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 →
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.
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
· Sonoma · Seafood
Willi's is a wild card in the best sense — a casual Sonoma seafood bar running a wine list that belongs in a much more serious room. The by-the-glass depth alone is worth showing up for, and the pricing is honest by the region's standards. If you're anywhere near Healdsburg, order the Assyrtiko and thank us later.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Healdsburg · Seafood
The Marshall Store earns its reputation as a low-key, scenic spot for fresh West Coast oysters and smoked salmon — and if that's your mission, it delivers. But the wine program is effectively an afterthought: undocumented, uncurated, and not a reason to visit. Bring a bottle from one of the Healdsburg producers down the road, check the corkage policy at the door, and spend your energy on the food.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Healdsburg · Seafood
Nick's Cove earns a Wild Card badge because it's doing something specific and doing it with conviction: a seafood restaurant on the Sonoma Coast that built its list around sparkling wine and Chardonnay is a confident, logical bet. The markups get steep as you climb the ladder — Cristal at $750 and Dom Pérignon at $650 are priced for occasion, not for value — but there are real finds at the $80-$155 range if you know where to look. Come for the Failla, stay for the Radio-Coteau.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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