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🎲The Wild Card

Le Crocodile

Burgundy dreams in a Brooklyn bistro

Williamsburg Β· Brooklyn Β· French, European Β· Visit Website β†—

date-nightold-world-focuswine-barhidden-gem

Reviewed April 19, 2026

Wingman Metrics

List VarietySmall but Thoughtful
MarkupSteep
GlasswareBasic Stemmed
StaffKnowledgeable & Friendly
Specials & DealsSet & Forget
Storage & TempProper

First Impression

Walking into Le Crocodile, the wine list reads like someone with serious Parisian connections decided to open a neighborhood spot on Wythe Ave. and just... refused to dumb it down. It's a focused, France-only program that earns its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence without breaking a sweat.

Selection Deep Dive

This is a proudly French list from top to bottom β€” no token Napa Cab thrown in for the table that 'doesn't do European wines.' Burgundy anchors the program with heavy hitters like Domaine de la RomanΓ©e-Conti, Leroy, and Rousseau sitting alongside more approachable RhΓ΄ne producers like Chave, Guigal, and Chapoutier. Alsace gets real respect here β€” Trimbach and Zind-Humbrecht showing up signals that someone on staff actually cares about white wine beyond Burgundy. The Loire and Champagne sections round things out nicely with Dagueneau and Krug pulling their weight at the top end.

By the Glass

With 12 to 20 pours by the glass ranging from $12 to $25, you can meaningfully explore the list without committing to a bottle. That's a solid spread for a bistro of this size. We'd expect the glass program to rotate seasonally given the strength of the team, though we didn't confirm a formal rotation.

πŸ’°Best Value

Billecart-Salmon Champagne β€” $25

If it's on the glass pour β€” and it should be β€” Billecart-Salmon by the glass at a Brooklyn bistro is the move. Proper grower-adjacent quality at a price that won't wreck your night.

πŸ’ŽHidden Gem

Trimbach Alsace

Everyone eyes the Burgundy, but Trimbach's Alsatian whites are some of the most food-versatile, age-worthy bottles on the list. Most tables skip right past them. Don't.

β›”Skip This

Domaine de la RomanΓ©e-Conti

Yes, it's DRC. Yes, it's extraordinary. But the markup on bottles at this tier in a restaurant setting is always punishing β€” this is a wine to drink at home from a trusted retailer, not to pay triple over in a Brooklyn bistro.

🍽️Perfect Pairing

Henri Bourgeois Loire Valley + Moules marinières

A crisp, mineral-driven Loire white from Henri Bourgeois cuts right through the briny, buttery broth of the moules. Classic brasserie logic, and it works every single time.

🎲 The Bottom Line

Le Crocodile is the kind of place that makes you wonder why every neighborhood doesn't have a serious French wine program tucked inside a bistro this unpretentious. Pricing leans steep at the top end, but the staff knows their stuff and the list earns its stripes β€” send a friend here without hesitation.

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