Restaurants across the city offer a wide range of drink options, from expansive wine lists to craft cocktails made at the ready. For some people though, knowing what you like to drink is what matters most, and a wine list as long as the restaurant can’t amount to that one bottle you know tastes perfect. For those looking for the best pairing to bring to some of the city’s best BYOB restaurants, here are our favorites.
The Restaurant: The Red Cat
This Chelsea restaurant is a chic, intimate space, that’s a go-to for first dates. The white tablecloths and crystal glasses make for a great evening of warm food on cold nights with just the right amount of sophistication.
The Dish: Hangar Steak
Braised with balsamic and endive, and adorned with baby Yukon potatoes and bordelaise sauce, this steak is hearty and rich for a decadent night in these winter months.
The Wine: Santa Margherita’s Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG
This earthy, complex Chianti is perfect to match any meat entrée with a wide variety tasting notes and a rich, deep red color.
The Restaurant: Eleven Madison Park
Literally the best restaurant in the world, Eleven Madison Park is equal parts haute cuisine and chic updated interior. With Will Guidara at the front of the house and Chef Daniel Humm in the kitchen, the unstoppable duo had earned every bit of the restaurant’s praise.
The Dish: Tasting Menu
The restaurant offers an incredible multi-course tasting menu that should be enjoyed as planned by the chefs. It’s a night to celebrate when you’re eating at EMP, and such occasions call for a special wine.
The Wine: Ruinart Blanc De Blancs Champagne
A bottle of bubbly is the standard drink to kick off a meal at Eleven Madison Park. And if the celebratory Champagne isn’t a proper fit for every course on the tasting menu, the bar has an incredible cocktail program ready to fill any need.
The Restaurant: Gentleman Farmer
This small farm-to-table restaurant on the Lower East Side is a great place for a health-conscious meal that still has a ton of flavor in each dish.
The Dish: Beet Salad
The complementary ingredients of ripe beats from local farmers and burrata with spiced nuts make for a harmonious combination. It’s the perfect dish that feels light enough to keep the night going after dinner.
The Wine: Callie Collection Pinot Grigio
This wine brings forward hints of melon, citrus, pear, and honeydew, making it the ideal pairing of farm fresh flavors to the delectable beet salad.
The Restaurant: Keens Steakhouse
Keens is a landmark in New York City. It’s become famous for its legendary craftsmanship in cooking meat. Any trip to Keens is already a great fit for carnivores, but adding an impeccable wine pairing can elevate the dish to new heights.
The Dish: Legendary Mutton Chop
A signature item at Keens, the mutton chop is a strange, but incredible blend of flavor coming from its use of younger, well marbled lamb for the dish. While ordering a steak or cut of beef from a steakhouse seems like the traditional option, take the leap and order something this restaurant cooks like no other one can.
The Wine: Hunt Cellars’ Rhapsody In Red
With a beautiful ruby color, this wine is rich, aromatic, and a perfect compliment to the mutton or steak offered at Keens. Aged 15 years, it’s a great bottle to enjoy, even after the meal has been finished.
The Restaurant: Little Owl
This West Village restaurant is a cozy spot for nights wandering around the neighborhood’s winding streets, taking in an off-Broadway play, or meeting someone for that special date.
The Dish: Skate Milanese
All dishes at Little Owl use the freshest and finest ingredients, and the skate is no exception. Perfectly braised and cooked with arugula, citrus, palm, and tapenade, the skate is a refreshing reminder that winter isn’t hanging around much longer…we hope.
The Wine: Veuve Clicquot Rosé Champagne
Between the crisp taste of Veuve Clicquot’s Champagne and the Provence region’s incredible craftsmanship of rosé, this wine is a great combination of the two regions work. It’s also a fun twist on a celebratory round of drinks for any occasion, even if only to celebrate the warmer weather of spring flowing through the city.
