Power-dining Cabs for the expense account crowd
Midtown · New York · American, Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 8, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Hunt & Fish Club arrives feeling like a handshake from someone who knows exactly who they are — California Cabernet country, no apologies. With 400-600 selections and a Best of Award of Excellence since 2019, this is a list built for the power lunch crowd dropping serious coin on dry-aged beef and bold reds. Francisco Villaronga runs the wine program, and the depth and curation here reflect someone who takes the job seriously.
California dominates the room, and rightfully so — Caymus, Silver Oak, Jordan, Paul Hobbs, and Opus One cover the hits from Napa with real depth across the spectrum. France holds its own with serious bottles like Chateau Margaux and Chateau Lynch-Bages anchoring a Bordeaux section that gives the list genuine cellar credibility. Italy punches in with Sassicaia and Tignanello, and Penfolds Grange makes a cameo for those who want to stray Down Under. The list skews classic and masculine — you won't find a lot of funky natural wine or esoteric grower Champagne here, but that's not the point.
Twenty to thirty-five glass pours is a generous spread for a Midtown steakhouse, running $15–$45 a pour. The range aligns with the bottle list — expect Cabernet-forward options to dominate, with enough variety to keep non-red drinkers from feeling stranded. The top end of the by-the-glass pricing signals that quality pours are available if you're willing to spend.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — $60–$80 range
Jordan is the sleeper of the California Cab world — consistently well-made, food-friendly, and significantly less flashy (read: less marked-up) than its neighbors on this list. In a room full of Opus One and Silver Oak at peak Midtown pricing, Jordan is the move for anyone who wants quality without the label tax.
Chateau Lynch-Bages
Most tables here are ordering Napa Cab on autopilot, which means Lynch-Bages — a Pauillac with serious pedigree and more complexity per dollar than most of the California competition — gets overlooked. It's a steakhouse wine masquerading as a Bordeaux collector's bottle, and it's better with beef than half the list.
Opus One
Opus One is a fine wine, but in a Midtown Manhattan steakhouse it becomes a tribute to markup theater. You're paying a significant premium to drink what is, ultimately, a very good Napa Cabernet that gets substantially less interesting per dollar at these price points. Your money goes further almost anywhere else on this list.
Sassicaia + Dry-aged prime ribeye
Sassicaia's Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc blend has the structure and iron-edged backbone to stand up to a heavily charred, deeply flavored dry-aged ribeye without drowning it out. It's a continental meeting point — Italian muscle, French soul, American beef — and it works every time.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Hunt & Fish Club is exactly what it sets out to be: a serious, unapologetically classic steakhouse wine program that rewards guests who know what they want and can afford to get it. The pricing is Midtown-steep, but Francisco Villaronga's list has enough depth and credibility to earn the badge — just come in with a plan.
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
Downtown Denver · Denver · American, Steakhouse
Range is a confident, well-kept steakhouse list that won't surprise you but absolutely won't let you down — especially if California Cabs are your language. Just come in with your eyes open on pricing, and let Dan steer you toward the Jordan.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Geneva · Geneva · American, Steakhouse
The James is a dependable California-focused steakhouse list that earns its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for doing one thing consistently well. If you're there for the beef and the big reds, you'll leave satisfied — just go in with your eyes open on the markups.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Sauk City · Sauk City · American, Steakhouse
A Wisconsin supper club earning a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence is genuinely surprising, and Green Acres earns it by stocking a focused, California-forward list that's built for exactly the kind of food it serves. It won't impress the natural wine crowd, but it'll take great care of anyone who wants a proper bottle with a proper steak in a historic room off the highway.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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