Tokyo discipline meets Burgundy obsession in Midtown
Midtown Manhattan · New York · Japanese
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 8, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Nama’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Nama lands with the same quiet confidence as the food — no flash, just weight. You're looking at 350 to 500 bottles anchored by serious French and Italian heavy hitters, curated by a three-person sommelier team that actually knows what they're talking about. This is not a list built to impress Instagram; it's built to impress people who grew up reading wine maps.
Champagne and Burgundy are the clear obsessions here — Krug and Salon anchor the sparkling section while Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Henri Jayer make appearances that will either thrill you or give you an invoice-induced panic attack. Bordeaux holds its own with Château Pétrus in the mix, and the California contingent — Screaming Eagle, Opus One — plays to the Midtown crowd without overwhelming the French backbone. Tuscany punches in via Sassicaia and Masseto, rounding out a list that reads more like a collector's cellar than a restaurant inventory. The gaps are minor: more depth in Germany, Spain, and the Southern Hemisphere would push this from great to genuinely exhaustive.
Twenty to thirty-five options by the glass is generous for a room this focused on the bottle — and at $15 to $40 a pour, the range covers both a quick pre-dinner Champagne and something more serious to sip through a multi-course omakase. We'd expect the sommelier team to rotate the program thoughtfully, though hard data on how often the BTG list actually changes is limited. Ask Slim or Ellie what's open — they'll steer you somewhere smart.
Salon Blanc de Blancs — $40 (by the glass, estimated)
Salon by the glass at a Japanese restaurant in Midtown is genuinely rare. If it's available as a pour, that's the move — the laser-focused Chardonnay acidity is made for raw fish, and you're accessing one of Champagne's most celebrated houses without committing to a full bottle.
Domaine Leflaive
Most eyes at this table go straight to DRC and Pétrus, but Leflaive's whites — if they're on — are the quiet overachievers. Puligny-Montrachet from this producer alongside a course of uni or yellowtail sashimi is a combination most diners at Nama will walk right past. Their loss.
Opus One
Opus One is a technically solid wine and a serious brand, but at Midtown Manhattan markups alongside a Japanese omakase menu, it's a mismatch of both price and culture. You're paying a premium for a California Cabernet-heavy blend that fights the delicate flavors on the plate. The list has better options at every price point.
Krug Champagne + Omakase sushi selection
Krug's toasty complexity and relentless bubbles cut through the fat of nigiri and keep every bite feeling fresh. It's one of the few wines that can hold its own across an entire omakase progression without clashing — course after course, it just works.
The Bottom Line
Nama earned its Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence and you'll feel exactly why the moment you open the list. The markup is real and the occasion needs to match, but for a proper celebration dinner where the wine is as serious as the food, this is one of the better rooms in the city.
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
Downtown · Ashland · Japanese
Little Tokyo is a solid casual Japanese spot that simply doesn't do wine — and that's fine, because their sake is where the real action is. Come for the sushi, drink the sake, and don't stress about the wine list.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Mid-island · Hilton Head Island · Japanese
Hinoki isn't a wine destination, but it's not trying to be — it's a solid neighborhood Japanese spot with a list that covers the bases, keeps prices in check, and won't embarrass you in front of a date. Order the Oyster Bay, get the omakase, and call it a win.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Appleton · Appleton · Japanese
Katsu-Ya is a perfectly solid Japanese restaurant where the wine list exists as an obligation, not a feature. Come for the katsu and ramen, order sake or a Sapporo, and if you must have wine, grab the Koshu and move on.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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