The Lobster Club
Seagram Building glamour meets serious bottle depth
Midtown East · New York · Japanese · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 8, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Walking into the Seagram Building to eat yakitori and stare down a wine list that includes Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Henri Jayer is exactly the kind of absurd luxury New York does better than anywhere. The list is thick, serious, and clearly assembled by people who know what they're doing — this isn't a hotel bar afterthought. Peter Marino's room sets the tone and the wine program matches it note for note.
Selection Deep Dive
The list runs 400-600 bottles deep with a heavy lean into the classics: Burgundy anchors the whole thing, supported by Bordeaux stalwarts like Château Pétrus and Château Margaux, Rhône heavyweights including E. Guigal La Mouline, and Italian benchmarks from Giacomo Conterno and Antinori. California gets its due respect with Kistler, Screaming Eagle, and Opus One representing the prestige tier. The Champagne section — featuring Salon Blanc de Blancs and Krug Grande Cuvée — is the kind of lineup that makes you want to skip dinner and just drink bubbles all night. Arnoux-Lachaux Vosne-Romanée quietly signals that whoever built this list has taste beyond the obvious trophy bottles.
By the Glass
Twenty to thirty-five options by the glass is genuinely generous for a program of this caliber, and the pour list skews quality rather than just approachable. Expect to spend $16-$40 per glass, which in this zip code and building is not outrageous. Sommeliers Samara Seligshon and Axel Rosas are on the floor to help you navigate — ask them what's pouring well before you default to whatever you already know.
Antinori Tignanello — $Not listed — ask staff
Tignanello punches at a level that justifies its price almost anywhere, and in a room full of triple-digit Burgundy, it represents some of the best value on a list that skews expensive. It's a crowd-pleaser with actual backbone — Super Tuscan with something to say.
Arnoux-Lachaux Vosne-Romanée
Most people at this table are ordering DRC or Jayer at eye-watering prices. Arnoux-Lachaux is the quiet genius move — village-level Vosne from one of Burgundy's most respected houses, with the same silky red-fruit soul at a fraction of the cost. Don't sleep on it.
Screaming Eagle
It's Screaming Eagle. It's Napa. It's a status symbol wearing a wine label. You're in a Japanese restaurant in Manhattan — the markup here will be painful and you'll spend the whole meal thinking about the price tag instead of enjoying the food. Let someone else order it.
Krug Grande Cuvée + Wagyu Sando
Rich toasty Champagne against fatty, umami-forward wagyu in a soft milk bread sandwich is one of those combinations that sounds like a flex but actually makes total sense. The acidity cuts the fat, the brioche-like character of the Krug mirrors the bread, and suddenly you're having the best meal of your year.
🔥 The Bottom Line
The Lobster Club is the rare place where a Best of Award of Excellence feels earned rather than inherited — a 500-bottle list built with genuine conviction, backed by knowledgeable staff, in one of New York's most iconic rooms. Markups are real and the room is expensive, but if you're going to spend money on wine in this city, this is one of the better places to do it.
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