Economic inequality in the United States has grown steadily for 50 years as the income for the richest has skyrocketed while staying relatively steady for everybody else. Restaurant wine lists reflect this disparity as they seem increasingly aimed at the wealthiest consumers.
At many good restaurants these days, it’s become difficult to find exciting bottles for under $100. Food has gotten more expensive, too, with the $150 steak and the $80 chicken now commonplace. Diners at least have options, with less expensive selections generally available. But too many restaurants today seem to ignore those wine lovers who can’t or won’t spend a lot.
It’s not simply a matter of inflation and tariffs, which hadn’t necessarily kicked in when the bottles on today’s wine lists were purchased. Partly, many restaurant owners have changed what used to be the industry standard for pricing wine to help subsidize the rest of their operation.
It has long been typical for restaurants to triple the wholesale price of a bottle (which is roughly double retail). More expensive wines are often marked up somewhat less. But nowadays, I see restaurant lists on which even the least expensive bottles have been marked up four or five times their wholesale price.
“Some people will mark it up four times, and some greedy owners will mark it up five times,” said Ed Szymanski, the chef and owner, with his wife, Patricia Howard, of Dame, Lord’s and Crevette in New York. “That’s very disingenuous.”
Equally important in New York and elsewhere is the rampant reverence for Burgundy, the most coveted and expensive wine in the world. The worldwide demand over the last 30 years for Burgundy has soared, while production has largely remained static. As a result, many New York restaurants are top-heavy with long, expensive selections of Burgundy, which begin around $100 and sail well into the four figures, and pay far less attention to the rest of the list.
It’s clear that many wine lists are tailored for the wealthiest customers with little regard for others. Restaurants naturally want to cater to those willing to spend a lot, and I understand that sommeliers like to show off by putting rare, highly desirable bottles on their list. But for good restaurants to set the lowest end of the price scale so high seems inhospitable if not hostile.
“It’s an ownership decision to be a restaurant where the wine prices are friendly,” Mr. Szymanski said. “It’s also self-serving: It guarantees more sales.”
Fortunately, some wine-oriented New York restaurants agree with him. Here are a dozen restaurants that offer great lists full of options at every price. I’m sure that many more are out there.
At each of Mr. Szymanski’s three restaurants, he and his team have put together wonderful lists of exciting bottles that pay close attention to the $50 to $99 range as well as the more expensive end.
Perhaps no restaurant in New York offers better deals on wine than Win Son, a Taiwanese bakery with locations in the East Village and East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where it also has a restaurant. The wines on the short lists at the bakeries are ridiculously cheap, barely above retail prices.
“The idea is you can buy the wines for basically bottle shop prices,” said Trigg Brown, Win Son’s chef and co-founder. “We make our money on the food; the wine adds currency.”
Win Son’s restaurant list is longer and more expensive — you are paying for table service and a sommelier rather than the counter service at the bakeries. But it is still packed with great deals.
“If we can provide affordable wines to people and expose them to our passion, that’s cool,” Mr. Brown said. “And if we become some sort of wine destination, great! We can buy more wine.”
Where to Find Wine List Values
Bar Bête
This little corner restaurant is exactly the neighborhood place that I wish was in my neighborhood. Aside from the excellent bistro food, Bar Bête offers a terrific, reasonably priced selection of wines by the glass, along with an enlightened bottle list that has something for everyone, with many good choices under $100.
Great Value: Georges Descombes Régnié 2022 $60.
263 Smith Street, Brooklyn, 347-844-9950
Chambers
Chambers arguably has one of the best wine lists in New York, yet, under Pascaline Lepeltier, a partner and one of the world’s leading sommeliers, the extensive list caters to everybody. Yes, you can spend hundreds on great bottles, and plenty of customers do. But, with a robust selection under $100, you can also drink wonderfully for as little as $50.
Great Value: Sandlands Clarksburg Chenin Blanc 2022 $70.
94 Chambers Street, Manhattan, 212-580-3572
Four Horsemen
The wine list at Four Horsemen has been widely lauded and remains wonderful even after the death of its wine director, Justin Chearno, in 2024. It’s not simply a list of natural wines, as its often portrayed, it’s a list of great wines, many of which are natural and with an extensive selection in the $50 to $100 range. French wines are the strength, but the German and eastern European sections offer many exciting bottles as well.
Great Value: Falkenstein Saar Krettnacher Euchariusberg Riesling Kabinett AP-12 2023 $74.
295 Grand Street, Brooklyn, 718-599-4900
Lei
At first glance, as you journey through the famous names of Champagne and Burgundy at Lei, Annie Shi’s new Chinatown wine bar, the wine list seems geared to the big spenders. They will have their fun. But buried deeper are exhilarating selections under $100, including sparklers beyond Champagne, and wines from Italy, Spain and the United States. The list seems bigger than the tiny restaurant, but the terrific food and rewarding wine options make it worth waiting for a table.
Great Value: Bartolo Mascarello Dolcetto d’Alba 2023 $75.
15-17 Doyers Street, Manhattan, no phone
Lord’s
The values are superb at this excellent English-oriented restaurant, along with its siblings Dame and Crevette. I’m singling out Lord’s because its vibrant, eclectic list is the most extensive of the three, but don’t ignore the other two. Lord’s offers something for everyone, including some of the most expensive names in Burgundy and wonderful values from France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United States. The list includes great natural wines, reasonably priced wines with age and a stash of sub-$100 Bordeaux that I’d love to explore.
Great Value: Domaine de la Chevalerie Bourgueil Bretêche 2015 $70.
506 LaGuardia Place, Manhattan, 929-398-5433
Noreetuh
You don’t see a lot of Hawaiian restaurants in New York. You certainly don’t see them with great wine lists. Yet here is Noreetuh, which has quietly accumulated extensive collections of German wines and Burgundy. Many go deep into the list’s high end. But the restaurant has never forgotten that not all customers can afford those coveted bottles, so the list includes many wines at more friendly prices as well.
Great Value: Hervé Souhaut St.-Joseph Clos des Cessieux 2021 $95.
128 First Avenue, Manhattan, 646-892-3050
Ops
At both its original Bushwick location and its new restaurant in the East Village, Ops has set a standard for the winning combination of natural wine and pizza. I prefer the rough-and-ready Brooklyn list, though the list at the more polished Manhattan restaurant offers many great choices. Just a pizzeria? You will nonetheless dine and drink like kings and queens. With very few bottles costing more than $100, the biggest problem will be deciding which wine.
Great Value: Collecapretta Umbria Sangiovese La Cese 2021 $68.
346 Himrod Street, Brooklyn, 718-386-4009; 176 Second Avenue, Manhattan, 646-755-8565
Popina
Operating mostly under the radar, this hidden treasure in the Columbia Street Waterfront District provides an exceptional wine list along with creative Italianesque cuisine. Apart from the obligatory Champagne, Burgundy and Barolo selections, Popina offers many great options under $100 from classic wine regions of the northern hemisphere.
Great Value: Envínate Tenerife Palo Blanco 2023 $85.
127 Columbia Street, Brooklyn, 718-222-1901
Sailor
This petite restaurant in Fort Greene is known for its fine food. It deserves to be known for its broad, diverse wine list as well. It includes many of the usual sought-after suspects, but then hits its creative stride with great choices under $100 from all over the world. You won’t be unhappy whichever way you roll.
Great Value: Jauma McLaren Vale Like Raindrops Grenache 2021 $56.
228 DeKalb Avenue, Brooklyn, no phone
Saint Urban
This new wine destination restaurant in the Flatiron district, with an eye-popping list, is astonishingly attentive to modest spenders, beginning with an almost unheard-of selection of Champagnes for under $100. You can actually drink good Burgundy for under $100, too. The biggest problem with the 140-page list will be which bargain to select. Whatever you decide on, you can put the savings toward the tasting menu, which starts at $148.
Great Value: De Forville Barbaresco 2015 $68.
43 East 20th Street, Manhattan, 646-988-1544
Vinegar Hill House
This charming, disarming restaurant near the Brooklyn Navy Yard has been offering good, straightforward food and wine at fair prices since 2008. It’s not that it offers great bargains, just an array of interesting, carefully chosen bottles under $100. Somebody clearly cares, and nowadays, that’s not too much to ask.
Great Value: Golden Cluster Willamette Valley Sémillon Coury Old Vines 2020 $69.
72 Hudson Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-522-1018
Win Son Bakery
These two Taiwanese bakeries, along with the restaurant across the street from the Brooklyn outpost, offer jaw-dropping bargains. The bakery wines are barely more than retail. The bigger restaurant list costs more, though great deals still abound. The lists all skew toward natural wines, which go beautifully with the food. Don’t let the term “bakery” fool you. Yes, they serve sweets but also exceptional, creative savory dishes.
Great Value: Jean-Christophe Garnier Vin de France Les Tailles 2022 $40
23 Second Avenue, Manhattan, 646-869-0150; 164 Graham Avenue, Brooklyn, 917-909-1725; 159 Graham Avenue, Brooklyn, 347-457-6010.
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Eric Asimov, the chief wine critic of The Times since 2004, has been writing about wine, food and restaurants for more than 30 years.
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