Speakeasy vibes, serious wine hiding inside
Downtown · Boston · American, Small Plates · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed April 7, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Yvonne's’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You walk through a fake clothing store entrance and land in a dimly lit speakeasy — the last thing you expect is a 400-bottle wine list staring back at you. But there it is, and it's legitimately impressive for a spot that looks like it'd rather sell you a cocktail. Wine Spectator handed them a Best of Award of Excellence in 2024, and for once, the trophy doesn't feel like a participation ribbon.
The list leans hard into California, France, and Italy — the three pillars of the Wine Spectator universe — and executes all three with conviction. You've got Chateau Margaux and Gaja Barbaresco for the big-spender table, Antinori Tignanello and Stag's Leap for the crowd that wants serious wine without the drama, and Louis Jadot Burgundy holding down the approachable French corner. Ridge Lytton Springs and Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir show some range beyond the usual suspects, which we appreciate. The gaps are real though — natural wine is essentially absent, and anything outside the California-France-Italy axis is an afterthought.
Twenty to thirty-five pours by the glass is genuinely strong for a Boston small-plates concept, and glasses run $14–$22 which is fair for this market. The real move here is Wednesday, when the entire bottle list drops to half price — one of the better weekly wine deals in the city. We'd love more rotation and transparency on exactly what's pouring by the glass on any given night, but the program is clearly being tended.
Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel 2020 — $78
Ridge Lytton Springs is one of the benchmark American Zinfandels — complex, structured, and built to last — and $78 is reasonable for a restaurant pour. This is the bottle that makes the table feel like they made a smart call.
Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir
Everyone at this table is eyeing the Burgundy section or the California heavyweights, and the Drouhin Oregon gets overlooked. It shouldn't — Véronique Drouhin brings genuine Burgundian sensibility to Willamette Valley fruit, and it's almost always the quietest smart play on a list like this.
Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
At $2,850 a bottle, this is a flex purchase, not a wine purchase. Retail on Screaming Eagle is already eye-watering, and the restaurant markup pushes it into pure status territory. Unless someone else is signing the check, your money goes much further elsewhere on this list.
Antinori Tignanello + Short rib grilled cheese
Tignanello — Sangiovese with Cabernet backbone — has the acidity to cut through the richness of braised short rib and melted cheese while the dark fruit holds its own. It's a slightly unexpected move that lands perfectly in a speakeasy that rewards the unexpected.
Wednesday — Half-price bottles on the full wine list every Wednesday — applies to the entire bottle list.
The Bottom Line
Yvonne's is the kind of place where the wine list quietly overachieves behind the mood lighting and the hidden-door gimmick. Wednesday half-price bottles make it one of the best wine-value evenings in Boston — get in before people figure that out.
· Boston · Steakhouse
The Palm Boston's wine list reads like someone handed a natural wine buyer a steakhouse budget and said 'do something interesting' — and they did, with six well-chosen bottles at prices that won't wreck your evening. It's too small to call it a destination for wine, but it's too good to ignore if you're already here for dinner. Ask about what's available by the glass and go straight for the Crochet Sancerre.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Seaport · Boston · Upscale American Steakhouse
Eddie Merlot's is a reliable date-night or business-dinner destination in the Seaport, and the wine program is functional enough to get the job done — but markup at this category of steakhouse tends to run steep, and the list probably isn't going to surprise you. If you're here for the Prime ribeye, order a glass of whatever Cab is open and don't overthink it; if you're here specifically to drink well, we'd want to see the actual list before making promises.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Back Bay · Boston · Contemporary American with International Influences
Ramsay's Kitchen is a reliable wine stop in the sense that you won't be embarrassed — the sommelier is there, the glassware is fine, and the list covers the bases. But at Back Bay price points with a celebrity premium baked in, you're paying for the room as much as the bottle. Go in with a food-first mindset, lean on the sommelier for guidance, and temper expectations on getting a steal.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North End · Boston · Italian, Steakhouse
A broad list with 29 glass pours, Italian and American bottle sections, and a From the Vault section that goes well into four figures. Start with the 2021 Mauro Molino Barolo at $26 a glass or the Batasiolo Gavi di Gavi at $15, and confirm vintages, since the list says they are subject to change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Back Bay · Boston · Seafood
A 12-page wine book that runs from $12 glasses to a $945 Opus One, with six- and nine-ounce pours for the still wines by the glass. Start with the $12 six-ounce Foral Alvarinho, or order the $59 Sur Lie Muscadet by the bottle, and confirm vintages before you go. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Back Bay · Boston · Contemporary Italian
An Italian-led list with bottles into the thousands and a glass page that gives you a way in. Order the $33 Giacosa Fratelli Barolo 2019 by the glass, or step up to a Coravin pour like the $54 Patrizia Cencioni Brunello di Montalcino 2018, and confirm prices before you go. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Green Bay · Green Bay · American, Small Plates
The Bottle Room is the best wine bar Green Bay probably didn't know it needed — a legit sommelier, fair California pricing, and half-price bottles on Tuesdays make this a genuine destination. If you're not from Green Bay and you find yourself there on a Tuesday, fix your schedule and make it here.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Acceptable
Beacon Hill · Boston · American, Small Plates
1928 Beacon Hill is exactly what a Beacon Hill neighborhood spot should be on wine — honest, Italy-forward, and priced fairly enough that you won't feel the sting. It's not a destination list, but it's a very good reason not to skip the wine.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Canton · Canton · American, Small Plates
Grapes in a Glass is the kind of place that has no business being this good in a mid-size Ohio city, and we mean that as the highest compliment. If you're in Canton and you care about what's in your glass, this is your only stop.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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