Old World Soul, Glass-Heavy, LA Casual
· Los Angeles · French Mediterranean · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · September 28, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Little Door’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at The Little Door is compact — 27 labels — but it doesn't read like an afterthought. The by-the-glass program is doing the heavy lifting here, with 25 of those 27 labels available by the pour, which is either a bold commitment to accessibility or a signal that bottles are not really the point. Either way, the French and Italian backbone fits the French Mediterranean kitchen without feeling forced.
The list leans decisively Old World, with Loire (Jean Jacques Aucherre Sancerre 2024), Burgundy (Vincent Wenger Chablis 2025, Thierry et Pascale Matrot Bourgogne Blanc 2023), and Rhône (Domaine du Vieux Lazaret Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2023) anchoring the whites and reds. Left Bank Bordeaux shows up in two forms — a Chateau Saint-Aubin 2020 and a De Brane Margaux 2022 — which is ambitious for a list this size. Italy gets a few interesting moments: the St. Eufemia Ruche di Castagnole Monferrato 2025 is a genuinely unusual pick that most LA restaurants wouldn't bother with, and the Tenuta Regaleali Nozze D'Oro 2024 from Sicily adds some sun-baked Mediterranean character that matches the kitchen's vibe. The gaps are real — no Spanish wines, no domestic reds beyond Patz & Hall Chardonnay — but for a short list, the selections show some curatorial intent.
Twenty-five by-the-glass options on a 27-bottle list is a rare configuration and the real story here. The range runs from $14 (Forge Cellars Dry Riesling 2023) to $28 (Taittinger Brut Champagne), with most pours landing between $15 and $20 — reasonable for Los Angeles. The depth of the by-the-glass program means you can work through several regions in a single meal without committing to a bottle, which suits the format well.
The Bottom Line
The Little Door is punching above its weight for a 27-bottle list — the Old World focus is genuine, the by-the-glass breadth is impressive, and the pricing mostly plays fair. We'd send a friend here specifically to drink by the glass and work through the more offbeat picks like the Ruche or the Forge Cellars Riesling.
Los Feliz · Los Angeles · New American and Middle Eastern
Kismet earns its Wild Card badge because it's doing something genuinely interesting with its wine program inside a casual Los Feliz storefront — Slovenia and natural wine in a room full of freekeh fritters and Persian-style rice is a specific point of view, and we respect it. We can't quote you bottle prices or name specific pours from here, so go in curious, ask the staff what's on, and trust that someone in that room knows what they're talking about.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Los Angeles · Pizza and Natural Wine
Pizzeria Sei earns its Wild Card badge because it's doing something genuinely uncommon: running a natural-wine program inside a pizza-obsessed, no-frills room on Pico Blvd without making either the pizza or the wine feel like an afterthought. We can't give you specific bottle recommendations until we get a verified list in hand, but if you trust the kitchen — and most people do — extending that trust to the wine program is a reasonable bet.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Beverly Hills · Los Angeles · Steakhouse
What we can document at Mastro's Beverly Hills is a narrow, Napa-centric selection that plays zero risk and offers zero surprise — which is a defensible choice for a power-steakhouse crowd, but not one we can enthusiastically endorse to wine lovers. The seven wines on record are all from a single event page, so the full list is almost certainly broader; but until we have more to work with, our honest advice is to know what you want before you sit down, because the list isn't going to inspire you.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
· Los Angeles · Italian
Osteria La Buca is running one of the more quietly ambitious wine lists in LA — fair prices, genuine Italian depth, and enough natural and obscure producers to keep things interesting across 54 bottles. If you care about what's in your glass and want an Italian restaurant that doesn't treat wine as an afterthought, this is worth your attention.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Venice · Los Angeles · Italian-American
Ospi keeps it tight and keeps it fair — 13 wines, honest markups, and enough Italian backbone to match the menu without turning into a wine bar that forgot to serve food. If you're after depth or discovery, you'll outgrow this list quickly, but for a relaxed Venice dinner where you just want something good in your glass without overthinking it, the Cascina Barbera or the Montepeloso will do exactly what you need.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Palms · Los Angeles · Japanese Kaiseki
n/naka earns its Wild Card badge not because the wine list is unconventional in the classic sense, but because finding a Japanese kaiseki restaurant in Los Angeles with a thoughtfully curated Franco-Japanese cellar at this level of dining is genuinely unexpected. The steep markup rating is almost unavoidable at a destination tasting-menu format — you're paying for the experience, full stop. If you've locked in a reservation, trust the wine pairing and don't spend energy trying to optimize it.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
South End · Boston · French Mediterranean
Mistral is one of the few Boston restaurants where the wine list genuinely earns the room it lives in — deep cellar, fair pricing on most of the list, and staff who actually know what they're talking about. Send your friends here if they want to drink well with a serious meal.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Naples · Naples · French Mediterranean
Côte d'Azur plays it safe with a French-heavy list that won't offend but won't excite. Prices lean steep, staff enthusiasm feels thin, but if you're here for classic French dining and know what you want, you'll find something drinkable. Just don't expect discovery.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Stemless Casual
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Miami · Miami · French Mediterranean
LPM delivers exactly what you'd expect from a French Mediterranean restaurant in Miami's financial district: a safe, well-curated list with markup that reflects the zip code more than the liquid. Come for the scene and the reliable pours, not the wine discoveries.
Solid Range
Steep
Stemless Casual
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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