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Aria Wine Bar
- Nearest Transit:
-
Christopher St - Sheridan Sq (1, 2)
W 4 St (A, B, C, D, E, F, M)
8 Av (L)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 5 pm - 2 am
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 4 am
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Trendy, Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
90 reviews for Aria Wine Bar
Review Highlights
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"As for their cicchetti (like Italian version of tapas." In 15 reviews -
"The small plates are super affordable and many of them are..." In 8 reviews -
"Try their delicious meatballs and lamb chops." In 4 reviews
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89 reviews in English
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Review from Clarice C.
Scottsdale, AZ
With all the restaurant choices in NYC, it's hard to have a bad meal. Aria is a gem. It's a little hidden in the West Village but so good! Came for dinner with my girlfriends and we loved all 8 of our dishes.
It's a wine bar so they obviously have a great selection of wine. We ate everything tapas style and shared a bunch of small plates so that we could taste more dishes. The mushroom bruschetta was prob one of my favs. The cheese plate we ordered was just okay.
Dessert was delicious! If you have room, make sure to order the tiramisu!
Make sure to get there early! We went at 630ish!! and there was a line! -
Review from Lana F.
Manhattan, NY
Yes, I'm a fan.
Good drinks (though, if we think of a wine bar, i suppose the wine selection could be better and wine list more extensive, oh well...same goes for their so-called wine-glasses)
I had good service (was sitting at the bar) - got some comp'd drinks and a splash of champagne after i finished my meal.
Delicious food. Highly recommended. Burrata salad was simply amazing, warm goat cheese dish was just delightful!
can't wait to try their brunch menu.
would definitely recommend it - just don't expect it to be a classic wine bar. -
Review from Melissa B.
Manhattan, NY
Rustic elegance describes the interior of Aria Wine Bar. Young, attractive and busy describes the bar scene. Odd, small and bulky describes the glassware; allow me to explain...
Call me traditional, but I like my wine in the appropriate wine glass. At Aria, the wine comes in a rocks glass. I didn't like this. I didn't like how it felt in my hand, it was not dainty and elegant, and with white wine a stem is necessary to keep the wine chill.
On the other hand, the tapas menu looked inviting, although I passed since Aria was our first stop on our way to dinner. I will definitely be back for some wine and tapas, only next time I'm going to request a traditional wine glass. -
Review from Lucy W.
Always bustling with people enjoying their food and wine, Aria is a great place for a date or a girls night out.
Unlike a many wine bars have a very limited selection of food, Aria offers an extensive selection of tapas style italian dishes and entrees. Don't forget to ask for their daily specials. Their pasta tastes like it's freshly made, and the lamb chops are a solid choice.
Fresh and delicious looking ingredients such as tomatoes and whole blocks of meat decorate the restaurant. In the middle of the room is a long wooden communal table and patrons sit and chat on both sides of the bar. The ambiance is relaxed, fun, loud, and well suited for small groups.
There is only one bathroom which sometimes creates a rather long waiting line. The chalkboard walls in the restroom, may contribute to the wait as potty goers pause to leave their own drunken messages as bathroom reading for the next person.
As a wine bar, Aria falls a bit short. Their selection of wine is average but extensive enough that most people will find something that they want to try. I was taken back by their wine presentation. They did not offer me a taste of the wine I choose before serving it. And their "wine glasses" are actually small cups that look like shot glasses. -
Review from David W.
Looking for a winebar where you won't have to fight for seating in the WV? I think Aria is there to answer your call. The menu is pretty large with a variety of really good fresh pastas, there are definitely enough items to warrant several trips back here.
A solid wine list too, though it was kind of weird how they served the wine in smaller glasses...yeah, a glass of wine here is cheaper than normal, but hard to compare when they give you smaller pours too. The bartender was friendly, though it's kind of annoying if he gives you the "c'mon, just one more" more than once after you give in at the end of the night...
Either way, this spot should be on the list if you're looking for a date spot in the Village where you can avoid the tourists and the B&T crowd. I'd put this place at a strong 3.5 stars... -
Review from nicole s.
Jersey City, NJ
From start to finish Aria was amazing!
The dishes I recommend the most are, the Polpette Al Pomodoro (meatballs with tomatoes) and Melanzane E Caprino (eggplant stuffed with goat cheese).
I would suggest ordering a bottle of wine with your meal as the place gets packed and it can take some time for the waiter to check on you. The wine list was decent and affordable. They also automatically bring you a bottle of tap when you're seated, which is a nice touch.
Dessert -- The tiramisu was a great way to end our meal. Probably the best tiramisu I've ever had.
I will definitely be back soon! Can't wait! -
Review from Dan C.
I came to this tragically hip West Village bar last week for a friend's birthday. It is one of those places that is set up in an old building, with a very rustic interior, and a "very real" downtown "I never go above West 4th street" crowd - the kind of people that call me a "Midtown tourist" and after dinner here will go to the Jane Hotel for drinks and discuss existentialism or something.
Anyway, we were seated in the downstairs dining room, which is one huge communal, Viking-style table. The dining room is accessible by walking through part of the kitchen and walking down through a hole in the floor with a steep staircase - kind of like the ones you see on the sidewalk that stores use to get into their basements - kind of sketchy, but also cool, IMO.
We had a lot of wine and small plates. The server was very efficient and took great care of us, even though we were in the basement. You know what else was cool? The restaurant comp'ed us a bottle of wine as a birthday present. That was a really nice touch. -
Review from Sarah X.
Manhattan, NY
Lovely little place!
I came here with a friend for her bday drinks. It was a gem of a find. Very intimate of a place because of the lighting and the loud music -- you will not be able to hear your companions if you come in a group of 3+ people. Everyone else in the bar seems to be on a date.
Tapas was yummy, we had the olives & the salami. Great selection of wine base on price and variety. -
Review from Justin A.
Aria is a okay date place. Sure, it's romantic and intimate; however, there are plenty of places like this in NYC. My major complaint for Aria is with the wine glasses. At first, I thought "oh, $6 bucks for a glass of wine, not bad". Hmm...the waiter then came with the "wine glasses" - they were actually small cups! It takes maybe 3 of this cups to equal one regular wine glass. The service was slow and this made it hard to additional glasses. The best way to order at Aria is to order a bottle of wine so the waiter doesn't get annoyed (as ours did) by the constant request of additional glasses of wine.
The wine list by the glass is just okay. Nothing stood out as exceptional - standard wine for a standard wine bar.
The tapas were great. We ordered the rack of lamb, asparagus, and some meat plate. I loved the lamb - it was perfectly cooked and I haven't had good lamb like that in a while. My girlfriend loved everything and she is usually pickier then me.
Overall, Aria is only okay. -
Review from Keith T.
Aria is a true gem hidden on a sleepy West Village side street.
Everything about the decor and atmosphere toes the line of becoming cliche and pretentious without ever actually crossing it. The open kitchen in the back proudly displays racks of (display only) meat and baskets upon baskets of (real) fruits and vegetables. The waitstaff are all, as far as I know, authentically Italian and dressed like early-20th-century Little-Italy street urchins. The lighting is dim, the music is soft and even the offensive presence of scaffolding outside doesn't cause Aria to miss a beat: they've wrapped each leg of scaffolding with twigs and Christmas lights. It's a truly magical effect.
The food will blow your mind. Few places can make Italian food to rival my mother's home cooking, but Aria would genuinely give her a run for her money. The menu is comprised of various small dishes, most under $10 each. On my most recent visit, we ordered tomato with mozzarella & basil, meatballs in tomato sauce and their meat lasagna. We easily could have skipped the lasagna, we were so full, but we were glad to shove it down our throats anyway. It was delicious. It was ALL delicious.
My only complaint (and the only reason they don't get 5 stars) is that we wanted to have coffee and dessert. But our waiter disappeared. For a LONG time. By the time he finally showed up again, we had lost our appetites and decided to just pay and leave. Their loss.
I do plan to bring family and friends here next time they visit the Big Apple. It's a wonderfully understated bit of dining magic. -
Review from Alexander P.
Manhattan, NY
Not sure why it's called a wine bar when it has a limited selection of wine. Nevertheless, the Tapas they offer are great, and the limited wine list is fun.
It's a great West Village find with very good food, especially for Tapas. Every dish that came out was great, and nothing was bad. The atmosphere is fun, loud and a bit cramped but I think it adds to the experience. Great place to go, especially for a fun date. -
Review from Sofia J.
New York, NY
Argh I can't believe I haven't been here before, especially since I used to live two blocks from here for over a year (slamming my head in the wall).
So a new-found friend asked me to go here with him on a Thursday night! We had no reservation but decided to take a chance and meet there at 7pm. As suspected the tables were already taken or had a reservation sign on them so we sat at the bar and ordered in four dishes from the tapas menu, and can I tell you....it was AMAAAZING! Seriously divine! We practically licked our plates...
We had:
- grilled eggplants stuffed with goat cheese
- marinated mixed seafood salad and crisp celery
- warm squid salad (from their specials) This was my favorite!
- prosciutto & mozzarella (from their specials)
The wine, served in shot glasses, was a funny touch, although I do prefer to have my wine in a wine glass, but more importantly the selection was great and the staff was more than helpful in suggesting pairings with whatever food you ordered!
The space has a cozy, rustic design, but can get pretty loud when it's packed...but it doesn't take away from the experience!
Seriously worth going here, so what are you waiting for...GO!!! -
Review from melissa b.
Jersey City, NJ
Perfect, quaint, yummy.
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Review from Brian L.
Manhattan, NY
went with 6 people. Super delicious! Great service! Great drinks! Very affordable.
I have lived in Manhattan for 19 years and this is a new favorite. Great ambience.
A little loud when you first arrive.
Go and try it. You will not be disappointed! -
Review from Kimberly C.
Brooklyn, NY
I only had wine on a date here, but I loved the small cozy (yet very crowded) atmosphere. We sat up at the tiled counter and I was so envious of everyone eating all around me. The food looks amazing! I will be back again to eat.
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Review from Steve L.
Queens, NY
Went here last week, food is excellente! Vast wine selection! Environment is ideal for a hunger feast! It's a small place, not lots of table space so you get to see what other people are eating and just order it up! There were 6 in our group, We had one round of Tapas, ended up going for a second round which was not a great idea plus 3 bottles of wine... From what I remember, I think we did in meatballs, grilled octapus, lambs, some sort of ravioli, a mac and cheese, stuffed clams, grilled shrimp and grilled skirt steaks and two or 3 other things... but wow... This is a nice gem in a quiet neighborhood! Will def be back in the very near future...!!!
Pricey for our group since we just ordered way more then we could eat -
Review from Brittany B.
Malibu, CA
Aria is a fantastic place for a low-key dinner and drinks in the West Village. The environment is rustic-chic. The wine list is interesting in that all the wines are from women owned vineyards and the cocktails are great.
The small plates are super affordable and many of them are delicious. I loved the burrata and the meats plate with prosciutto. They get very, very busy later in the evenings and at that point service becomes less personal. Still a fun place to be!Listed in: Italian in NYC
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Review from Matthew S.
New York, NY
WOW!
This is my kind of place. The wine list is very good. The Barbera d'Asti 2009 and the Auroch 2008 were very tasty and went well with pasta dishes we had.
Really good selection of cheeses.
Their prosciutto was high quality.
Try their delicious meatballs and lamb chops.
Their pasta with osso bucco was amazing.
Everything we had was amazing. An incredible experience at an affordable price.
I would definitely go back there in a heart beat. -
Review from Alessandra V.
Somerville, MA
I accidentally stumbled onto the place when I was supposed to meet a friend at the restaurant next door. I got the address confused at sat down at Aria instead. I'm sure glad I did because this place is great! They have wonderful fresh mozzarella, meatballs, lamb, mac and cheese, octopus salad...everything here is very tasty, and its reasonably priced! We spent 40 dollars a person with a group of 4 people!
The atmosphere is also very fun and great for groups.
Highly recommend! -
Review from Maria T.
Manhattan, NY
"Um excuse me? Am I in Italy? No? West Village?... fantastic little wine bar set in the middle of the block. exposed brick, cheese plates, small bites, and of course wine wine & more wine. Go with your friends and sit at a communal table, or a hot date & perch in the window. buon appetito!
-Maria Taylor "What's New In New York"Listed in: West Village
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Review from Matthew B.
Manhattan, NY
Went last weekend...Aria is a low-key, great find in the Village. The food was amazing, the wait was as long as promised and the prices were lower than I expected. The meatballs were unreal and the veal special was fall off the bone.
Didn't stay for desert, but was told it's really good as well. -
Review from Harper S.
I crashed my friends brothers birthday dinner here. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. We were a group of 10 (plus 1 when I last minute was invited to crash) and they gave us a really hard time for needing an extra chair. What do they care? It's more $$ for them and it's us squishing. The waiter was not nice AT ALL and didn't check on our table unless we flagged him down and he came by 10 minutes later. It's a tiny restaurant and probably not ideal for a group but they shouldn't take reservations for that many if they can't handle it. It was a Tuesday night at 8pm, not a Saturday night.
The place was packed. Music was so loud nobody could hear themselves let alone the people across the table from them.
The food was not good. I had the eggplant rolitini, bruschette, veggie lasagna and a few other veggie items and they were all bleh. Actually the veggie lasagna was awful. One bite and I was over it. I like the concept of tapas Italian food but this was NOT very good.
Don't expect me to go back there.... -
Review from Alex N.
Manhattan, NY
ARIA my favorite resto in nyc. I live around the corner and would have no problem eating here 7 days a week...
great food, great staff - and this GENIUS wine bar also has a FULL BAR for those who like a good old vodka rocks with no lime instead of a glass of red that brings the sandman out.
great ambiance too - good music and good looking clientele... -
Review from P. M.
Jersey City, NJ
The first time I came here the food was great, and I tried several times to come back with friends but could never get a table! Finally, I succeed last night and went with one of my best. We had a great table, but unfortunately the worst waiter! We sat for ten minutes before anyone came over, and when they finally did order two glasses of wine, the lamb chops, mussels, mac and cheese with black truffle oil, and eggplant. Twenty five minutes later (I am not embellishing!) , the lamb and mussels came out. We still hadn't received any wine, and asked again - he apologized and brought it right out. When that came we asked about the other two dishes we ordered, and he went to investigate, bringing out the mac and cheese but no eggplant. I know he got he order right, because he marked it on the paper menu he took with him. We ate, order two more glasses of wine, and contemplated ordering more food. ANOTHER twenty-five minutes later we asked for the check (after five minutes of trying to get someone's attention) since we weren't able to get another drink nor more food.
I have to say, the lamb and mac and cheese were excellent - the mussels were in a normal white wine/garlic sauce which had way to much wine and not enough butter or flavor of any kind. They also were gritty and tasted, while still good, a bit past prime serving time.
I will try the place again (everyone has an off night, right?) but I was so incredibly disappointed that it may be a while... -
Review from Aliaa Z.
Manhattan, NY
Why is there no .5 stars (yelp do it please)
Ok, I am going to give this place a solid 4.5 stars and the .5 was deducted from my rating because I remembered months ago that my friend ordered lasagna and it was bigger BUT the taste is still the same so the taste is still amazing.
I ordered the Mac and Cheese with truffles and everything is still the same as when I first visited here in January 2011. This is the kind of Mac and Cheese that you will love because it's not too cheesy and you can definitely taste the truffle oil and top with truffle slice a little. I LOVED IT. It's the best Mac and Cheese in the city.
Aria is very romantic if it's for impressing your date because of the seating and low lighting atmosphere (rustic and cool).
Another plus point for Aria is they don't rush you with the check which is hard to find here in the city. Restaurant servers will normally put the check at the table and "take your time" but keep on checking if you already put the money. Aria is not the kind of place where they will rush you which I admire. Europeans! I love it. I had the same treatment in Germany and Paris so this is totally good!
It's not too expensive too. -
Review from Mr. Voracity I.
Brooklyn, NY
Aria Wine Bar is a very good wine bar.
They did a nice job with the lighting, so it feels just dim enough to feel like a bar, but still plenty bright. The place is not exactly huge, but they use the space efficiently so it feels big (though the bar seats got a little close for comfort). With that many people, it can be a little noisy for some, as in don't plan to hear everything your date is saying. That said, it is a good place for a fun-but-civilized night out with a group.
The wine list does not have the thematic fun and consistency of Terroir, but it is diverse and - yes, I'll say it - interesting wine choices. It feels like the list should be a little longer, but that is a minor whine. Every wine we tried was solid.
Wine bars can usually get away with punting on the food, but they don't here. The meat and bread and cheese were all notably tasty.
The service left us a little cold. Not rude. Certainly polite and pro. But not much sense of warmth or fun. (I wish more wine bars in New York embraced the notion that wine can be a true joy to share. You're drinking, people, smile as your doing it! )
Despite the Nordic austerity vibe from the staff, worth checking out for sure.
VoracoMeter = 8 (out of 10) -
Review from Nicole S.
Encinitas, CA
I love to go to Aria with my girls and try a ton of different small plates and a bottle or two of wine.
The place is really small and seems to always be packed. We like to sit at the bar, it seems hard to have girl talk sitting at one of the communal table with out bugging the couples on dates.
The food is always amazing and the prices are reasonable for what you get. My favorites are the mac and cheese, meatballs, and cheese plates are always a good bet. -
Review from urban f.
Manhattan, NY
Met a friend at Aria early on a Friday (since it gets packed closer to dinner time) and the food was amazing. Especially loved the eggplant and goatcheese dish. Highly recommend!
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Review from Robbie K.
Manhattan, NY
Will need to back for a full review, but stopped in a for a drink and loved the ambience, prices were reasonable, and food looked good. Walked in around 11 on a Saturday and were seated immediately, mostly full of couples and small groups of friends have late dinner small plates.
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Review from Danielle C.
Jersey City, NJ
Small, intimate wine bar, serving italian style tapas. Nice for an impromptu dinner date, although service declined as the night wore on and the place got busier. If you get annoyed easily by poor service, then you may want to avoid this place for a first date during peak hours.
HOWEVER.. my husband and I are far from our first date and had a nice time, despite the slow service. We got there early on a Thursday night (6:30-ish) and snagged a nice window seat that allowed us to people watch and chat amongst ourselves in private.
Wine by the glass is cheap ($5-$8), but they serve tiny portions and it took a long time for the servier to follow up/refill our glasses. I ended up getting a mojito (made very well) and my husband got a Peroni to keep our buzz going throughout the meal.
As for the food - I give it just 3 stars. Nothing too exciting and nothing horrible. We ordered the italian sausage and brocolli rob, stewed calamari with tomatoes, seared crab cakes, and the truffle mac and cheese. 4 plates were enough for us. The final bill including tip came out to $80.
Nice, fun date place. Go with good company for the ambience and you'll have a nice time. -
Review from Elizabeth S.
Chicago, IL
Adorable inside. Seemed to be plenty of people waiting for tables, but since we were meeting people, we walked in and sat right down. I was suprised at how affordable the glasses of wine were ($6-8), but I soon saw why: it's about a half-glass size, served in a very un-wine-bar-like bar glass. Call me snobby, but I like my stemware.
The wine itself, however, was lovely, and my drink never went unfilled for long. The food was, across the board, perfect. Mozzarella and prosciutto: I don't know how this tasted as good as it did. Perfectly tender meatballs. Best octopus I've had, ever. Speck-wrapped dates: lovely. In the wine-fueled haze I lost track of everything we ate, but it was all phenomenal. Other reviewers seem to be annoyed at the proliferation of these types of places in the West Village, but I'd say that's a bit of a first-world problem, no?
Take a first date here or come with a small group. -
Review from Jewel Y.
The ambiance is fabulous, the owner has successfully created the romantic and rustic ambiance that chicks like myself dig. Even from the outside, this place looked promising and appealing especially with all the pretty landscape lighting that lit up the exterior. I'll give 4 stars for the ambiance.
Compared to plenty of other wine bars that already exist in NY, the wine price is inexpensive but here's the catch - The wine is served in a small 4 ounce glass. I had a lovely glass of rose from Seven Sisters in South Africa which was only $5 and it had a touch of sweet berry flavor.
As for their cicchetti (like Italian version of tapas). they were just "cosi cosi" for me. The eggplant stuffed with goat cheese was good, but I wasn't very keen on their meatballs, they were rather bland for my liking. Don't expect any gourmet plates, their food is nothing more than casual average everyday food which is probably good enough to satisfy most people who come here to drink. -
Review from M P.
Bronx, NY
Went here the other weekend for drinks with a friend (Saturday night). The place was really busy with a line out the door, but we walked in and got seats right away at the bar. The bartender was super nice, offered us drinks right away.
We ordered 3 cheeses ($5 apiece) which came with honey and fruit jam. Delicious! For my entree, I had the stuffed eggplant, which was also amazing. The bartender kept our glasses full all evening; our bill said we polished off 3 glasses apiece although I'm sure it was more.
Overall, I think our bill came to about $70 and that was for the cheese appetizers, an entree and 3 glasses of wine apiece. Definitely a good deal for the area. I would recommend not going on a Friday or Saturday (especially with a large party) unless you're willing to sit at the bar. Seating is pretty limited in this place. -
Review from Gracie h.
Brooklyn, NY
GREAT wine bar with GREAT food
best lamb chops ever for $9. -
Review from Kathleen D.
New York, NY
What a great place! I love Aria because it is SO cozy and has a wonderful ambiance. It is very relaxing and has a good vibe.
Great date spot or for a girls night out. I wouldn't go with a huge group because it is more intimate - but definitely worth checking out! -
Review from lysa p.
Really cute spot. Great with a friend or a date. All the items we tried were great as was the wine selection.
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Review from Rachel J.
Said one restauranteur to another, "I have a fabulous idea! Let's open a cozy Italian wine bar, serve food at long wooden tables like mama used to have, and decorate it with white pillar candles in paper bags."
Replied the other, "No no no, I think we should open a bar dedicated to the Prohibition era! We can have brown cocktail menus burned around the edges to make them look authentic, wear suspenders and cool hats, and become experts at making sidecars."
Protested the first, "But in my vision, there are cured meats hanging in the open kitchen, piles of ripe tomatoes in baskets, and long lists of special wines! We need exposed brick and wooden beams! And we must serve lasagna."
Said his partner, "Well... I suppose we can combine the two. My only stipulation is that we MUST have a chalkboard in the bathroom for the patrons to graffiti with multi-colored chalk."
And so they shook hands, and the deal was sealed.Listed in: Fancy Shmancy... and…
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Review from Jennifer I.
Quincy, MA
Went with 5 gf's and had a great time. Loved the ambiance. The food is pretty good and the service was great. Will definitely be back.
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Review from Bonnie L.
Manhattan, NY
Great atmosphere, reasonable prices, good food. The roasted eggplant with goat cheese is amazing! Went with a group last night and they were very accomodating for the party size despite the size of the restaurant itself. We were seated downstairs in the basement which normally I'd object to; however it was kind of like being in someone's home wine cellar. The service was slow in terms of follow up and refilling the wine, but it was a Saturday night so somewhat expected in NYC. They dont take reservations for less than 6 people but called day of and they were able to fit my party in-another plus for an NYC restaurant on a weekend. All in all love this place.
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Review from Giacomo C.
New York, NY
I have been here 3 times during the past couple of months. It's a solid wine bar with good tapas options and some good desserts.
The service is pretentious, though, as I always feel I'm doing them a favor by stopping by in their place. Last time I went will probably be my last time, as the hood does have several options that are better than this one, especially for what concerns wine quality and friendliness.
It doesn't take much to be nicer to customer, folks!
