While we all expect the bottle of wine we order with our dinner to be marked up many are surprised at just how much some establishments actually charge for bottles of their favorite vintages. While there are general industry standards it is still up to each restaurant to decide what kind of mark up to place on their wines. While some are justified in charging more others may not be it will really depend on the wine and amenities they offer.
Most establishments will mark up a bottle of wine up around 2.5 to 3 times and in many cases this may seem expensive as compared to the 1.5 times at a liquor store but for fine wines this is acceptable. Of course if the restaurant has a very well stocked wine cellar, an on-staff wine expert, and the finest wine glasses, accessories and wine decanters it is very justified for them to charge extra for that bottle of wine. Since the customer is paying for not just a simple bottle of wine with their meal but a complete experience 3 times markup at these restaurants is actually a bargain. When combined with a good meal that you did not have to prepare and it is money well spent for a couple out for the evening.