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AYZA Wine & Chocolate Bar
- Nearest Transit:
-
28 St (N, R)
34 St - Herald Sq (B, D, F, M, N, Q, R)
33 St (4, 6, 6X)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 12 pm - 11 pm
Fri-Sat 12 pm - 1 am
Sun 5 pm - 11 pm
- Parking:
- Garage, Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- Yes
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Karina S. said: "Extremely friendly staff, Humeyra, the owner is always there and she always makes you feel at home. Love their carefully selected wine selection, and love the fact that they are just around the corner from work! If you're looking for…" read more »
320 reviews for AYZA Wine & Chocolate Bar
Review Highlights
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"The 20-layer crepe cake was unbelievable." In 10 reviews -
"Outdoor seating is awesome here on a nice night." In 28 reviews -
"Wild Mushroom Pita Tart w/ Herb goat." In 7 reviews
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320 reviews in English
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Review from Jelena Z.
5/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Manhattan. December. Outside patio seating. One of these things doesn't belong here! Oh, but they do all belong together... because when heats lamps and fuzzy blankets hit the AYZA patio, old man winter sheds his bah humbug exterior and becomes a whimsical winter wonderland.
Chocolate truffles and the warm, spiced wine played the part of homemade buttercream icing on the proverbial cake. Wintertime New York City may be my favorite place in the world and AYZA sent me home with a beautifully bookmarked page. I should note that the service was even warmer than the mulled wine - I appreciated the invitation to try several wines before deciding on our selections.
Cool concept, good people, quite possibly the best mulled wine I've ever cozied up to and a menu full of yummies. I'll be back!Listed in: New York: MY Way, New York Nights.
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Review from Josh W.
5/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
A pretty decent wine bar, they have a good selection of wine and they have some chocolate to go with it as well. Prices are what they should be at a wine bar like this, about $9-15 for most glasses and bottles start around $30 and go up from there. They have a lot of outdoor seating at this location so it's a good place to go during the warmer months.
Overall, a solid place to get some wine. -
Review from Alice W.
5/9/2012
I used to watch Jacques Torres on Food Network alll the time so I was pretty excited to come here. Came here on a Sunday w/ the bf for their couples special (yes, call me cheeeeesy). It was pretty cute - they lighted a tall, slender candle and sprinkled the table with rose pedals.
We only had dessert:
6 Jacques Torres chocolates: The only one that stood out to me was the Love Bug, which was pretty good (Key lime ganache + white chocolate). The rest were not particularly memorable. $10 for 6 pieces of chocolate is also a little overpriced to me though...
20 layer crepes cake: This was pretty good as well. Very similar to one at Bouchon Bakery.
Overall, not a terrible experience, but the bf and I left with slightly unhappy tummies. Maybe it was too much chocolate all at once! I'm not sure, but with this kind of price tag, I'm not terribly eager to go back soon. -
Review from Tiffany D.
Arlington, TX
3.5 stars for sure!
AYZA is a great place to enjoy a quick lunch outdoors. I can't imagine going here year round because the seating inside is MINIMAL.
The prix fixe lunch is portioned perfectly and you won't leave hungry nor overly stuffed. I opted for the prosciutto panini and the artichoke heart dip. I really wished they gave us more dipping bread or crackers for the dip because I had a lot of dip leftover and it was too rich to eat on its own. Just add it to your panini if you don't want to waste food. I like the choice of greens for the salad here. Mixed baby greens beats iceberg any day.
I'll definitely give their wine and chocolate bar a try next time. :) -
Review from Morgan K.
Belmar, NJ
5/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
Delish small dishes. Tasty wine and very helpful waitress. We ate chicken lollipops, a cheese and meat platter, filet mignon tips and 4 small chocolate truffles with beer and wine. Inside was very small but the outdoor space added about double seating. With heating lamps it was very nice. All was delicious but for the small plates it was pretty expensive. For our bill for two w tip (food and 4 drinks) it was $135. We would go back but not if very hungry.
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Review from Stephen M.
Milwaukee, WI
4/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
Wine and desserts are very much the way to go. We wandered over here after finding this place on Yelp and were very pleased.
The server was wine savvy, and very personable. We loved the mood of the place as well as the outside seating and casual but styled feel.
Belgian chocolate covered strawberries were a gigantic pair, fresh and encased in some high quality dark chocolate. I had the twenty layer crepe cake brûlée, and that was probably the coolest variation in a 20-layer cake I've eaten. It wasn't overly sweet and the chocolate and fruit purée on the plate were more than enough to accent it.
And I'm always happy to see a Brooklyn nod to chocolates by Jacques Torres. I'll be heading over there tomorrow.
The only drawback was that, compared to the bottled wines they carried, the glass list was a little tame. Decent wines, but nothing is write home about. -
Review from Eileen J.
Paramus, NJ
4/3/2012
Came here for a work event and didn't dine in main floor/bar.
We reserved one of their private lounges and it was beautiful. I wish it was my future apartment almost haha. This is definitely more of a review for the interior and their private catering rather than a comment towards their food. There wasn't that much chocolate in our chocolate happy hour to be honest. However, my glass was never empty even if I wanted it to be. One of the servers would swoop in and replace any semi empty glass. They totally were on point.
And did I mention how beautiful the set up was? :) -
Review from Audrey K.
4/4/2012
Cute, cute, cute and a tight squeeze.
It's appropriately dark and feels very intimate inside of Ayza. The candle light is nice, the high tables inside are fun and the perfect size, not so big that you feel awkward, not so small that you're super close and forced together.
It's a good date spot if you come at the right time, otherwise there will be a bit of difficultly hearing your own voice.
The food, I feel, is pretty good. It's fun, well-portioned and edible in a date-friendly manner. You actually might still be hungry after the food but you have dessert to look forward to!
Overall, they execute the whole 'chocolate and wine bar' feel very well - but it's not my favorite or a go-to spot with friend.
Check it out for the sake of stopping in (because you will pass by it time and time again, it's location is pretty great) - but move along~ It's a bit too touristy/trendy/crowded for my taste? -
Review from Paul H.
I came here for lunch: Two course Lunch Prix Fixe $9.95.
DECOR: 3.5/5
-The weather was perfect (low 70s) for sitting outdoors on a Friday afternoon.
-There isn't much seating inside
SERVICE: 3.5/5
FOOD: 4/5
-Ciabatta bread was soft and delightful and the mixed greens weren't skimped on. At least half the plate was mixed organic baby field greens with toasted nuts and cherry tomato.
-BBQ Pulled Pork had a sweet BBQ taste (Ayza BBQ sauce). The mini paninis were the perfect size.
-Hot artichoke hearts with aged cheddar & ripe tomatoes was served in a tiny dish but wow, it was rich! Eat the whole thing and you'll be stuffed. I recommend applying the artichoke dip inside the mini panini
My total was $4.77 (including tip) after a voucher. I was charged $5.77. Sneaky.. MINUS ONE STAR. -
Review from Wendy G.
4/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
It's SO romantic: the ambiance, the food/drinks, even the spa is like bathroom!!
absolutely loved the outdoor seating!
Besides chocolate martini, which tastes quite interesting, I also got a salmon salad, gazpacho soup, and mushroom pita (more like thin pizza). Food were just okay, given they are quite reasonably priced.
This is a solid 3.5 star place. I agree with other yelpers.
Wine bar always has a classy feel but then I don't frequent wine bar very often, other than on a romantic date. -
Review from Lisa M.
Washington, DC
3/14/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Decent wine and chocolate bar not too far from Penn Station. I've been here a few times meeting my sisters since they both work in Midtown and need to get to Penn Station to get home. The food is enjoyable - baguette rounds with melted cheese, honey and a walnut are delish, truffle flat bread is solid, and the hummus is fine. We also had the fish which was yummy too.
Still have yet to try the chocolate but will the next time we make it there.
The ambiance is great. You can sit outside and there are heat lamps and a tent in winter. One thing that we noticed this last visit: the place is predominantly filled with women. Not sure if it's b/c of the wine and chocolate combo or if dudes would rather go to a manly pub but I will say, this place would be great for a date.
As for the staff, the service was good but the hostesses are snobby / cold. I got there a bit early (and the place was empty - only 4 other people were there and most tables were open), they had me sit at the bar while I waited for my sisters to arrive. I understand "waiting until everyone has arrived" when a restaurant is packed or has a tight reservation schedule but when it's practically empty? Come on... -
Review from T G.
Brooklyn, NY
5/18/2012
We went to Ayza for an early dinner after work and it was a nice meal. When we first walked in I was a little surprised about how small the restaurant was inside; it is definitely a tight space. There is more seating outside than inside the restaurant and I would suggest getting a table outside to enjoy the weather. We were seated right by the bar and next to the bathroom, so it was a very very busy area and a little hard to hear each other. Regardless of the size of the place and the seating, our experience was good. Everyone was friendly, no complaints about the wait staff and the food arrived pretty quickly. My husband had the ayza panini and I had the marinated chicken with beets and rice; we were both pleased with our meals. I would definitely recommend Ayza for a nice summer afternoon.
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Review from Kathy B.
Staten Island, NY
3/22/2012
We went there for lunch pre-fixe and the taste of the food was OK in taste, nothing to really brag about much though. The hummus and the olive dip for the bread was tasty, all else was just mediocre.
Here's the pros:
-Good dips
-Nice decor, great for sunny day to sit outside
-Recommend the place if you are in NO rush with lots of good conversation
-Portions of the regular lunch items are reasonable
Here's the cons:
-Portions are more like tastings in the pre-fixe items
-The wait staff is very, very slow to take your order, pay attention to additional request and provide the bill, not necessary because they are mean, because they just seem to be understaffed with waitstaff - hence good conversation is essential for this to be at least a mediocre experience
Maybe hence that's why they say don't order things that are outside of a place's specialty so we'll probably go back for what is in their actual restaurant name other than food; but as for lunch, I'd say keep looking unless you want just a nice, long conversation with no time limit and tastings as food fillers. -
Review from Sam E.
Brooklyn, NY
3/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
Cheaters!!!! They pour unknown cheap brand of cognac in the mixed drink instead of Hennessy ( which the menu states) & when I notified them , the bartender didn't even apologize & instead she made a horrible drink. On top of that shamelessly , she was doing it in front of my eyes .
Horrible service , the servers were upset that I noticed & rolled their eyes. Shame on the owner who hired them& gave them such instructions .
Two stars for the decoration . -
Review from James O.
Levittown, PA
4/23/2012
Small but nice and great for wine or chocolate lovers. Very friendly staff. Do not sit at a tall table if you are either big or tall.
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Review from Min K.
Manhattan, NY
2/19/2012
Came here on a Friday night and it was pretty packed.
My friends and I ordered two bottles of champagne (can't tell ya the name cuz I don't remember much after that :X).
Tried:
- artichoke dip (decent)
- baked cheesecake (dry and not sweet at all. I like my cheesecake to TASTE like cheesecake)
- chocolate molten cake (also not impressed)
It was dark and despite the crowd, it wasn't too loud.
They only have ONE toilet for both MEN AND WOMEN so I spent most of the night WAITING to pee. And it's right by the bar area so you have a lot of annoyed waitresses elbowing you, telling you to move so they can serve drinks.
EHH.Listed in: Desserts!
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Review from Brian Jin M.
Manhattan, NY
2/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
I worked near this place for the past 2 years and 7 months and I've seen by this place a couple of times but never really had the chance to try it out. My ex co-worker decided to treat me for dinner the other night so headed here. We ordered the Artichoke Appetizer, Sea Bass, and Filet Mignon. I got a free glass of white wine (Order any appetizer and "check-in" with Yelp ^-^* ) Anyways, here are the reviews for the food we ordered:
Hot Artichoke Hearts with Irish Cheddar Cheese Ripe Tomatoes and Toasted Pita
-This was really small but was good. Comes with about 5-6 pieces of toasted
pita. It won't fill you up, it's really to just nibble on something until your main entrees come out.
Pan Roasted Wild Sea Bass with Parsnip Pommes Purée, Melted Leeks,
Sauteed Baby Carrots, Roasted Lemon and Chive Oil
-At $21, can seem expensive. It's really nothing special but it wasn't bad.
Medallions Of Filet Mignon with Pommes Gratin, A bed of Rocket Arugula and
Frisée with Port Reduction
-At $22, it's a bit pricey for what you get. The plate is small and comes with three small medallions of Filet Mignon which were ok but not great. The potatoes were really good though. -
Review from Chris M.
Came here on a date night. I did not expect it to be that packed for a Thursday. Definitely make a reservation of you are to come here. We decided to sit at the bar because, well, we love alcohol. The bartender was very attentive and I feel like we received better service than the tables. There was ample room and we got to sit next to each other which made sharing plates so much easier.
We started with martinis. The different chocolate martinis were all delicious and comes with a piece of chocolate. I had the expresso martini. Very good but be warned, there are actual coffee beans in the drink. I thought it was chocolate or little ice cubes. Was not pleasant biting into one.
Next we had the white truffle pizza. Best pizza ever. The pizza is small and good for sharing but with two people, another appetizer would get you full. Think size of an old school Pizza Hut personal pan pizza. But a lot tastier. Thin crust, full of flavor and not too oily.
Next we had a complimentary glad of sangria thanks to yelp check in deal. Very good and the grapes, blueberries and oranges were well soaked. I would have paid for this.
Then came the cheese plate. We got three different cheeses to go with our wines (white wine - the Sav Blanc and the Pinot Gri). Both were very good wines.
manchego - recommended by the bartender. Delicious. Very mild cheese so it's not an acquired taste. Not too sweet, perfect with a white wine.
brie - this would have went better with a red wine. If you like butter, this is the cheese for you. Verycreamy, tastes like butter and is spreadable on toast tips.
tete de moine aka the cauliflower - this cheese is in between te manchego and the Brie. It looks like a flower on the plate but melts in your mouth. Very subtle flavor and also went perfect with our white.
We finished off with a chocolate wine and fondue for dessert. The chocolate wine smelled great but tasted like a regular dessert wine. We also tried the Riesling (Frost Bitten) but that was way way way way way too sweet. Sweeter than me. Which means you'll definitely get a cavity. The dark chocolate fondue was good (sweet, can't really taste the bitterness associated with dark chocolate). Came in a twiny wittle wok. Pretty cool. It comes with marshmellows, ladyfingers, a banana, and a strawberries. The strawberries weren't very ripe is it was a bit tart which did not go too well with the dark chocolate. The banana tasted best with the chocolate. Ladyfingers - cant really go wrong there. And the marshmellows tasted like smores once dipped.
I would come back here again if drinking didn't put a hole in my wallet.
Happy eating, suckers. -
Review from eve a.
2/23/2012
I have only one question-why they do not deliver their chocolate martinis? here is a business idea-martini delivery right to the office ;) oh wait, no alcohol consumption in the office. Rules exist to break them.
I can take shower in their chocolate martinis. Raspberry,strawberry and mint and milk and other heavenly ingredients not mentioning vodka :) So very incredibly goood. Food is a-ok. well, it just small tapas and snacks. Nothing exciting. but taking into consideration their non existing kitchen, they do pretty well.
service is superb-gotta love those sexy ladies with their swwet smiles. Just like their martinis;)
Only problem is the space- during the winter their outdoors are not the best place to hang out and indoors is so tiny that it doesn't leave enough room for romance . -
Review from Susan L.
2/19/2012
The food here comes in pretty small portions, but it isn't bad. The restaurant itself is pretty small and it only has one restroom. One thing definitely worth trying is the Chocolate Martinis, it tastes like what the name is- chocolate with alcohol. The waitress gave us a sample of spice wine and it tasted like there was a bit of pumpkin in it. The pomegranate martini wasn't bad too.
The panini seems delicious from what my friends said and they said it was so worth it too. As for the Atlantic Smoked Salmon tartines, the portion of the salmon and bread didn't fit well since there was only one small slice of salmon on a piece of regular toasted bread. For the Medallions Of Filet Mignon, the price of it is so not worth is- it was $22 for 3 tiny pieces of meat, but they cook it really nicely even though I thought it was a bit dry.
The desserts was the best part, the twenty-layer crepes cake brulee wasn't bad, but there didn't seem like there was anything special with the cream. As for the warm chocolate molten cake- it was delicious, it wasn't too sweet or anything. However as for the chocolate silky mousse, it was a bit too sweet- thus if you're a person who loves sweet this, this may be good for you.
This place is definitely worth trying for you and your partner- even with a small group of friends. The waitress was extremely friendly and would accommodate you with what your needs. -
Review from Mmd D.
Brooklyn, NY
4/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
Go for the wine & chocolate and be ready to tell the busboy to leave you alone as he will come by every five seconds to check if you're breathing. good wine selection for sure! food mediocre (besides the chocolate of course!) so just go for the chocolate and wine. Food is horrible.
And oh yes, when you "check in" with yelp, you think you get a free appetizer and a glass of wine, but it's usually not aplicable so, boo! -
Review from Lemon C.
Washington, DC
3/18/2012 2 photos
This is a very sexy spot! Perfect for date night or girls night out. It's super tiny, dark with nice lighting, even their bathroom was romantic. lol Their outside seating has a plastic tent around it and heat lamps when it's cold outside. The chocolate martinis were expensive at $16 a cocktail so didn't try one. But I did have the hot mulled wine which was so delicious! As was their famous Wild Mushroom Pita Tart which filled me up so I didn't have to order anything else. The argula on top was a nice accompaniment. My friend had the Brochette Marinated Chicken which came with beets with rice which I tried and it was amazing! I also enjoyed the Hummus Dip with hot pita. For dessert I had the Silky Chocolate Mousse which I didn't enjoy too much, it was crumbly and only half chocolate. We had a wonderful waitress - Kimberly. I was impressed that she knew which soups were vegetarian.
Listed in: My NYC weekend of fun... and…
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Review from Esther S.
Manhattan, NY
1/24/2012
Ayza is a good place to have a causal date or hang out with friends.
The price is also pretty decent for the food you get.
Every time I've been there, they have always offered a free sample of one of their dessert wines, which is nice.
I have had the Ayza Panini which was a mix of sweet and sour; not bad, but nothing extraordinary. To me, the crepe cake was also average, and it cost more than all the other desserts. What I liked the most were the Chocolate Martinis. I had the raspberry chocolate martini and a friend had the Mint Chocolate Martini. Both were delicious and came with a piece of chocolate.
The place is nice, the waiters/waitresses are friendly, and dinner and drinks won't break your bank! Definitely a good place to drop by every so often. -
Review from Sera A.
Brooklyn, NY
1/20/2012
We sat at the bar because the place was too full to get a table.
The wine selection is great and the bartender had me taste a couple of options before deciding which one I liked most.
If you check into four square you get a free drink, so make sure you do that. -
Review from Victoria F.
New York, NY
2/2/2012
This place is a very good option for a date or a laid back evening with the girls. It has a nice feel with very high ceilings, dark lighting and a sizeable outdoor area. If you check in via foursquare you get a free glass of wine as well, though they don't have the best selection to choose from, which is understandable.
I've been here two times thus far and the chocolate wine is absolutely unbelievable (and only $10/glass). I'd recommend getting a few appetizers, including the white truffle pizza. The entrees aren't that impressive and they don't have many to choose from other than tartines and panini's (though the pulled pork panini, was pretty delicious). The molten cake was forgettable, but I haven't had many of the other desserts, so I have no recommendation in that area!
You would come here for a low key evening and a nice glass of wine at a reasonable price. I would not make this a destination for the food.
2 glasses of wine + 2 entrees (the sea bass was $22) + 1 dessert was about $75+ tip. -
Review from Chinmay B.
Jersey City, NJ
2/29/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Decent service. Nice ambience for a date. Loved the cheese plate and chocolate martinis! Wish they had more options of wine by the glass.
Would love to go there again. -
Review from Lauren B.
Brooklyn, NY
1/7/2012
Went here to celebrate my friends' engagement. We made a reservation for 4pm, which is when the groom-to-be would be arriving with his new fiancée. I showed up quite early (3:15-3:30) and spoke with the manager to make sure the table would be all set and ready to go by the time the happy couple arrived (it was a surprise for her). They were perfectly accommodating to our specific situation which was very much appreciated.
The food and wine menu itself was fine. Overall this is a cute little place to celebrate with a glass of champagne and some truffles in an otherwise dumpy part of town. Can't imagine they get a ton of foot traffic there.
Would recommend a reservation as there isn't a ton of seating. -
Review from Brad P.
Watertown, MA
4/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
Hostess was very accommodating (Shaquana?). The manager, however, seemed non-committal. To be fair, demand was high and there were late reservation arrivals, but we were appropriately seated before them.
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Review from Rachel C.
New York, NY
2/12/2012
My BF took me here for Valentine's Day. I loved everything! The food was well cooked and the desserts were De-lish! The wine (even though I don't know much about wine) was Very Good too!!
The atmosphere was alright, however, because its a very very small place with small kinda small chairs, but some would say that's romantic though! It all depends on who you are :-).
Go try it out! -
Review from Mr. Voracity I.
Brooklyn, NY
12/24/2011
Okay, 2 stars is harsh for this place.
Nothing is BAD bad, but let's calla spade a spade. This place is more a convenient place to go and hang out with friends and get a food/drink that you barely notice.
The hostesses were friendly enough, but it was weird how hard it was to wrestle a recommendation from the waitress. And what she suggested was bad - a lame Loire sparkling. My date got the chocolate martini, which was small, didn't have much alcohol, and worst of all, tasted kinda gross. As for the chocolate itself, it was definitely not for chocolate lovers. It seemed more for folks who have had a few drinks and want something sweet.
That all said, the vibe of the place was fun, lively, though perhaps a little generic. So if you need a place to party with friends, this place works. If you actually care about what's going into your body from it, then, well...
VoracoMeter=3 (out of 10)
For more bitching and moaning about restaurants, follow me on Twitter. Thanks! -
Review from Jin C.
New York, NY
3/25/2012
Their raspberry chocolate martini is sooo delicious. I felt like I could slurp the whole thing up in one gulp. Each chocolate martini comes with a chocolate truffle, and mine came with an 80% Jacques Torres chocolate. The cocktail is $16. I really like the cocktails, and I like that they had nice warm heaters warming up the outdoors area. I would definitely come back.
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Review from Ann K.
Syracuse, NY
12/5/2011
We walked up to see a plastic enclosed outdoor seating area with patio heaters and blankets on the chairs - apparently this is for those who don't have reservations as we were seated inside where it was nice and warm!
AYZA is very, very small so expect to be elbow to elbow with your neighbors but the food was worth it. We each had the wine/cheese flight which was 4 wines and a choice of 3 cheeses or meats. I was surprised how much cheese we got - the waitress said 1-2 ounces but the pieces I got were probably closer to 3 oz. We also had the truffle pizza which was as good as other Yelpers said it was. The people at the next table reported the hummus as well as one of the tartines were good too.
We finished with splitting 4 chocolates from Jacques Torres - all really good but my fav was the Grand Cru. Try it with the Syrah for a real treat.
There is a Foursquare special for a free glass of wine or Sangria but we'd had enough with our wine flight so we didn't take advantage this visit.Listed in: The Big Apple
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Review from Patty T.
New York, NY
1/8/2012
I went here with some girlfriends for girls night out. I was expecting a lot of great things based on the menu.
Pretty disappointing. The entrees were meh.. not very tasty. My friend's dish was overcooked and dry. The space was soo crowded. I felt like were up against the couple next to us. The best part of the night was the company.
Tip: Only go for drinks and dessert. -
Review from Patryce C.
Irvington, NJ
3/31/2012
Love this place. A nice little spot to go to after work with a bunch of my girl friends and just pass the time, relax, and share some great wine. The truffle pizza to die for. I wish that they were a little bit bigger though. Also, sometimes the staff especially the girls sitting people can be a little rude. But I think its due to the place being a little to small for the amount of business it does. Overall would definitely go back. Its a convenient spot and a great ambiance.
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Review from roy c.
ASTORIA, NY
1/30/2012
I am definitely a fan! I came in as part of a Facebook promotion for a free glass of
wine. I wound up getting a glass of their white sangria, which was delicious. The food here is pretty great. Lots of small platters, almost like tapas style. The roasted French brie crouton was fantastic. For dinner, I had the striped bass with ginger quinoa. The bass was made with a champagne sauce--heavenly. Dessert was their dark chocolate strawberries, which were HUGE. I've never seen such large chocolate covered strawberries. I'm sure I will be back here in the future. I "like" them a lot! -
Review from Ashwin M.
11/14/2011
Didn't get to try the chocolate martinis but the red wines we had were solid (a malbec and a temparnillo). Red sangria was good too. Just munched on the hummus, white bean spread and artichoke dip, yum! Overall the food was good but not great, but the drinks / atmosphere were what make this place special.
Great date spot, and true the tables are right on top of each other but I love the outdoor seating area, especially in winter when it's covered and the heaters are in use, so cozy!
Use the FB / foursquare check-in deal, first check-in gets you free glass of wine or sangria. -
Review from Dawn K.
Upper West Side, Manhattan, NY
11/5/2011
I feel badly that negative experiences cause me to YELP, because I should be YELPing about both negative and positive experiences so my reviews aren't skewed... but I am just so annoyed at Ayza!
I noticed that Ayza was listed on Savored for a 30% discount, but the only reservation available was for 10 PM on Friday night. I called the hostess and explained that I wanted to make a reservation, but the only one available via Savored was 10PM, so I asked if I could make an earlier reservation and still use my Savored discount? She put me on hold to check with her manager, and advised me that I could, so I made a reservation for 8PM.
When I got to the restaurant, I advised the hostess that I had an 8PM reservation with the Savored discount. There was nothing noted in my reservation so she brought the maitre'd or manager over to speak with me. He advised me that I could not use my Savored discount, despite having been told that I could. He also told me that they do not accept Savored reservations for Friday nights, which was demonstrably untrue, as there was a 10PM reservation available. He insisted, however, that there was no way they would let me use the discount. He then told me that having used Savored before, that I "should know better."
I get why a restaurant wouldn't want you to use a 30% discount during peak dining time, it makes sense. The hostess that I spoke with during the day certainly did not have to tell me that they would do it, and then I would have made a reservation elsewhere. But I was told that, and for Ayza to fall to follow through on that is unacceptable (what happened to the customer is always right?). Moreover, I have never been treated so rudely by a manager before.
My friend and I decided not to let management's rudeness deter us, and ate there anyway. The wine was quite good and the cheese was excellent.
I will say that I found it a bit odd that they only had one unisex bathroom for the entire restaurant... considering that they had ample (heated) outdoor seating in addition to the indoor seating, I wonder if it's a violation of the health code... Regardless, we got the misfortune of having a table in front of where the entry to the bathroom was, so people were lined up on the side of our table all night, which definitely detracted from the ambiance.
Like I said, the food and wine were good...but given that NYC isn't exactly hurting for wine bars, I'm not sure that I will come back and suffer through the inhospitable nature of the management.
(But do try the tete de moines cheese - incredible!) -
Review from Jackie F.
New York, NY
2/3/2012
There is something so overwhelmingly mediocre about this place. After seeing a Broadway musical, I came here with my 3 girlfriends, since chocolate and wine seemed like an appropriately feminine activity.
We couldn't agree on desserts to share, so we each ordered our own, but ended up sharing anyway. We had the chocolate molten cake, the tartufo, fondue, and the twenty-layer crepes cake brulee. They were all pretty good, especially the crepes cake brulee.
I can't quite put my finger on why this place is so mediocre in my mind. The concept makes sense, the ambiance is acceptable, and the desserts are good. This is a fine place to come with girlfriends to catch up, talk about feelings and emotions and gossip about boy troubles. However, if a guy ever thought he'd score mad points for bringing me here on a "romantic date", he would be so very wrong. This place is cutesy and kitschy, not heartfelt or romantic. That's a warning to guys out there - if you bring a classy lady here because she likes wine and has a sweet tooth, you are bound to fail.
If she did like it? Well, then she's not as classy as you thought...good for you. -
Review from Caroline R.
Manhattan, NY
10/31/2011 9 Check-ins Here
AYZA has great ambiance, tasty menu selections, a fantastic selection of cocktails and wine list and last but not least... heavenly desserts. Staff was attentive, without being too burdensome. The only improvement that I would like to see is more table room and more space between each table; I felt like the gentlemen next to me was sitting on my lap.
You must have a Chocolate Martini and by checking into Yelp you get a free glass of wine. Yelp on! -
Review from Kat L.
Brooklyn, NY
12/22/2011
What brings it down from five stars to four is the portions of the food served as entrees for dinner. That and the cramped spacing will not allow fatsos to sidle to and fro unseen. You will notice, this is single-lady's paradise. Tuesdays are Lady's Night Out. Most of the patrons were younger women, some attractive, some not so much. Single men should come in droves here. Then again, without a flat screen playing sports, this Wine and Chocolate Bar won't be seeing groups of manly men anytime soon.
All cons aside, I must say, Ayza is a shiny gem! Ayza gives every of-age customer sample shots of seasonal wine. With their bread is a delicious olive paste. The $9.95 prix fixe lunch can't be beat!
Last night, I had made a reservation with Opentable, requesting Ayza to make the night extra special for my fiance and me. It's our Christmas dinner. Ayza delivered with fresh rose petals on our reserved table and a complimentary set of delicious chocolates at the end of our meal. We also had a coupon for a free glass of wine. The free wine portion was extra fine.
With the meal, again my qualm is the portion size. My fiance's steak was rare when he asked for medium. (But he loved it none the less. Plus, in the dim lighting, he couldn't see how bloody and translucent the meat was.) Taste: Amazing. You have to try their white truffle pizza and smoked salmon tartine!
So all in all, I have a special place in dans ma coeur pour Ayza. Merci beaucoup for the lovely night!! We had a very lovely waitress too, I think her name was Guyal?
