Amali
Uptown address, seriously downtown wine ambition
Upper East Side · New York · Italian, Mediterranean · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 8, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
You walk into a quiet East 60th Street dining room expecting the kind of safe, overpriced wine list that plagues the neighborhood — and then the list lands on your table. Four hundred to five hundred selections, with a Greek column that actually has something to say. This is not your average uptown pasta spot.
Selection Deep Dive
Amali has held a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence since 2015, and the list earns it on the strength of three regions done right: Greece, Italy, and France. The Greek section is the real differentiator — Domaine Sigalas Assyrtiko, Argyros Estate, Hatzidakis Winery, and Gaia Wines Thalassitis all in one place is genuinely rare outside of a dedicated wine bar. Italy brings the heavyweights: Bartolo Mascarello Barolo and Antinori Tignanello anchor a list that doesn't flinch from serious bottles. California gets its due with Ridge Monte Bello and Kosta Browne, and France shows up credibly with Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet. The gaps are minor — this is a list built by someone with a point of view.
By the Glass
Twenty to thirty pours by the glass at $12–$25 is a solid program for the Upper East Side, and the range appears to track the list's strengths in Greek whites and Italian reds. Rotation details are hard to confirm, but a list this size usually means the glass pours get some attention. Grab whatever Assyrtiko is open — it belongs with the food here.
Argyros Estate Assyrtiko — $60–$80 (est. bottle)
One of the great white wines of the Mediterranean at a price point that still makes sense. Argyros is a benchmark Santorini producer and it shows up here in a context — next to branzino or grilled octopus — where it completely earns its place.
Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir
Most people at Amali are reaching for Italian reds or Greek whites, and that's fair. But Drouhin Oregon is one of the most consistently elegant American Pinots made, with a French pedigree that makes it feel right at home on a list this Old World-leaning. Easy to overlook, hard to regret.
Kosta Browne Pinot Noir
Great wine, wrong room. Kosta Browne is allocated, celebrated, and priced accordingly — you're paying for the name recognition at full retail plus restaurant markup. The Drouhin Oregon next to it gives you more for less, and it fits the vibe of this list better.
Hatzidakis Winery Santorini Assyrtiko + Grilled Octopus
This is almost too obvious, and we're doing it anyway. Volcanic minerality, bright acid, and saline lift from a Santorini Assyrtiko against charred octopus and whatever lemon-herb situation Amali is running with it — this is the pairing the list was built around.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Amali is the rare Upper East Side restaurant that treats wine as a reason to show up, not an afterthought to the pasta. The Greek program alone makes it worth the reservation — and the broader list confirms this is a kitchen and cellar working in the same direction.
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