Good dining and good wine often go hand in hand, so we’ve rounded up restaurants from around the world with great wine lists, recommended by our experts…
Top restaurants for wine lovers
Aldo’s Vinoteca, San Telmo, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Aldo’s Vinoteca, a popular venue where customers can drink wines at retail prices.
It’s a great spot for Argentinian wines in Buenos Aires, with 500 bins, ranging from large producers to boutique labels, chosen by sommelier Aldo Graziani – a judge for the Decanter World Wine Awards.
Guests can enjoy some bottles at retail prices, 20% off take-home wine purchases at the weekend, and a five course, with matching wines, tasting menu option on Thursdays.
For a more relaxed evening, there’s live jazz in the basement, with a by the glass wine selection.
Aldo’s, 372 Moreno St, Tel: +54 11 4334 2380,www.aldosvinoteca.com
Enoteca Pinchiorri, Florence, Italy
Enoteca Pinchiorri, Florence
For a really special occasion, Enoteca Pinchiorri has three Michelin stars, and claim’s to have ‘Italy’s greatest wine cellar.’
Carla Capalbo highlights the strong wine service from the staff, to help you work your way through the long wine lists – with wines from Italy, France and beyond.
The food focuses on fresh, local ingredients and regional specialities.
Go all out by indulging in a tasting menu, such as the ‘discovery menu’ of seven courses for €225.
Via Ghibellina, 87, 50122 Florence, +39.055.242757,ristorante@enotecapinchiorri.com
Arcane, Hong Kong
Credit: arcane.hk
Michelin-starred chef Shane Osborn brings light, mainly vegetarian dishes to his Hong Kong restaurant Arcane – but you can still get a Pan-roasted Mayura wagyu sirloin, which reviewer Fiona Beckett calls ‘one of the best beef I’ve ever eaten.’
The high quality, 1000-strong wine list includes classics like Margaux Pavilion 2005 and Yquem 1998 by the glass, but also good value New World options.
Diners also have the option of bringing their own bottle – if it’s not on the wine list – for a fee of HK$400 (£42) per 750ml bottle.
18 On Lan St, Central., Hong Kong, Tel+852 2728 0178www.arcane.hk
The Burgundy, Stockholm, Sweden
The Burgundy – Stockholm, Sweden
At The Burgundy, you can find ‘hedonistically delicious dishes, including house-cured charcuterie, game meats and the best burger in town’, according to Erica Landin.
Alongside this, prices are good on the wine list, with over 2,800 wine references and decent mark ups on fine wines, including Marc Colin’s St-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly 1999 and Giacomo Conterno’s Monfortino Barolo 2002 in magnum, show up by the glass.
Restauteur Daniel Crespi can be relied upon for wine and food pairing recommendations.
The Burgundy, Yxsmedsgränd 12, Stockholm Tel +46 8-506 400 85
Monvinic, Barcelona
Sarah Jane Evans MW calls Michelin-starred Monvinic (pictured top) ‘The ideal place to start or finish your trip to Barcelona’, for its extensive wine selection.
Menu includes weekly changing specials and you can enjoy a daily changing tasting menu, based on what fresh produce is available, with matching wines for €130.
Michelin guide says ‘everything revolving around the world of wine.
‘A modern take on traditional cuisine, as well as a splendid wine cellar.’
Evans recommends getting Head sommelier Antonio Giuliodori and his team to guide you through the list of Cavas.
Monvinic, Carrer de la Diputació, 249, 08007 Barcelona, Spain. +34 932 72 61 87
Bar Boulud, Lincoln Center, New York
Charcuterie was once the original calling card for Bar Boulud; now it’s the ‘Big Bottle Pours’ started by previous wine director Michael Madrigal.
Each evening, a special wine from magnum or larger format bottle is on offer, priced between $24-$29 (£16-£19) a glass.
This has been continued by current chief sommelier Amanda Smeltz, who is also championing lesser known regions to the states.
Wine list focuses on France, particularly the Rhone and Burgundy.
Set lunches are $32 for three courses, including French classics like Croque Madame, and dinner set menu is $48. Set weekend brunch menus are also available.
Bar Boulud, 1900 Broadway, Tel: +1 212 595 0303;barboulud.com
Blandford Comptoir, London, UK
A modern bistro with a very good wine list. Credit: blandford-comptoir.co.uk
The latest creation from Xavier Rousset MS, of 28-50 wine bars and Burgundy-focused Cabotte restaurant, Blandford Comptoir has a ‘wine list of gems’ according to Fiona Beckett.
Food is Italian bistro-style, offering both small plates and mains, charcuterie selection, or a £15 lunch special which includes a glass of wine.
The advantage of the wine list is that the price points encourage you to experiment, says Beckett, from the £10 a glass house Champagne to the tiered bottle pricing system, starting at £23 and moving upwards. Plus, a more frequently changing list of ‘older and wiser’ wines is worth a try if you’re splashing out.
Pierre Orsi, Lyon, France
A favourite of chef Daniel Boulud (of Bar Boulud fame; above), he calls restaurant Pierre Orsi ‘home to what is certainly the best wine cellar in Lyon.’
It’s known for seasonal, classic French cuisine, and is ‘one of Lyon’s temples of gastronomy.’
A five-course lunch menu is available for €45, and includes traditional dishes such as Burgundy snails, salmon carpaccio and saddle of rabbit.
Tastings are held in the historic cellar where the Master Sommeliers can their recommendations.
Orsi also wears the tricolour chef collar, meaning he is part of the prestigious Meilleur Ouvrier de France.
Pierre Orsi, 3 Place Kléber, 69006 Lyon, France. +33 4 78 89 57 68
