Italy's greatest hits, steps from Carnegie Hall
Upper West Side · New York · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed April 8, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Lincoln Ristorante’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list arrives and it reads like a love letter to the Italian peninsula — specifically the parts that make collectors sweat. This is a serious book, the kind you flip through slowly while the Lincoln Center fountain glows outside the window. The setting sets expectations high, and the list mostly delivers.
Piedmont and Tuscany anchor everything here, and the depth in both regions is genuinely impressive for a restaurant rather than a dedicated wine bar. Barolo alone pulls names like Giacomo Conterno, Bruno Giacosa, and Gaja — that's not a list, that's a flex. Tuscany counters with Biondi-Santi and Soldera on the Brunello side, plus the Super Tuscan holy trinity of Sassicaia, Ornellaia, and Tignanello if you want to go full showboat. The Chianti Classico Riserva section quietly earns its keep with Castello di Ama and Fontodi keeping things honest for those not dropping triple digits.
Twenty to thirty-five pours is a strong by-the-glass program for a room this focused on Italian. Prices start around $15-$20 a glass, which is reasonable for the zip code and the brand names on the bottle list. We'd love to see more rotation and a stated system for keeping opened bottles fresh, but the sheer volume of options means you can build a solid Italian flight without ordering a full bottle.
Chianti Classico Riserva, Fontodi — $60
In a list stacked with century-dollar Barolos, Fontodi's Chianti Classico Riserva is the smart play — a serious, structured Sangiovese from one of the appellation's best producers at a price that doesn't make you do math at the table.
Barbaresco, Produttori del Barbaresco
Everyone reaches for Gaja and pays for the name. Produttori del Barbaresco is a cooperative that consistently punches above its price, making wines that rival single-estate Barbaresco at a fraction of the fanfare. Easy to overlook next to the celebrity bottles — don't.
Tignanello, Antinori
Tignanello is a great wine. It's also one of the most widely distributed bottles in the world, which means you can find it at retail for considerably less than what a fine dining markup in Midtown will cost you. Save the budget for something with more list exclusivity.
Barolo, Bruno Giacosa + Osso buco
Giacosa's Barolo brings the tannic structure and dried rose-and-tar complexity that can stand up to braised veal shank without steamrolling it. The wine's acidity cuts the richness of the gremolata-laced braise in exactly the way you want it to.
The Bottom Line
Lincoln Ristorante's wine program is the real thing — a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence earned honestly, anchored by one of the more credible Italian lists in New York City. The markups sting, but if you're eating here, you came to play.
Midtown · New York · French Brasserie
La Grande Boucherie earns its place as a reliable stop for wine in Midtown, especially if you're leaning French. The glass list is genuinely wide and has some smart picks buried in it — the Fleurie and the Wiemer Riesling both punch above their price points. Markups trend steep as you climb the bottle list, so your money works hardest in the by-the-glass section. If you're here for the brasserie experience, the wine program holds up its end of the deal.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Steakhouse
BLT Prime's wine program is glass-only, which limits your options if you came for a big bottle moment, but the pricing is honest and the selection is more thoughtful than most steakhouses bother with. If you're keeping it casual and ordering by the glass, you can drink well here without feeling taken advantage of — and that's not nothing in this city.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Restaurant
The Palm Midtown is not where you'd expect to find Puzelat and Ruth Lewandowski sitting next to each other on a wine list — which is exactly what makes it worth a second look. Six bottles is a short menu, but all six are defensible picks at prices that don't insult you. If you're in the mood to trust the list and not overthink it, this works.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Murray Hill · New York · Classic American Steakhouse
Wolfgang's is a reliable steakhouse wine experience in the sense that you know exactly what you're getting: a list built around the bottle you already know, priced for the room you're sitting in. If you're here to close a deal over a Porterhouse for Two, the wine list will do its job without embarrassing anyone — but it's not going to surprise you, and it's almost certainly going to cost more than it should. Go in with eyes open and a strong second-choice red in mind.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Mediterranean
Zaytinya's wine list is a rare thing in New York: a focused, regionally coherent program that commits hard to Greek and Eastern Mediterranean varieties without making you feel like you need a flashcard to order. The by-the-glass selection alone — 18 options, all under $18, featuring producers most wine lists wouldn't touch — makes this worth visiting even before the food arrives. If you eat here and order a Cabernet, that's on you.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
SoHo · New York · Italian
A long bottle list with Italian, Burgundy and Champagne sections, fronted by a 22-wine glass page. For a glass, try the Skerk Orange Wine from Friuli at 25/95, and for a bottle on a lighter budget, the Volpaia Vermentino at 60; upstairs in the café, the labeled list pours Palistorti di Valgiano's orange Tuscan blend at Glass $22. Confirm prices before you order, because the site's Upstairs Café dinner menu and the beverage PDF do not match. This unrated guide covers the posted wine lists, not service, storage or markups.
· Dacula · Italian
Antonetas isn't a wine destination, and it isn't trying to be — it's a family-friendly neighborhood Italian with a wine list that covers the basics and stays out of the way. If you're after a solid glass of something red with your Lasagna in a no-fuss setting, you won't be disappointed. Just don't show up expecting to geek out over the list.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Alpharetta · Italian
Crust is a solid neighborhood Italian spot where the wine list is a supporting player, not the headliner — and that's fine. Come for the rigatoni alla vodka and garlic knots; order a glass of whatever red they're pouring and don't overthink it. We'd send a friend here for dinner without hesitation, just not for the wine list alone.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Marietta · Italian
Vespucci's isn't a wine destination, but it doesn't pretend to be — and that honesty is refreshing. The one move that earns real respect here is the Monday half-price bottle deal, which turns an ordinary weeknight into a genuinely good value. Show up on a Monday, order the Eggplant Parmigiana, grab a bottle at half price, and you've had a solid dinner without thinking too hard about it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
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
