Not really but keep in mind I am talking about NYC where costs are insanely high. Without 3x margins on alcohol most restaurants would not survive. Customers like you who spend more and me who usually will order a wine off a list even if I do corkage are probably the minority.
I will give you one example. A peruvian japanese fusion restaurant in NYC quoted me $35 a bottle. Brought 1 mag and few 750s. At the end, was charged $90 a bottle for 750s and 180 for mag. Maybe you are filthy rich but paying half a grand for fee because of wrong information doesnt fly for me. So I sat at the restaurant and call the restaurant I’m sitting at and I got quoted 3rd different price.
What if I purchased a steak for $45 on menu but bill came out to $60? Are you going to keep quiet and just pay?
It’s not just the amount. It’s the whole experience of eating out. I love being treated respectfully at a restaurant even if I’m not a regular customer. Being told one thing and then charged something else is annoying.
Shun quoted $75, one bottle max. Wine list seems to have huge variation in markups (anywhere from the usual 2.5-3x to much higher. Some bargains at the super high end below auction prices).
Sutton Inn is closed.
Oh no. I loved Sutton Inn, and it was around the corner from my daughter.
This is very sad. Good food. Friendly staff. Reasonable prices. Wine friendly. Location just a bit off.
Will the chef be relocating?
Oh snap. Just checked in to see about options similar to Sutton Inn. Sad it’s gone.
Went to Patroons (46/3rd) for the first time in 15 years on Friday… (i) no corkage fee on Fridays for up to 3 bottles and (ii) $42 fixed menu. Was a goodish experience. Expected to be the only one there and it was not the case, over 50% of the tables were filled with ?casual locals?. The food was all very good but not memorable, but high quality (everything cooked perfectly, high quality ingredients, and interesting menu: buffalo mozzarella with peach and duck prosciutto, filet wrapped in bacon) and more contemporary than I expected (scallops with succotash and pickled onions, etc.). Service was very friendly and on point (made a custom side to be allergy sensitive when they did not need to). Live jazz music. The fixed menu is very reasonably priced versus the normal menu. And the big draw of course: no cork fees on a Friday evening in Manhattan. They have a roof top where they do not serve food, but have drinks and appetizers… I wonder if one can go up there and pay a cork fee and snag the appetizers… that could be very nice. I think the ambiance (decor and energy) is wanting despite the live music, but it is excellent value.
Booked for Sojourn Wednesday and $25 corkage confirmed.
$35 corkage at the Bar Room in the Modern. Excellent, diverse menu + service is just AAA+ with a nice vibe. Will be going back.
$38/btl Wayan, max 2 standard size.
$35/bottle at Manhatta (but it is a no tipping restaurant so that comes out to effectively about $29)
Any suggestions for somewhere in Manhattan for a BYO dinner midweek with reasonable (say, $25) corkage appropriate for an Italian red wine dinner? (Besides Marta, which does fit the bill)
We had a great dinner at Nice Matin last week. Always no corkage on Monday, and they have a great table for 8-10 that works for wine dinners. We had 2 courses and split some desserts and the food and tax was only like $60pp. We left a big tip.
Can you do 1+ bottle per person?
Yes. They are very accommodating. And they have a terrific wine list with pretty reasonable prices if you’re there a different night.
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Italliene (w 24th St) has no corkage Mondays. Anyone been?
I believe Trattoria Italienne had no corkage on Tuesdays, but instituted a 1 bottle per 2 person cap due to a few wine groups abusing the policy in recent months (e.g., groups of 25, bringing 40 bottles and staying for 5 hours). Did not know about Mondays. The food is good and reasonably priced; a good value.
Another point is the type of restaurant, size, and length of time spent at the table. Sorry to go off topic, but the restaurant often tries to earn its profits by number of times the table flips.