Is There Any Good Wine at Kiki’s?

There are countless places in NYC to get a great meal for around $30. There are also a ton of spots packed with aspiring 30 Under 30s sporting next year’s fashion trends. However, the middle section of this restaurant venn diagram is about as densely populated as central Nebraska. That’s what makes Kiki’s special. This walk-in-only Greek spot on the LES has hour-long waits at 6pm on a Monday, and yet the tables are topped with $8 dips and big portions of “Mama’s Oven Roasted Chicken.”

Kiki's Menu

The wine list is similarly low-key, with a small selection of Greek wines that top out at $46 per bottle. But while the list is limited, Greek wine isn’t easy to navigate, and it’s pretty safe to assume that when you’re at Kiki’s, you aren’t trying to ‘navigate’ anything other than the success of your date. To help you out, we’ve included our rundown of what to expect from Greek grapes and wine styles, as well as the three wines that snobs like us would order during a night out at Kiki’s.

What to order when...

If you’re looking to guzzle some refreshing white wine, and you normally go for Sancerre and Chablis.

The Greek equivalent is assyrtiko. Opt for this crisp white from Santorini instead of the sauvignon blanc on the menu. This is the best glass at Kiki’s.

If you want a fruity white that you aren’t ashamed to put ice cubes in.

Try the semillon-sauvignon blanc. This is a pretty basic wine, but it does the trick nonetheless.

WTF is Retsina?

This is not really wine. It’s aged in a way that it can make it taste like the air freshener in the Uber you just took to get here.

Kiki’s has orange wine?! Should I try it?

Orange wine is a good call when the food has flavors like olives and spice. We support this selection.

I want a red wine. Which one is best?

There’s not much to work with in terms of reds here. We know you’re not at Kiki’s for a wine experience, so here’s the one that’s pretty tasty: Vlhaiko Ktima Glinavos.

If you're bringing your own:

If you’re looking to drink something good, we suggest you BYO. The corkage fee is a reasonable $25. We’re always looking to drink something good, and these are our favorites for the delicious food at Kiki’s.

Domaine Vacheron, Sancerre 2019

Brendan Stater-West, 'Bréze' Saumur Blanc 2018

Benanti, ‘Pietra Marina’ Etna Bianco 2015

Gravner, Ribolla Gialla Venezia Giulia IGT 2012

Bachelet-Monnot, Puligny-Montrachet 2019

Château Simone, Palette Rouge 2014

Podere Le Boncie, 'Le Trame' Rosso di Toscana 2018

Domaine Faury, Côte-Rôtie 2018