Aretsky's Patroon
Old-school power dining, serious wine credentials
Midtown East · New York · American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 8, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list at Patroon lands with the quiet confidence of a place that's been doing this right since before most wine lists in New York got interesting. Four hundred to six hundred bottles, a Best of Award of Excellence held since 2014, and a sommelier on staff — this is not a list that was assembled by the general manager on a slow Tuesday. You're in capable hands from the first page.
Selection Deep Dive
France, California, and Italy form the holy trinity here, and the depth across all three is genuinely impressive. On the French side, you're looking at Château Latour and Château Margaux — these aren't just trophy bottles on a vanity list, they signal a cellar that's been thoughtfully built over years. California is equally serious: Screaming Eagle, Opus One, Caymus, Kistler, and Silver Oak represent the full spectrum from cult to classic. Italy gets its due respect with Sassicaia and Tignanello anchoring the Super Tuscan corner. The list skews toward the establishment rather than the adventurous, which fits the room perfectly — this is Midtown East, not the East Village.
By the Glass
Twenty to thirty by-the-glass options is a genuinely generous pour program for a steakhouse of this caliber, with glass prices running $15 to $40. That upper range suggests some real bottles are being cracked open rather than defaulting to patio-pour inventory. Sommelier Elizabeth Lennon's presence means the glass list is curated with intent, not just filler.
Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon — $15–$40 by the glass
Silver Oak by the glass at a place like this is the move — it's a name people recognize, it's built for red meat, and ordering it by the glass lets you sidestep a bottle markup that's going to sting in this zip code.
Kistler Chardonnay
In a room full of Bordeaux heavyweights and cult Cabs, Kistler tends to get overlooked. It shouldn't. This is benchmark California Chardonnay — precise, layered, and genuinely exciting — and it holds its own against the Dover sole better than anything else on the list.
Château Pétrus
Pétrus on a Midtown steakhouse list is almost certainly a four-figure bottle carrying a restaurant markup that'll make your eyes water. It's a trophy, not a drink. Unless someone else is paying, this is a flex for the table next to you, not for you.
Tignanello + Dry-aged prime steak
Tignanello's Sangiovese-Cabernet blend has the structure to stand up to a heavily marbled dry-aged cut without bulldozing it — you get the fruit and the grip without either element going to war with the other. It's the right call at a table this serious.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Patroon is the kind of place where the wine list matches the room: polished, confident, and built for people who know what they want. The markups are real, but so is the cellar — and Elizabeth Lennon's presence means you're not navigating it alone.
Comments
Get the Weekly Wingman
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.