Ayse Meze Lounge

Walking into Ayse, you expect hummus and hookah vibes — and you get that — but the wine list throws you a curveball. Thirty-two labels isn't enormous, but someone clearly thought about this more than most meze spots bother to. The Eastern Mediterranean concept on the menu doesn't fully translate to the cellar, though, and that tension is interesting.

Despite the Greek and Lebanese kitchen, the wine list leans heavily Italian — Chianti, Ripasso, Amarone, Aglianico — with a few Eastern Mediterranean nods like the Mitravelas White on Grey Moschofilero from Greece and the Pendore Syrah, which skews toward that Anatolian-influenced style. The Italian anchor is actually smart: Sangiovese and Aglianico handle spiced lamb and herb-forward dips better than most people realize. The Donatella Cinelli Colombini Sangiovese and La Capranera Campania Aglianico are the kinds of picks that tell you someone did their homework. The gaps are on the white and rosé side — there's not much to explore beyond a handful of options, and nothing from Lebanon or Turkey despite the menu's roots there.

Ten options by the glass is a respectable spread for a 32-bottle list, priced at a very accessible $9–$11. The range isn't flashy — Castle Rock Chardonnay at $11 is about as grocery-store as it gets — but the existence of something like the Moschofilero by the glass is a genuine win for anyone paying attention. Rotation appears static, so don't count on this list changing with the seasons.