AperiBar
Italy's Greatest Hits, One Block From Broadway
Times Square · New York · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 19, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Walk into AperiBar and the Times Square chaos evaporates — this place has actual Italian wine ambition, which is not something you expect from a restaurant sandwiched between tourist traps on 41st Street. The list is tight, deliberately Italian, and earns its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence without trying to be something it's not. It's a focused love letter to the peninsula, and in this zip code, that counts for a lot.
Selection Deep Dive
The list runs 80-120 bottles deep and doesn't waste a slot on crowd-pleasing Malbec or safe Napa Cab — it's Italy from top to bottom, which takes confidence. Piedmont and Tuscany anchor the reds with serious representation: Barolo from the northwest, Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti Classico Riserva holding down Tuscany. Amarone della Valpolicella adds Veneto muscle for the big-red crowd. Where the list genuinely surprises is in the whites — Pinot Grigio from Friuli rather than the bland Delle Venezie stuff you usually get, and a sparkling section that includes Franciacorta alongside the expected Prosecco. There aren't many gaps when your stated lane is Italian, and AperiBar stays in its lane.
By the Glass
Twelve to eighteen pours by the glass is a generous range for a restaurant this size, and the $12-$18 price band is reasonable for Midtown Manhattan, where you can pay $20 for something forgettable. The sparkling options — Prosecco and Franciacorta — make this a natural aperitivo stop before a show, which is clearly the point. We'd like to see more rotation on the glass list, but what's there is coherent and drinkable.
Pinot Grigio from Friuli — $14
Friuli Pinot Grigio is a different animal from the watery stuff on most Italian-American wine lists — more body, more texture, actual flavor. At the low end of the glass pour range in Midtown, this is the move before your pizza arrives.
Franciacorta
Most people order the Prosecco because it's familiar. Don't. Franciacorta is Italy's answer to Champagne — méthode traditionnelle, more complexity, more persistence in the glass. It's undersold on most lists and this is your chance to try it without paying Champagne prices.
Amarone della Valpolicella
Amarone is a magnificent wine in the right context — it's also one of the most marked-up bottles on Italian restaurant lists because diners recognize the name. In a chic cocktail-bar setting where you're sharing Neapolitan pizza, dropping top dollar on a brooding, high-alcohol red built for a long winter dinner feels like the wrong call. Save it for somewhere with more focused service and proper large-format stems.
Chianti Classico Riserva + Bolognese
Sangiovese and slow-cooked meat ragu is one of the few wine-and-food pairings that qualifies as genuinely non-negotiable. The Riserva's extra time in oak softens the tannins just enough while keeping the acidity high, which cuts through the richness of the Bolognese and keeps you reaching for another forkful — and another pour.
🎲 The Bottom Line
AperiBar is a legitimately good Italian wine list hiding inside a Times Square cocktail bar, and that's the wildcard move that earns it the badge. If you're pre-theater or just need a smart glass of something Italian without the tourist markup, this is your spot.
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