These LI restaurants rank among world’s best for wine: Wine Spectator

Dozens of Long Island restaurants landed on Wine Spectator’s 2024 list of the world’s best restaurants for wine.

Wine Spectator’s Restaurant Awards program recognizes thousands of dining destinations from the United States and more than 75 countries.

Launched in 1981, the Restaurant Awards assert themselves as the world’s only program focused exclusively on restaurant wine service. The are assigned on three levels: the Award of Excellence, the Best of Award of Excellence and the Grand Award.

The American Hotel in Sag Harbor is one of only 96 restaurants that garnered a Grand Award. It happens to be the establishment where Justin Timberlake was hanging out last weekend right before he was arrested for drunk driving.

Others such as Blackstone Steakhouse in Melville and Smithtown’s Insignia Prime Steak: Sushi among them — were recognized with a Best of Award of Excellence. Melville, Sag Harbor and Huntington each have three restaurants on Wine Spectator’s 2024 list.

Lessing’s Hospitality Group also saw three locations, Mirabelle of Stony Brook, View of Oakdale and Sandbar of Cold Spring Harbor make the list as well.

“The restaurant industry is growing and thriving, with restaurant openings surpassing pre-pandemic levels for the first time. To take advantage of the uptick, restaurateurs are investing in their wine programs,” said Marvin R. Shanken, editor and publisher of Wine Spectator. “Restaurants that make wine a priority are what the Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards program is all about.”

Here’s a complete list of the Long Island restaurants recognized by Wine Spectator’s Restaurant Awards program. You can find their wine menus at the hyperlinks embedded in the list:

[Editor’s note: A prior version of this reported was edited to address oversights.]

Best of Award of Excellence

• Bijou – Melville
• Blackstone Steakhouse – Melville
• Insignia Prime Steak & Sushi – Smithtown
• La Parma II Italian Restaurant – Huntington
• One10 Modern Italian Steakhouse – Melville
• Pierre’s – Bridgehampton
• Rare650 – Syosset
• Rothmann’s Steakhouse – East Norwich
• Spuntino Wine Bar & Italian Tapas – Garden City
• Stone Creek Inn – East Quogue
• The Capital Grille – Garden City

_{Top photo: The wine rack at Insignia Prime Steak: Sushi in Smithtown (Facebook/Insignia Prime)}