Café l’Europe
331 S. County Road / Palm Beach
This Mediterranean bistro has a well-balanced list that hits all the highlights, including a small selection of magnums (twice a normal bottle) if you’re inclined to celebrate. There are great options from the big three countries on most high-end lists—France, Italy and the United States—but it does not ignore the Southern Hemisphere, with choice wines from Argentina and Australia.
Café Boulud
Brazilian Court Hotel, 301 Australian Ave. / Palm Beach
A wonderful Champagne roster, especially vintage bottlings, is indicative of the strength of French wines on this list, as is the lineup of Burgundies. Great California Cabernets are also represented, and the small-but-smartly curated list of German Rieslings would pair especially well with chef Daniel Boulud’s cuisine. Finish your meal with a Tokaji sweet wine from Hungary, among the world’s best desserts in a glass.
Marcello’s La Sirena
6316 S. Dixie Highway / West Palm Beach
Proprietors Marcello and Diane Fiorentina offer two lists: a varied global selection and then a separate treasure trove that goes deep in Italian wines, with particular depth in Tuscan bottlings and many “verticals,” meaning different vintages of the same wine. In addition to copious by-the-glass options, there are also quartinos, the small Italian carafes that can hold a third of a bottle. And bargain-hunters will enjoy a special section, “More Than 50 wines for Less Than $50”
The Breakers Palm Beach
One South County Road / Palm Beach
Under master sommelier Virginia Philip, and her deputy Juan Gomez (a master sommelier himself), the Breakers has some 2,200 different selections, with 55,000 bottles spread across its 10 restaurants—no wonder, then, that they’ve earned the Grand Award. Philip travels to France to help create The Breakers’ custom house blends, and the property also boasts more than 100 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Burgundy wines on their list. Read more about The Breakers wine program in PALMER Vol. 3, available soon.
