When it comes to wine, size matters. Large-format bottles add a large-format wow factor to any occasion. Not only are they more impressively sized and rarer than their standard counterparts, but their larger wine-to-ullage ratio means they also tend to age more slowly. These 14 Restaurant Award winners around the world go big with breathtaking collections of magnums, imperials, jeroboams and more.
This is just a small sampling of standout wine spots that have earned 2024 Restaurant Awards. For more outstanding food-and-wine destinations around the world, check out Wine Spectator’s more than 3,700 Restaurant Award winners, including the 95 Grand Award recipients that hold our highest honor (63 of which are in the United States).
Do you have a favorite you’d like to see on this list? Send your recommendations to [email protected]. We want to hear from you!
United States
Commander’s Palace
1403 Washington Ave., New Orleans
Telephone (504) 899-8221
Website commanderspalace.com
Grand Award
[article-img-container][src=2024-10/restaurant-guide-big-bottles-commanders-palace-102424-1600.jpg] [caption= Commander’s Palace serves big bottles alongside upscale Creole dishes, like this cast iron–seared Gulf fish.] [credit= ] [alt= Seared Gulf fish from Commander’s Palace with a glass of white wine][end: article-img-container]
The party never ends at destination restaurant Commander’s Palace, a turquoise-and-white temple of Creole dining that’s been in New Orleans’ Garden District since 1893. Today, Ti Adelaide Martin and Lally Brennan (the daughter and niece, respectively, of the restaurant’s late owner, Ella Brennan) continue their family’s mission of delivering excellent cuisine and top-notch dining experiences.
What’s on the Menu
Chef Meg Bickford follows in the footsteps of legendary Commander’s chefs Emeril Lagasse and Paul Prudhomme. Her menu offers a fine dining approach to Creole cooking, with signature dishes such as turtle soup finished with aged Sherry, a ravigote sauce with lump pieces of Louisiana blue crab and a gumbo seasoned with toasted garlic and locally sourced hot sauce. Also on offer are Hokkaido scallop tostadas, a redfish-and–Gulf oyster velouté with Louisiana field peas and an 8-ounce center cut of Black Angus beef served atop smashed potatoes with smoked honey butter–glazed baby carrots.
Wine List Highlights
Wine director Dan Davis’ program excels with picks from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne and the Loire and Rhône valleys in France, with additional gems from Austria, California, Germany, Italy and Spain. Eleven pages are devoted to large-format bottles, which include multiple vintages from Château Palmer, Gaja, Karthäuserhof’s German Rieslings and Philipponnat Champagne. Commander’s Palace is known for its weekend jazz brunches and overall celebratory vibe—and this is reflected in the wine program, with more than 200 bubbly selections, including dozens of grower Champagnes and 20 large-format bottles.
La Toque
The Westin Verasa Napa, 1314 McKinstry St., Napa, California
Telephone (707) 257-5157
Website latoque.com
Grand Award
[article-img-container][src=2024-10/restaurant-guide-big-bottles-la-toque-102424-1600.jpg] [caption= French and American culinary traditions mingle at Napa dining destination La Toque.] [credit= (Megan Menicucci)] [alt= Restaurant staff behind the white marble bar at La Toque, with wood shelves storing wine bottles][end: article-img-container]
Inside the Westin Verasa hotel in the city of Napa, Calif., Grand Award winner La Toque is the passion project of chef Ken Frank, who founded the restaurant in 1979 (originally at a location in Rutherford). In the decades since, Frank’s restaurant has earned a reputation for serving up French haute cuisine with a contemporary twist. La Toque is also committed to supporting the local community, with the restaurant’s team providing meals to the South Napa Homeless Shelter.
What’s on the Menu
Frank and executive sous chef Jason Rivas present an à la carte menu as well as a pair of six-course offerings: a vegetable-forward menu ($145 per person) and a primary tasting menu ($225). Previous dishes have included wild Dover sole with celery two ways (in a rémoulade and a mousseline), caramelle pasta stuffed with ricotta and chanterelle mushrooms, pan-roasted Liberty duck breast with kabocha squash and, for the finale, triple-baked butter crunch cake with caramelized apples and a peanut butter mousse. La Toque is well known for its annual All Black Truffle experience, which packs fresh fungi into every course—even dessert, with a black truffle ice cream sandwich making a recent appearance. Occasionally, the restaurant hosts dinners with guest chefs, such as truffle-and-Barolo–focused meals from chef Carlo Zarri.
Wine List Highlights
La Toque’s wine list is presented on iPads, allowing diners to easily navigate the 2,500 selections on offer. Overseen by Frank and wine director Mike Lee, the list champions leading producers from Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhône Valley in France, as well as Italy and Spain. But local Napa Cabernet is the star of the list; guests can expect to see prized bottles from the 1990s and 1980s, with verticals from Araujo, Bond, Dalla Valle and Diamond Creek. California is also a key player among the list’s 120 magnums and double magnums, which include offerings from Aubert, Martinelli and Peter Michael.
Metropolitan Grill
820 Second Ave., Seattle
Telephone (206) 624-3287
Website themetropolitangrill.com
Grand Award
[article-img-container][src=2024-10/restaurant-guide-big-bottles-metropolitan-grill-102424-1600.jpg] [caption= Seattle’s Metropolitan Grill offers plenty of bold reds in big bottles to pair with its steaks.] [credit= (Courtesy of Metropolitan Grill)] [alt=Dining room filled with guests drinking wine at the Metropolitan Grill in Seattle][end: article-img-container]
With its luxurious main dining room, tuxedoed staff and tableside flambées, Seattle Grand Award winner Metropolitan Grill delivers classic, top-notch steak house ambience. Locals and celebrities alike have frequented the institution since its 1983 opening, with photographs of famous visitors lining the restaurant’s walls. For a more casual experience, grab a seat at the 60-foot black marble bar, which serves an abbreviated food menu and a handful of signature cocktails, including the Met Manhattan (with Bourbon, vermouth, anise-licorice bitters and absinthe) and the Usual (whiskey, amaro, demerara sugar and cardamom bitters). Parties of up to six guests can also book customized wine tastings in the Met Cellar, an intimate underground setting that holds the restaurant’s inventory of 15,500 bottles.
What’s on the Menu
The selection of beef is stunning, with cuts of locally sourced Delmonico, porterhouse and filet mignon. Also on offer are 4- and 6-ounce cuts of A5 Japanese Wagyu beef; and parties of two can opt for a 24-ounce Chateaubriand or a 40-ounce American Wagyu “long bone” rib eye. To elevate the dining experience, grilled prawns, crab cakes, lobster tails and bone marrow can be added to any order. Chef John Vega’s menu also encompasses classic chop house appetizers and salads (think clam chowder, half-shell oysters and Caesar salad), as well as chicken, seafood and pasta specialties.
Wine List Highlights
Washington state bottlings form the core of wine director Chris Lara’s 2,300-label list, which also shows strength in California, Oregon, Italy and France (particularly Burgundy and the Rhône Valley). A Sommelier Selections page highlights wines around $100, with tasting notes and details about aging processes and represented vineyards. Around 150 large-format bottles are available, including selections from Chapoutier, Château Léoville Poyferré and Tenuta dell’Ornellaia. Most popular among guests are the domestic big bottles, which include labels such as Jordan, Long Shadows Vintners and Spottswoode.
Pappas Bros. Steakhouse Dallas
10477 Lombardy Lane, Dallas
Telephone (214) 366-2000
Website pappasbros.com
Grand Award
[article-img-container][src=2024-10/restaurant-guide-big-bottles-pappas-bros-houston-102424-1600.jpg] [caption= The cellar at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse Dallas is packed with showstopping wines, including magnums, jeroboams and other large-format bottles.] [credit= (Courtesy of Pappas Bros. Steakhouse Dallas)] [alt= Wood shelves holding wine bottles, including magnums and jeroboams, in the cellar of Pappas Bros. Steakhouse Dallas][end: article-img-container]
Inspired by the entrepreneurial legacy of their grandfather, a Greek immigrant who came to the United States in 1897 and went on to open several restaurants, brothers Harris and Chris Pappas opened their first restaurant in 1976 and today lead the expansive Pappas Restaurants collection. The business is still privately owned, with a portfolio that includes the Grand Award–winning Pappas Bros. Steakhouses in downtown Houston and the Houston Galleria, as well as Best of Award of Excellence–winning seafood restaurant Little’s Oyster Bar, also in Houston. To the north is the Grand Award–winning Pappas Bros. Steakhouse Dallas, home to an 18,000-bottle wine cellar with numerous large-format standouts.
What’s on the Menu
The classic American steak house menu shines a spotlight on prime cuts of corn-fed, dry-aged beef. On offer are 8-, 10- and 12-ounce filet mignons, 16- and 18-ounce rib eyes, 14- and 16-ounce New York strips and a 14-ounce steak seasoned with three peppercorn varieties—and that’s not to mention the handful of bone-in cuts, including a 14-ounce filet mignon. Chef James Johnson also serves up a slew of savory sides and appetizers, plus seafood options that include Australian lobster tails and broiled salmon filets in a white wine sauce.
Wine List Highlights
Overseen by wine directors Jon Walker and Steven McDonald, the 4,100-label list prioritizes steak-friendly selections, with notable strengths in Bordeaux, Burgundy, California, Piedmont, Portugal, the Rhône Valley, Spain and Tuscany. Beyond red wines, the restaurant also delivers strong selections from Austria, Champagne and Germany. The collection of large-format bottles is especially impressive, with more than 400 labels on offer, including 40-plus imperials and a balthazar of Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Volcanic Hill 1985 for $11,000. Also of note are a large-format vertical of Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Special Selection and magnums of Champagnes from Bollinger, Delamotte and other acclaimed houses.
Bar Boulud
1900 Broadway, New York City
Telephone (212) 595-0303
Website barboulud.com
Best of Award of Excellence
[article-img-container][src=2024-10/restaurant-guide-big-bottles-bar-boulud-102424-1600.jpg] [caption= Bar Boulud routinely opens large-format bottles of impressive wines for guests to enjoy by the glass alongside their French delicacies.] [credit= (Courtesy of Bar Boulud)] [alt= A plate of terrine from Bar Boulud, with a glass of red wine][end: article-img-container]
Daniel Boulud has firmly established his reputation as one of the most celebrated chefs and restaurateurs in the United States, owning Grand Award winner Daniel, four Best of Award of Excellence–winning Café Boulud locations and, a stone’s throw from Lincoln Center in New York City, the Best of Award of Excellence–winning Bar Boulud, which offers a casual dining experience paired with an extraordinary wine program.
What’s on the Menu
Boulud and chef Daniel Guzman have devised a range of seasonal French dishes, as well as plates influenced by traditional American cuisine. Among Bar Boulud’s regular prix fixe and à la carte options are bistro classics such as beef tartare with capers, escargots persillade (Burgundy snails with mushrooms and a garlic-herb butter), French onion soup and a traditional salade Niçoise, alongside a selection of cured meats and pâtés. For the main event, look to plates like boudin blanc (truffled pork sausage with an apple puree), coq au vin and a pair of burgers (one with raclette and a tomato compote, the other with caramelized onions and Cheddar).
Wine List Highlights
Head sommelier Michelle Wozniak oversees the 600-selection wine list, which focuses primarily on France (particularly Burgundy). Bar Boulud’s program also emphasizes large-format bottles, with choice selections from Burgundy’s Faiveley and Louis Jadot, Provence’s Domaine Tempier and Rioja’s R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia. On a regular basis, the restaurant opens large-format bottles so guests can try them by the glass, with the wine selections often following weekly themes such as “Escape to the Loire.”
Cote Korean Steakhouse
16 W. 22nd St., New York City
Telephone (212) 401-7986
Website cotekoreansteakhouse.com
Best of Award of Excellence
[article-img-container][src=2024-10/restaurant-guide-big-bottles-cote-korean-steakhouse-102424-1600.jpg] [caption= In addition to great wines, Cote Korean Steakhouse offers a wide array of meats for grilling over tabletop flames.] [credit= (Gary He)] [alt= A variety of raw meat slices sitting near a tabletop grill at Cote Korean Steakhouse in New York City][end: article-img-container]
Cote Korean Steakhouse has rapidly become a mainstay of New York City fine dining since opening in 2017. While beef is the main event—there’s a section of the menu titled Meat, Meat & More Meat—the Flatiron District restaurant also maintains an impressive wine list, which has held a Best of Award of Excellence since 2019. Gracious Hospitality Management, founded by Simon Kim, has expanded Cote over the years, with a Best of Award of Excellence–winning location in Miami and sibling restaurants in Las Vegas and Singapore.
What’s on the Menu
Served in a lively dining room, chef David Shim’s fare mixes traditional Korean cuisine and steak house staples for tasty results. Each table comes with its own grill, giving guests the freedom to cook premium meat selections to their desired level of doneness. The à la carte menu includes four cuts of American Wagyu beef, eight cuts of prime USDA beef and six reserve cuts. Diners can opt for a horizontal tasting of three A5 grade cuts of rib eye ($85 per person) or the steak omakase experience ($225 per person, with wine pairings for an additional $110) with up to 10 cuts of beef alongside a selection of savory sides, such as kimchi stew and a piping-hot bibimbap. Also on offer are salads, tartares, shrimp cocktail, ice-chilled oysters and a trio of caviars.
Wine List Highlights
Overseen by Gracious Hospitality beverage director Victoria James, the 1,280-label list is strongest in Bordeaux, Burgundy, California, Champagne and Italy, all well represented with a host of large-format bottles. Across the more than 170 magnums are bottlings of Corison’s Kronos Vineyard, Joseph Phelps’ Insignia and Vega Sicilia’s Unico. Also of note are gems such as 3-liter bottles of Benanti’s Etna Rovittello Particella No. 341 Riserva and large-format bottles of Mayacamas’ Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder spanning four vintages back to 1990.
International
Atrio
San Mateo Hotel, Plaza de San Mateo 1, Cáceres, Spain
Telephone (34) 927-242-928
Website atriocaceres.com
Grand Award
[article-img-container][src=2024-10/restaurant-guide-big-bottles-atrio-102424-1600.jpg] [caption= Atrio is home to an impressive 47,000-bottle cellar, with a wide selection of Château d’Yquem.] [credit= (Courtesy of Atrio)] [alt= Bottles of Yquem Sauternes on wood racks in the cellar of Spanish restaurant Atrio][end: article-img-container]
Inside the San Mateo Hotel in Cáceres, which was named a UNESCO World Heritage City in 1986, is Grand Award winner Atrio. The restaurant’s name is a nod to the area’s heritage; it translates to “atrium,” a core element of Mediterranean city planning and social life throughout the ages. In contrast, contemporary art pieces by artists such as Andy Warhol and Sean Scully appear throughout the restaurant and hotel, as well as on the pages of the wine list.
What’s on the Menu
Chef Toño Pérez presents regional Spanish cuisine on a prix fixe menu ($277 per person), with an emphasis on pork and jamón, incorporating the delicacies into snacks as well as seafood, caviar and dessert dishes. A recent menu included such plates as garlic okra with chorizo, salchicón sausage with a pepper emulsion, a pork cheek–and-caviar flan and, for dessert, Iberian chocolate with coffee and jamón.
Wine List Highlights
Already offering one of the largest selections in Spain, at 4,500 labels and 47,000 bottles, Atrio’s Grand Award–winning wine program maintains strength in France’s Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne and Rhône Valley regions as well as Germany, Portugal (primarily Port) and Spain. More than 200 magnums appear on the list, including 15 vintages of Bodegas Vega Sicilia Ribera del Duero Unico, plus imperials of Chateau d’Yquem Sauternes.
Palais Coburg
Palais Coburg Residenz, Coburgbastei 4, Vienna
Telephone (43) 1-518-18-130
Website Palais-coburg.com
Grand Award
[article-img-container][src=2024-10/restaurant-guide-big-bottles-palais-coburg-102424-1600.jpg] [caption=At Palais Coburg, wine director Wolfgang Kneidinger manages a list packed with large-format bottles.] [credit= (Palais Coburg Residenz/Tina Herzl)] [alt= Wine director Wolfgang Kneidinger in the cellar of Palais Coburg, next to imperial bottles of wine][end: article-img-container]
At the Palais Coburg Hotel Residenz, many suites are named after historical aristocrats, and you might just feel like a noble yourself while walking the halls of this 19th-century palace-turned-hotel. Inside the ornate neoclassical edifice, you'll find the Palais Coburg restaurant, a Grand Award–winning establishment helmed by chef Silvio Nickol. In contrast to the grand nature of its surroundings, the restaurant itself has a modern, almost space-age feel, with blue and purple lights illuminating a white vaulted ceiling.
What’s on the Menu
Although the restaurant’s two tasting menus ($287 per person for seven courses, $308 for nine courses) change, one thing is constant: Nickol’s use of fresh ingredients to create innovative, distinctive dishes. Some recent plates have included basil-accented hamachi with lobster and citrus fruit, langoustine with beans and bell pepper, and Viennese catfish with cabbage and veal. Although the menus are preset, the restaurant can accommodate requests for vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.
Wine List Highlights
Comprising 5,100 labels and 57,800 total bottles, Palais Coburg’s list and cellar have grown under wine director Wolfgang Kneidinger since the restaurant earned its first Grand Award in 2007. His wine program showcases more than 900 large-format selections, with impressive verticals from the likes of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, F.X. Pichler and Tenuta San Guido. The large-format Bordeaux selections are particularly impressive, with more than 20 vintages of Château Lafite Rothschild across magnum, double magnum, jeroboam and imperial sizes, as well as picks from Château Latour, Château Lynch-Bages and Château Mouton-Rothschild, among others.
PM & Vänner
Storgatan 22-24, Växjö, Sweden
Telephone (46) 470-75-97-00
Website pmrestauranger.se
Grand Award
[article-img-container][src=2024-10/restaurant-guide-big-bottles-pm-and-vanner-102424-1600.jpg] [caption= In 2017, PM and Vänner became Wine Spectator’s first Grand Award winner in Sweden.] [credit= (Martin Dyrløv Madsen)] [alt= Guests in the dining room of PM and Vänner][end: article-img-container]
In the heart of southern Sweden’s Småland region, filled with scenic forestland, PM & Vänner is a boutique, gastro hotel. The property offers a gym, pool, salon, spa and other traditional amenities, as well as 74 sleek, contemporary design rooms and suites. At the hotel’s core is the fine-dining restaurant, which has earned a Grand Award since 2017 for its wine list of more than 6,100 labels.
What’s on the Menu
PM & Vänner Chef Anders Lauring offers an authentic Nordic cuisine experience across a tasting menu that sources ingredients from nearby woods, lakes and meadows. Think blue mussels from Sweden’s western coast, accented with apples, leeks, almonds and parsley. A recent menu featured plates such as Småland-sourced mushrooms, rooster with carrots, sage and red currants from the estate’s garden and, for dessert, lemon verbena–accented gooseberries with pear and almonds.
Wine List Highlights
Wine director Rubén Sanz Ramiro showcases landmark labels as well as gems from small, emerging wineries on the restaurant’s well-rounded list. The program excels in Austria (a particular interest for Ramiro), Bordeaux, Burgundy, California, Champagne, Germany, Italy, the Rhône Valley and Spain. This includes names such as Pierre-Yves Colin Morey, Georg Breuer and Tenuta San Guido’s Sassicaia. Stored in a high-security cellar that was formerly a bank vault, PM & Vänner’s wine collection comprises more than 19,000 bottles, with approximately 400 magnums that include picks from Alsace’s Weinbach, Chablis’ François Raveneau and Champagne’s Salon.
Post Hotel Dining Room
Post Hotel & Spa, 200 Pipestone Road, Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada
Telephone (800) 661-1586
Website posthotel.com
Grand Award
[article-img-container][src=2024-10/restaurant-guide-big-bottles-post-hotel-cellar-102424-1600.jpg] [caption=Wine director Julian Simard-Gillis, left, has filled the cellar of the Post Hotel Dining Room with large bottles of Tuscan reds, Châteauneuf-du-Papes and more.] [credit= (Couresty of The Post Hotel & Spa)] [alt= Wine director Julian Simard-Gillis in the cellar of the Post Hotel Dining Room in Alberta, Canada, with guests][end: article-img-container]
The first iteration of the Post Hotel & Spa opened in 1942, and the property has since evolved into a modern, luxurious vacation getaway. It's in an ideal spot for skiing and other winter sports, but the hotel is also a launching pad for year-round outdoor activities, such as guided hikes, horseback riding through Banff National Park and whitewater rafting on the Kicking Horse and Kootenay rivers. One of the hotel’s crown jewels is its Dining Room, which earned its first Grand Award in 2002.
What’s on the Menu
Chef Hans Sauter serves regional cuisine on the Dining Room’s regularly changing prix fixe dinner menu ($116 per person). Previously featured items include a bison carpaccio with garlic chips, grilled octopus with a sunchoke puree and a lemon-basil risotto topped with Acadian sturgeon caviar. Dessert might bring options like a mixed berry oat crumble with strawberry sorbet, a strawberry-matcha mousse with toasted milk ice cream, and the “Chococherry,” with whisky semifreddo, crunchy feuilletine, cherry compote, chocolate foam and thin cacao tuiles.
Wine List Highlights
Overseen by wine director Julian Simard-Gillis, the Dining Room’s list includes more than 400 large-format bottles, with 80 double magnums and 30 6-liter bottles. The program shows strength in Canada, paying homage to the restaurant’s location, as well as Australia, Bordeaux, Burgundy, California, Portugal, the Rhône Valley and Tuscany. Among the 3,400 labels are big bottles from Mission Hill in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, Catena Zapata in Argentina's Mendoza region and Torbreck in Australia’s Barossa Valley, plus a double magnum of Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico Castello di Brolio 2006.
Robuchon au Dôme
Grand Lisboa Hotel, 2-4 Avenida de Lisboa, Macao
Telephone (853) 8803-7878
Website grandlisboahotels.com
Grand Award
[article-img-container][src=2024-10/restaurant-guide-big-bottles-robuchon-au-dome-102424-1600.jpg] [caption= Patrons of Robuchon au Dôme can enjoy large-format bottles, and other premium wine selections, alongside the restaurant's gastronomic gems] [credit= (Courtesy of SJM Resorts, S.A.)] [alt= The caviar at Robuchon au Dôme][end: article-img-container]
One of the leading restaurants in Macao, a special administrative region of China, Robuchon au Dôme boasts the largest wine list of any Grand Award winner, sharing its 500,000-bottle cellar with two other restaurants inside the Grand Lisboa Hotel: fellow Grand Award winner Casa Don Alfonso and Best of Award of Excellence winner the Kitchen. Robuchon au Dôme is also one of seven Restaurant Award winners to bear the name of late culinary icon Joël Robuchon. True to its name, its dining room is situated inside a 780-foot-high glass dome on the hotel’s top floor, offering stunning views of the bustling city below.
What’s on the Menu
While intrinsically French, the à la carte and prix fixe menus from chef Julien Tongourian reveal Asian culinary influences. This is evident in past plates such as the spaghetti with scallops and Shanghai mitten crab and the black cod with bok choy and coconut foam. Adding to the culinary fun, the restaurant’s bread cart carries an impressive selection of loaves, and a separate dessert trolley proffers intricate confections to complete the dining experience.
Wine List Highlights
Wine director Paul Lo oversees the list of more than 17,000 wines, which features heavy hitters from Bordeaux, Burgundy, California, Germany, Piedmont, the Rhône Valley, Tuscany and beyond. These include a range of large-format bottles, with more than 1,000 magnums representing some of the world’s leading wineries. Expect gems from Château Lafite Rothschild, Domaine Leflaive and Harlan Estate, among other premier picks.
Il Convivio Troiani
Vicolo Dei Soldati 31, Rome
Telephone (39) 06-686-9432
Website ilconviviotroiani.com
Best of Award of Excellence
[article-img-container][src=2024-10/restaurant-guide-big-bottles-il-convivio-102424-1600.jpg] [caption= Make a trip to Rome even more special with a memorable meal, and a glass of great wine, at Il Convivio Troiani.] [credit= (Courtesy of Il Convivio Troiani)] [alt=The door to Il Convivio Troiani in Rome][end: article-img-container]
Brothers Massimo, Giuseppe and Angelo Troiani opened Il Convivio Troiani in the early 1990s. In 1998, the restaurant moved just around the corner to its current location, a historic building with three dining rooms, vaulted ceilings and a courtyard. Diners can head there from nearby attractions such as the famed Tiber River (Italy’s second longest) and the National Roman Museum.
What’s on the Menu
Chef Angelo Troiani works primarily with sustainable and organic ingredients from local farmers and purveyors to create Mediterranean (particularly Italian) offerings. Across his tasting menus are dishes such as zucchini flowers with a red pepper sorbet, crab soup with a turmeric-seasoned crumble and sea bass ravioli in a licorice-saffron sauce. Starting at $145 per person, tasting menus with five, seven and nine courses are available, including separate vegetarian menus. Guests can upgrade their meal with black truffles and caviar for $38 and $30, respectively.
Wine List Highlights
Wine director Massimo Troiani oversees a 3,600-label list that champions Italy. A Best of Award of Excellence winner since 2016, the wine program features impressive Tuscany and Piedmont selections as well as numerous bottlings from Burgundy and Champagne. This includes aged Italian whites from wineries such as Cantina Terlano and Pio Cesare, going back decades. Among the 40,000-plus bottles in the cellar, 350 labels are available in magnums and double magnums, including selections from Bordeaux’s Lynch-Bages, Champagne’s Bruno Paillard, Friuli–Venezia-Giulia’s Jermann and Sicily’s Benanti, among many others.
Le George
Four Seasons Hotel George V, 31 Ave. George V, Paris
Telephone (33) 1-49-52-72-09
Website fourseasons.com/paris
Best of Award of Excellence
[article-img-container][src=2024-10/restaurant-guide-big-bottles-le-george-102424-1600.jpg] [caption= Le George offers Parisian culinary grandeur alongside a staggering collection of large-format wines.] [credit= (Louise Marinig)] [alt=A member of Le George’s staff pouring sauce over stuffed pasta][end: article-img-container]
Minutes from the Arc de Triomphe and the bustling Champs-Elysées is Paris’ Four Seasons Hotel, a luxurious establishment made even grander by its fine-dining restaurant Le George. A Best of Award of Excellence winner since 2023, the restaurant is home to a massive 50,000-bottle wine cellar.
What’s on the Menu
Chef Simone Zanoni riffs on classic Mediterranean and Italian cuisine with plates such as tuna crudo with a duo of wild mushrooms, shredded crab with a roasted bell pepper sorbet, beef tenderloin carpaccio with black truffles and a Milanese-style veal chop with salted butter mashed potatoes. Diners can choose from four tasting options—a lunch menu ($86 per person), a dinner menu ($167), a vegetarian menu ($146) and a vegan menu (also $146)—or order off the robust à la carte menu of pastas, risottos, salads, fish and meat. For dessert, the restaurant delivers tantalizing options such as a cheesecake crème brûlée, a chestnut mousse with frozen yogurt and a caramelized apple cake with vanilla ice cream.
Wine List Highlights
Overseen by wine director Francesco Cosci and his sommelier team, Le George’s 1,450-label wine list is strongest in Bordeaux, Piedmont and Tuscany and boasts approximately 170 magnums and more than a dozen jeroboams. Especially notable are the collections of Sassicaia (with 23 vintages), first-growth Bordeaux, grand cru Burgundy and Vintage Port (with Quinta do Noval well represented). Also on offer are standout magnums of Dauvissat Chablis, Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, Krug Champagne, Roagna Barbaresco and more.
Les 110 de Taillevent
195 Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré, Paris
Telephone (33) 1-40-74-20-20
Website les-110-taillevent-paris.com
Best of Award of Excellence
[article-img-container][src=2024-10/restaurant-guide-big-bottles-110-de-taillevent-102424-1600.jpg] [caption= Those looking to sample big bottles of French wine in the City of Light are in for a treat at Les 110 de Taillevent.] [credit= (Courtesy of Les 110 de Taillevent)] [alt= Set green tables and chairs in the wood-lined dining room of Les 110 de Taillevent, with a beige painting hanging on the wall][end: article-img-container]
On Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré, Les 110 de Taillevent delivers large, impressive bottles of wine to complement delicious food in a sleek, wood-lined space. The restaurant is a more casual sibling of the Gardinier group’s Grand Award–winning Le Taillevent, yet it’s still very much a gourmet spot for enjoying fine wine and French classics.
What’s on the Menu
Les 110 de Taillevent specializes in seasonal French fare, with recent à la carte menus highlighting duck foie gras with sweet bread and artichokes, sea bass filets with a medley of crunchy vegetables, veal steaks with a shallot sauce and potatoes, and red kuri squash risotto topped with Parmesan. Alongside each menu item is a wine-pairing pick—a welcome guide for anyone new to wine or looking for suggestions.
Wine List Highlights
Paul Robineau, Master Sommelier and wine director for the Gardinier group, oversees the 1,500-label list, drawing from a 6,000-bottle cellar. The program champions France—particularly Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhône Valley—with gems from Charles Heidsieck and Provence’s Château Simone, among others. Also notable is the varied selection of large-format wines, with bottles from the Côte de Nuits’ Méo-Camuzet and St.-Estèphe’s Château Phélan Ségur among the approximately 120 picks on offer.
Edited by Collin Dreizen, Chris Cardoso, Julia Larson, Olivia Nolan, Megan Tkacy and Greg Warner
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