COQODAQ 🫱

A highly innovative beverage program with a clear, singular identity.

🗂️ Venue Information

• Website: https://www.coqodaq.com/

• Location: New York, New York, USA

• Head Chef: Seung Kyu Kim

• Head Sommelier and / or Beverage Director: Victoria James, MS

• Estimated USD Cost Per Person (incl. drinks): $120

• Culinary Recognition(s): Bib Gourmand

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🥂 Core Scoring Criteria (1–10 each)

🫱 The Cooperative Pour – Outstanding value in drinks and dining

Program Identity | 8

The name of the game here is Champagne—plain and simple. COQODAQ’s beverage program doesn’t just have an identity; it celebrates it. In this temple of fried chicken, you’re either drinking something sparkling or you’re missing the point.

Depth & Quality | 8

Beverage Director and Master Sommelier Victoria James has assembled a list as deep as it is distinctive. Familiar, approachable options are easy to find, but the real thrill comes from venturing into the world of grower and cult producers—where the most memorable discoveries await.

Service & Knowledge | 4

For a restaurant with a wine list of this depth, the service feels surprisingly surface level. The team clearly knows the wines, but the experience leans more toward encouraging spend than engaging guests in the pleasure of what’s in the glass.

Pairing & Integration | 4

A formal pairing isn’t offered, but the staff enthusiastically steers diners toward one of the many sparkling options, with Champagne firmly at the forefront. Achieving a thoughtful match requires a bit of adventurousness and at least a basic comfort with sparkling wine—or, with a touch of bravery, a quick call to a passing sommelier for off-the-cuff guidance.

Accessibility & Experience | 3

This is not a beverage experience for the faint of heart. If your wine knowledge—or your credit card limit—isn’t up to par, you’ll quickly feel out of your depth. This is a place for those who want to be seen, and to be seen drinking something that also demands to be noticed.

Innovation & Influence | 9

Few establishments in recent memory match the innovation tucked behind this modest all-black exterior. Step into COQODAQ and you’re met with a restaurant that pushes the boundaries of food-and-wine pairing, achieving a harmony that is as exquisite as it is unmistakably its own.

Total Score: 37.2/60

🫱 A highly innovative beverage program with a clear, singular identity.

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🧩 Table Harmony

🎯 Strong Harmony – Well-thought-out pairings that enhance the experience

The COQODAQ experience is as unique as it is occasionally unapproachable. Stepping inside feels more like entering a nightclub than a restaurant, even at lunch. And while the wine list is comprehensive—signaled immediately by its iPad format—the path through it can feel intimidating without the right knowledge, guidance, or company. Push past these barriers, though, and the experience becomes distinctly memorable. The interplay of high-acid, racy sparkling wines with the lightly battered, oil-fried chicken is a pairing that makes perfect sense to cerebral wine lovers, even if it sits a bit outside the comfort zone of most diners. Rather than overthink it, simply lean in and let the bubbles elevate a dining experience that stands alone.

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🏷️ Specialty Tags

• ☒🍷 Wine-Led

• ☐ 🍺 Beer-Focused

• ☐🍸 Cocktail-Driven

• ☐🍶 Sake Specialist

• ☐🧉 Spirits-Led

• ☐🍇 Terroir-First

• ☐♻️ Sustainable Cellar

• ☐🔬 Technique-Driven

• ☐🧠 Education-Centric

• ☒💎 Rare & Iconic Bottles

• ☐🌍 Global Range

• ☐🏠 Locally Rooted

The price tags here are not for the faint of heart— even the most modest bottles push toward triple digits. If your budget allows, the sweet spot lies in the $100–$300 range, where the list opens up to an array of small-scale grower producers and cult-followed wines. Our pick: the Adrien Renoir Le Cépage, non-vintage at $160, which more than delivered.

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🗣️ Inspector Summary

If you’re looking to be seen—and to be seen holding a bottle that deserves the spotlight—COQODAQ is your destination. Or rather, it’s your next Resy alert, given how quickly this chic eatery is becoming one of New York’s hardest tables to snag. COQODAQ has built a reputation not only as a distinctive culinary experience, but also as a playground for the city’s “cool kids.” Led by ambitious young cooks and beverage specialists, backed by some of the most established names in American dining, this is far from a simple fried chicken joint. It elevates a regional comfort staple into a highly cerebral, almost aspirational dining experience, one that leans heavily on a carefully constructed beverage program to deliver its impact.

Our advice: arrive early, spend time with the wine list, don’t hesitate to ask questions, and absolutely choose something sparkling. You’ll be grateful when, near the end of the 90-minute meal, a glass of razor-sharp acidity is there to cut through the oil and the rich, gluten-free battered wings. Go with a group if possible; ordering more than one bottle reveals the depth and range of the program Master Sommelier Victoria James and her team have built in COQODAQ’s early days.

This food and beverage pairing philosophy is still evolving, and we expect it to continue pushing boundaries in the months and years ahead. As COQODAQ cements its place among New York’s must-try restaurants, its innovative approach is poised to grow in even more compelling directions.