NYC’s Winter Restaurant Week has officially arrived.  To get the most out of your Restaurant Week experiences, it’s important that you do your homework to find out which restaurants are really going all out with their menus and which ones are just trying to get you in the door.  One great place to start is this Restaurant Week guide put out by Serious Eats.  Also, for the wine drinkers out there, a Restaurant Week dinner can get expensive real quick.  Thankfully, several restaurants are offering budget-friendly wine specials to accompany their Winter Restaurant Week menus.  Our favorites are ilili restaurant (pouring complimentary samples of Lebanese wines), and Redeye Grill, Bond 45, Shelly’s Trattoria and Trattoria dell’Arte (all of which will allow you to substitute a glass of wine for the dessert course).  Here’s our complete rundown…

ilili restaurant (236 5th Avenue)— We love what ilili is doing with Restaurant Week (in addition to all the work chef/owner Philippe Massoud has done in organizing the Dine Out For Haiti relief efforts).  First, ilili is extending its Restaurant Week menus through February 21st.  The best part is that ilili will be pouring complimentary tastes of Lebanese wines during Restaurant Week.  This week it’s free tastes of Massaya Winery.  The week of February 1st, it’s free tastes from Château Kefraya.  The week of February 8th, it’s Château Musar’s turn and then for the week of February 15th it’s Château Ksara.  If you like what you try, additional glasses will be offered at the special price of $9, bottles will be discounted as well.  Ok, so here’s another thing we like about ilili’s RW offerings.  There are 2 prix-fixe lunch options: 2 courses for $16 (a lunch salad or sandwich + a side) or 3 courses for $24.07 (a lunch salad or sandwich + 2 sides + a dessert).  Check out the lunch menu here.  Check out the dinner menu here.

Artisanal (2 Park Ave) — First, you should know that Artisanal is offering Restaurant Week all year long.  We also like that they offer Sommelier-Selected Wine Flights for $13.50 with your RW meal.  That works out to $4.50 a glass!  Check out the RW menus here.

Alto (11 E. 53rd St.) — Offering wine pairings for just $20.07 with its lunch prix-fixe, or by the glass for $8.  Great deal!  Check out the lunch menu here.

B.R. Guest Restaurants (Atlantic Grill, Blue Fin, Blue Water Grill, Dos Caminos, Isabella’s, Ocean Grill, Primehouse, Vento, Wildwood BBQ):  Donating $6 from every Haitian Hope cocktail (Island Rum Punch with Coconut Water, Orange Bitters, Lemon; $12) served at all B.R. Guest restaurants during Winter Restaurant Week to Chefs for Humanity.  B.R. Guest will aklso match up to $10,000 of the donation proceeds.

Cafe d’Alsace (1695 2nd Ave.) — Offering special $12 and under wines by the glass list in connection with Restaurant Week.  Check out the selections here.

David Burke Townhouse (133 E. 61st St.) — Offering wine sale selections by the bottle as well as wine by the glass specials.  Check them out here. 

Lure Fishbar (142 Mercer St.) — Specially priced wines by the bottle and glass during Restaurant Week.  Check them out here.

EN Japanese Brasserie (435 Hudson St.) — Offering a Restaurant Week sake flight for $16.  Check out the RW menus here.

Japonais (111 E. 18th St.) — Offering a featured red or white wine of the day for $8 a glass.  Check out the full menu here.

The Oak Room at The Plaza — Offering a special selection of wines by the glass for under $10 and a special bottle promotion with under $60 selections.  Check out the RW menus and wine offerings here.

Osteria del Circo (120 W. 55th St.) — If you ask for the Restaurant Week wine promotion, you get 25% off select bottles of wine.  Here are the RW menus.

Redeye Grill (890 7th Ave.) — Finally, someone is allowing you to substitute a glass of wine for the dessert course!  Check it out here.  Also, have sommelier selections for $7/glass.

Resto (111 E. 29th St.) — Offering a beer and wine pairing for just $15.  Check out the RW menus here.

Shelly’s Trattoria (41 W. 57th St.) — Will allow you to substitute a glass of wine for the dessert course!  Also, have sommelier selections for $7/glass.  Check out the RW menus here.

Trattoria dell’Arte (900 7th Ave.) — Will allow you to substitute a glass of wine for the dessert course!  Also, have sommelier selections for $7/glass.  Check out the RW menus here.

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