Twelve New York City restaurants have made OpenTable’s 100 Best Restaurants for Wine Lovers in America for 2018.
This year’s winners include restaurants boasting crisp whites, tangy roses and velvety reds, ranging from steakhouses to Italian cucinas.
“Whether you’re a wine aficionado or a novice looking to expand your palate, this year’s list showcases a variety of restaurants that carefully curate the finest wine elections to complement their menus,” said Caroline Potter, chief dining officer at OpenTable, in a release.
The list was generated from more than 12 million verified OpenTable diner reviewers from Aug. 1 2017, to Jul. 31, 2018. Restaurants with a minimum “overall” score and number of qualifying reviews were included for consideration. Those that qualified were scored and sorted by percentage of reviews on its “notable wine list,” as a special feature.
The city restaurants include:
The Balthazar is a traditional French restaurant with a railway station atmosphere. The kitchen serves a variety of meat and poultry dishes and specializes in seafood with an array of fish entrees. Wines range from nonvintage to vintage; blanc, rose and rouge.
“Great for a romantic dinner or private conversation. Highly recommend for a fun night out with friends where good fun, wine and fun are the primary purpose,” said an OpenTable reviewer.
Location: 80 Spring St., Manhattan
The restaurant offers a variety of food from France, Spain, Italy, Greece, North Africa and Turkey. Boulud Sud has a private dining with access through the restaurant’s lower-level wine cellar. Wines range from Champagne and sparkling, white and red.
“As always, the food was excellent. Wine was excellent, excellent and ambience excellent. This place hits all the marks every time.”
Location: 20 W. 64th St., Manhattan
Del Posto, an Italian restaurant, describes itself as an “evolution of cuisines,” and offers dining spaces for celebrations and wine tasting. The wine menu offers a wide variety of options.
“We enjoyed our experience very much. We celebrated a special occasion with the Captains table wine pairing, which was excellent.”
Location: 85 10th Ave., Manhattan
Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House
The award-winning restaurant with 15 locations aims to “embody the rich tradition of the classic American steakhouse.” Its midtown location offers classic cuts like prime ribeye, porterhouse, strip and filet mignon, and it’s “known for having one of the city’s best wine lists and bar scenes.”
“It was our first time there and everything was amazing. The waiter was great and explained in detail everything on the menu. The host came around and made sure everything was good as well. The food was absolutely delicious.”
Location: 1221 Avenue of the Americas, Manhattan
Gallaghers Steakhouse — Manhattan
Before becoming the steakhouse it is today, Gallaghers opened as a speak-easy and steakhouse in 1927, offering a stiff drink and a juicy steak. New Yorkers not only go for the steak, but for the world-class cocktails.
“First class from beginning to end — service, ambience, wine and steaks — all fantastic!”
Location: 228 W. 52nd St.
First opened in 1984, Gotham Bar and Grill is known for its contemporary American cuisine. While new items are constantly introduced to the menu, the wine list is also evolving.
“This is a must visit place for those who are serious about food and wine. Additionally, the service at the bar and dinner table are top-notch.”
Location: 12 E. 12th St., Manhattan
Aside from its a la carte, Gramercy Tavern has an acclaimed wine list that includes favorites such as chardonnay, pinot noir, cabernet, assorted whites and many more.
“Our seasonal chef’s menu hit a home run and the wine pairings were as good as I’ve ever had.”
Location: 42 E. 20th St., Manhattan
First introduced in Paris, Le Coucou found itself in the Big Apple, introducing an elegant French cuisine for restaurant goers. The restaurant also offers its customers a wide range of French wines and more.
“Though one is hard-pressed to find a bottle of wine for under $100, the list is quietly amazing and intelligently supported by the sommeliers.”
Location: 138 Lafayette St., Manhattan
The Italian seafood restaurant is known for its trademark handmade pastas and fresh crude and whole fish. The wine menu offers a variety of tastings from all over the world.
“Lunch on a Sunday with tasting menu and wine pairings. Phenomenal. Great wines, nicely paired. Great Italian wine list amongst others.”
Location: 240 Central Park South, New York, NY 10019
The Modern, which is located at the Museum of Modern Art, offers a wide variety of dishes and four-course menus. The restaurant also includes wine pairing.
“Our party of four chose the four-course tasting menu with wine pairings. The staff is perfectly trained and the sommelier was excellent in her choices for our wine pairings.”
Location: 9 W. 53rd St., Manhattan
The River Cafe, which is located under the Brooklyn Bridge, offering views of the New York skyline, has been opened since 1977. The menu offers often rare ingredients, as well as an award-winning wine list.
“We were given advice on wine and the bottle that was recommended was perfect.”
Location: 1 Water St., Brooklyn
The family-owned steakhouse is well known for its steaks, seafood, fresh vegetables, salads and its huge wine list.
“Incredible service matched with a great menu offering and over the top level of offerings on the wine list.”
Location: 210 E. 46th St., Manhattan
