and Château Pichon Baron. California gets a serious nod too — Ridge Monte Bello and Opus One show up for the crowd that wants New World gravitas alongside the French classics. There are gaps if you're hunting natty wines or anything from the Southern Hemisphere, but within its lanes this list is genuinely impressive.
Sixteen to twenty-four by-the-glass options at $15–$30 is a solid spread for the room and price point. The glass program reflects the bottle list's French-California lean, which means you're not hunting for obscure pours but you're also not bored. Rotate through whatever they're opening by the glass — in a cellar this good, the pours benefit from the inventory.
Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello — $60+
At the lower end of the bottle range, Monte Bello gives you one of California's benchmark Cabernet-led blends in a room built for it — before prices climb into the stratosphere with the Burgundy and Bordeaux heavyweights.
Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet
Most tables in a room like this are ordering red. The Leflaive Puligny is the quiet move — one of the great white Burgundy producers, and it makes butter-poached seafood feel like a different meal entirely.
Louis Roederer Cristal
Cristal is an exceptional Champagne — but in a hotel dining room on 53rd Street, you're paying a significant venue premium on top of an already high retail price. Save the Cristal flex for somewhere the markup isn't working overtime.
Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet + Butter-poached seafood
Leflaive's Puligny brings enough tension and minerality to cut through rich butter sauce while mirroring its texture — it's the kind of pairing that makes you stop talking and just eat.
The Bottom Line
Grand Salon earns its Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence — a deep, France-first cellar with enough California muscle to keep the table happy, inside one of Midtown's most polished dining rooms. The markup is real, but so is the list, and that's worth something on 53rd Street.
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
Huntly · Huntly · American, French
Houndstooth is the kind of place you'd never stumble across, which is exactly why we're telling you about it. Drive out, let someone else drive back, and let the list do the work.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Huntington Beach · Huntington Beach · American, French
Henry's is a reliable, well-tended California wine program with a genuine expert behind it — not flashy, but consistently good. If you're eating on PCH and want a bottle that was actually chosen with care, this is your spot.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
West Fargo · West Fargo · American, French
Maxwells is the kind of wine program that earns real respect in context — a thoughtfully stocked, sommelier-guided list in a city where 'wine program' often means a Merlot and a Pinot Grigio. If you're passing through West Fargo or lucky enough to live there, this is where you drink.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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