Oysters, Ceviche, and Serious French-Italian Bottles
Scott's Addition · Richmond · American, Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · May 19, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Lillian’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
You walk into a counter-seat raw bar in Scott's Addition and the wine list hands you Domaine Leflaive and Giacomo Conterno — that's not what you expected, and that's exactly the point. Lillian just picked up a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2025, and you can feel why the moment you start flipping through. This is a focused list that punches well above the restaurant's relaxed, intimate vibe.
At 150-250 bottles, the list isn't sprawling, but it's doing the right things with the space it has. France and Italy are the clear anchors — Burgundy runs deep with names like Domaine Leflaive and Louis Jadot, while the Bordeaux side pulls out Chateau Lynch-Bages and Cos d'Estournel for when someone at the table wants to go big. Italy holds its own with Giacomo Conterno and Bruno Giacosa covering Barolo and Barbaresco, plus Sassicaia and Ornellaia for the Super Tuscan crowd. The Loire gets a proper nod with Domaine Vacheron Sancerre, which is exactly what this menu calls for. The gaps are real — New World coverage is thin, and if you're hunting for something outside the French-Italian corridor you may come up short — but what's here is curated with intention.
Twelve to twenty options by the glass is a solid program for a spot this size, with pours running $12–$18. We don't have the full by-the-glass roster, but the price ceiling suggests they're not just pouring entry-level stuff. PJ Larocco is running the floor and knows the list — ask what's open and take the recommendation.
Domaine Vacheron Sancerre — $12-$18 by the glass
Vacheron is one of the most serious Sancerre producers in the Loire and it's landing at a price point that makes sense alongside a $16 plate of oysters. Crisp, mineral, and built for a raw bar — this is the easy call.
Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco
Most people at a seafood counter are reaching for whites. Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco sitting on this list is a real opportunity for anyone willing to go old-world red with a heartier plate. Giacosa is a legendary name that often flies under the radar outside serious wine circles — order it and let people at the bar wonder what you know.
Sassicaia
Sassicaia is iconic, but it's also one of the most heavily marked-up names on any restaurant list in America. At this level of pricing you're paying for the label as much as the wine, and the bottle needs time and a big meal to show its best. In a relaxed counter-seat oyster hall, it's the wrong fit and rarely the right value.
Domaine Vacheron Sancerre + Oysters on the half shell
Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre and fresh oysters is one of the least controversial pairings in wine. The mineral backbone and citrus edge of Vacheron cut through the brine and clean the palate between every shell. It's not complicated — it's just right.
The Bottom Line
Lillian is the rare spot where the wine list is more ambitious than the address suggests — a focused, France-and-Italy-forward program with legit producers, a knowledgeable floor lead, and bottle prices that don't feel punitive. Send a friend here, tell them to sit at the counter, order oysters, and ask PJ what's open.
· Richmond · Steakhouse
Perry's is a perfectly competent wine stop for steakhouse purposes — you'll find something to drink, the by-the-glass selection is broad, and nobody's going home unhappy. But if you care about value or discovery, this list won't challenge you, and the markup on recognizable names is a quiet tax on your loyalty to the brand.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Carytown · Richmond · American, Seasonal
Shagbark is the real deal — a legitimately serious wine program attached to a kitchen that can back it up, priced fairly enough that you'll actually want to explore. If you're in Richmond and you care about what's in your glass, this is the room you should be in.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Richmond · Richmond · Indian, Vegetarian
Lehja is doing something genuinely unusual — building a serious, award-winning wine program inside a spice-forward Indian restaurant in suburban Virginia — and pulling it off. Send your wine-curious friends here and watch them recalibrate their expectations.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Rocketts Landing · Richmond · American, Steakhouse, Seafood, Contemporary
The Boathouse is a reliable choice if you time it right — hit that 4–6pm happy hour and suddenly the steep markups become a non-issue. Outside of that window, you're paying a premium for the view as much as the wine, which is fine as long as you go in knowing that.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Museum District · Richmond · Cafe, American
Garnett's is a neighborhood sandwich shop with zero pretension and a wine program that quietly overachieves — especially if you lean into the Date Night Special. Send your friends here when they say they can't afford a nice dinner.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Boulevard · Richmond · Market & Wine Bar
Stella's is the Wild Card Richmond didn't know it needed — a market concept with a wine list that has actual taste and fair prices to match. Send a friend here on a weeknight and tell them to order the Crozes-Hermitage.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Fremont / Beachfront · Monterey · American, Seafood
The Lantern Room is what happens when a hotel restaurant actually tries — a locally anchored wine list, a sommelier in the building, and enough interesting producers to make the steep markup sting a little less. Send a friend here if they love Central Coast wine; warn them to skip the Cab and lean into what this coast actually grows.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
River North · Chicago · American, Seafood
Terrace 16 earns its Wine Spectator badge and delivers a respectable, California-and-France-focused list in one of Chicago's most dramatic dining rooms. Just don't expect to be surprised — the wine is as reliable as the skyline view, and nearly as expensive.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Natchitoches · Natchitoches · American, Seafood
Mariner's isn't trying to be a wine destination — it's a waterfront restaurant in Natchitoches that happens to take its California Cab and Chardonnay seriously, and the Wine Spectator credential is earned. Send your friends here for the view and the Steak Oscar, and trust that the wine list won't let you down.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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