Serious Bottles, Serious Seafood, No Excuses
Flatiron · New York · Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 8, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Oceans’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
The list lands on your table and immediately signals that someone here takes this seriously. Four hundred-plus bottles anchored by Burgundy, Oregon, Napa, and Italy — it's the kind of range that makes you want to linger over the pages before you've even ordered bread. Brian Lieder's fingerprints are all over it, and that's a good thing.
Oregon and France are the clear twin pillars here — Domaine Drouhin and Adelsheim hold down the Willamette Valley Pinot Noir corner with real authority, while the French whites get serious with Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet and Louis Jadot Meursault sharing real estate on the same page. California chips in with Far Niente and Kistler for those who want plush, polished Chardonnay alongside their lobster. Italy earns its keep with Gaja Barbaresco and Antinori Tignanello — not obligatory name-drops, but wines that actually belong on a list this focused. The one gap: if you're hunting for value-tier everyday bottles, the $60 floor can feel like a wall.
Twenty to thirty-five pours by the glass is generous for a seafood restaurant, and the program reportedly rotates with the kitchen's seasonal direction. That said, we didn't find evidence of an active rotation cadence or a dedicated BTG feature program — what's on the list feels like it's been curated once and held steady. Still, having Alsace Riesling from Domaine Weinbach available by the glass at a place like this would be a genuine win.
Adelsheim Vineyard Pinot Noir — $60
At the entry point of the bottle list, Adelsheim punches above its price tag — classic Willamette Valley elegance, food-friendly acidity, and a name that earns its spot at the table without demanding your whole wallet.
Domaine Weinbach Riesling Alsace
Everyone at the table is reaching for Chardonnay or Burgundy, and that's exactly why you should order this. Alsatian Riesling from Weinbach is one of the great seafood wines on earth — mineral, precise, and built for oysters — and most people walk right past it.
Antinori Tignanello
Tignanello is a fantastic wine, but it's also one of the most widely distributed bottles in the country — and restaurant markups on recognizable Super Tuscans are rarely kind. At a seafood-forward spot, you're also fighting the menu. Unless you're ordering the Dover sole and insisting on red, your money works harder elsewhere on this list.
Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet + Dover Sole
This is about as close to a sure thing as wine pairing gets. Leflaive's Puligny brings that signature chalky tension and layered richness that mirrors the delicate, buttery character of Dover sole — neither one overwhelms the other, and both end up tasting better for it.
The Bottom Line
Oceans earns its Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence with a list that's genuinely deep and expertly stewarded by sommelier Brian Lieder — the markups sting a little, but the quality and range justify the trip. Send a friend here if they want to drink seriously alongside some of the best seafood in the city.
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 Carmel · Carmel By The Sea · Seafood
Catch is a dependable wine stop for a seafood dinner in Carmel — nothing here will disappoint you, but nothing will surprise you either. If you go in with calibrated expectations and order the Schramsberg with your crab, you'll leave happy.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Hood River · Hood River · Seafood
Votum is operating a world-class wine program in a town most people only stop through on the way to a hike — the depth of this cellar belongs in a major city restaurant, and the sommelier presence means you're not navigating it alone. The markups on the prestige bottles will sting, but find your entry point and this list rewards serious attention.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Bowen's Wharf · Newport · Seafood
The Lobster Bar isn't a wine destination, but it's a perfectly competent list for what the restaurant is — a casual waterfront spot where the lobster is the star. Order the Sancerre, eat the oysters, watch the boats.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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