Italy's Greatest Hits, One Block From Broadway
Times Square · New York · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed April 19, 2026
Wingman Metrics
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.
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.
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.
Midtown West · New York · Russian-American
The Russian Tea Room treats wine as an afterthought dressed up in Champagne flutes — five famous labels at punishing prices with no range, no by-the-glass program, and no apparent curiosity about wine beyond what looks impressive on a table. Go for the spectacle, order the caviar, but don't come here expecting a wine list.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Restaurant
David Burke Tavern's list is a Chardonnay lover's comfort zone with a solid sparkling section propping up the top — but the narrow focus and steep pricing mean you're paying for familiarity, not discovery. Send a friend here if they want California whites and a glass of Champagne; send them somewhere else if they want to explore.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Restaurant
Corima's wine list is proof that ten well-chosen bottles beat a hundred thoughtless ones every time. If you care about what's in your glass, this place is worth your attention.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Village · New York · American
Cecchi's is first and foremost a bar, but the wine list is more serious than the neon and noise suggest. Steep markups are the main ding — but if you know what to order, there's real pleasure here.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
SoHo · New York · Steak House, Small Plates
The Corner Store is a reliable, well-credentialed wine list doing exactly what a good SoHo steakhouse should — France and California, done with intention, in a room that makes you want to order another bottle. Just watch the markup on the big Bordeaux names and let the Rhône or Burgundy side show you a better time.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Tribeca · New York · American
Farra is punching above its weight class for a neighborhood wine bar, and the Wine Spectator nod is earned — just know that the serious bottles come with serious prices, and the no-sommelier setup means you're doing some of the navigating yourself. Worth it for anyone who knows what they want; potentially overwhelming for those who don't.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
West Toledo / Reynolds Corner · Toledo · Italian
There's one reason to come here for wine: Thursday. Half-price bottles on a standing weekly basis is a genuinely good deal, especially on the Santa Margherita. Any other night, the markups are steep and the list doesn't justify them.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
West Toledo/Monroe Street · Toledo · Italian
Carrabba's Toledo isn't a destination for wine — but it's not an embarrassment either. The Ruffino Chianti Classico alone earns its keep, and if you stick to the Italian side of the list, you'll drink reasonably well without drama.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
La Jolla · Chula Vista · Italian
Marisi is a reliable Italian wine list with genuine ambition hiding behind a steep markup structure — the producers are right, the regions are right, but you'll pay for the privilege. Go for the Produttori Barbaresco and the Pre-Phylloxera Barbera, and you'll leave satisfied.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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