Rosé season is back.
In recent years, rosé has been the one beverage to single-handedly take the warm weather months by storm. Whether it’s the wine’s pretty pink hue (perhaps not so coincidentally similar to millennial pink) or the light, floral notes found in its bouquet, rosé has become not just a pretty pink drink but an actual lifestyle. Drinking rosé (all day or otherwise) is now synonymous with lounging on the beach in the Hamptons or by a rooftop pool in the city sun; it’s snapping a boomerang as you cheer over oysters; and it’s the affordable way to enjoy a little luxury on a daily basis.
It should come as no surprise then that rosé sales grew a whopping 210% between 2016 and 2017 and a subsequent 64% last year, or that there’s now an actual National Rosé Day celebrated on June 8 every year. It’s with this in mind that we’ve rounded up our favorite spots in the city to sip everyone’s favorite pink wine.
La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels, Nolita
Despite what its intimidating name and monumental 600-bottle wine list might have you believe, this cozy Nolita wine bar is anything but pretentious. Opened in 2014 by the team behind Experimental Cocktail Club as an offshoot of the renowned Paris wine destination by the same name, La Compagnie is the ultimate marriage of French wine culture and sophistication and downtown New York approachability.
The bar’s nondescript storefront is tucked on a quiet bit of Centre Street just a few hundred feet away from SoHo’s bustling crowds; the space features low sofas, a mix of wooden tables and mod chairs and a wide marble bar with black stools. The wine menu arrives in the form of a 20-page bound book, organized by color, country and region, and more than 30 different rosés available by the bottle. La Compagnie’s secret weapon, two stainless-steel-and-glass enomatic machines that sit behind the bar, keep 16 open bottles “on tap” for over a week, allowing the sommelier to offer a selection of the bar’s wines by the glass. Head to this bar to curl up with a glass of Moussé Fils Extra Brut Rosé or a sweet Beaujolais rosé, and you might just feel like you’re in a quiet nook of Île Saint-Louis gazing at the Seine.
Reservations are recommended for weekend nights, but walk-ins shouldn’t have a problem getting a spot.
249 Centre St., Manhattan, 212-343-3660
Serra by Birreria, Flatiron
The summer gem of Eataly’s 23rd Street haven, Serra by Birreria is the seasonal restaurant and bar nestled on the enclosed 14th floor rooftop.
Now in its second year, the restaurant recreates the Italian countryside, with every inch of the space covered in bright flowers and greenery grown in a partnership with Farm.One. Serra even lives up to its name (“serra” means greenhouse in Italian) with a fresh herb garden right on site that utilizes a new hydroponic system on the roof. The menu offers rustic, homegrown dishes that fit in perfectly with the summer season surroundings, and there’s an extensive list of natural wines, including six rosés available by the glass for $13 or $14 each and eight rosés sold by the bottle. Serra will also be hosting a Summer Fest later this month, which will include a selection of yummy bites and plenty of rosé.
Reservations are strongly recommended.
200 Fifth Ave., Manhattan, 212-937-8910
Lafayette, NoHo
A downtown mainstay, Andrew Carmellini’s popular French brasserie serves as a catchall destination with its stylish grand café, bakery and bar.
The airy, oversized room on namesake Lafayette Street features spacious brown banquettes, Continental-style windows and a large outdoor patio. Go there for brunch, lunch or dinner and choose from favorites like bananas Foster French toast, duck au poivre, fresh oysters and skinny pommes frites, but always order one of the restaurant’s 15 bottles of rosé or one of the three pinks available by the glass. And don’t forget to stop at the bakery on your way out for one of Lafayette’s signature macarons, muffins or cookies.
380 Lafayette St., Manhattan, 212-533-3000
Ai Fiori at The Langham, midtown
The winner of the 2018 Wine Spectator Grand Award, this Michelin-starred Italian restaurant at the Langham Hotel in midtown boasts one of the most comprehensive and lauded wine lists in the city.
“The main focus and pride of our list,” says sommelier Mariarosa Tartaglione, “is to represent a number of different grape varietals and style of Rosato (Italian for “rosé”) from all over the peninsula.” Offerings range from the Garda Lake’s “creamy, romantic groppello blend of Costaripa” to Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo Valentini and a salty Negroamaro by Rosa del Golfo from the Salento region to Sicily’s Volcano Etna with a smoky Nerello Mascalese from Cantina del Pino. The 125-page wine list includes over 50 rosés, starting at $60 per bottle and going all the way up to $1750 for the rarer vintages. There are also three rosés available by the glass, and for those who don’t need the pomp and circumstance of the dining room, the entire wine list and Ai Fiori food menu are available at Bar Fiori.
400 Fifth Ave., Manhattan, 212-613-8660
Jadis, Lower East Side
Jadis, a cozy wine bar on Manhattan’s hip Lower East Side, is a welcoming neighborhood spot that offers affordable grappa without sacrificing quality.
The Rivington Street subterranean café was opened in 2006 by a Hungarian immigrant, who, in welcoming guests to her space nightly, has created her own version of “Cheers” on the LES. The bar has a limited but fitting food menu of cheese and charcuterie, panini and small bites, but Jadis’s real claim to fame is its Happy Hour, offering what must be the cheapest wine in New York. Happy Hour rosé is just $8 per glass Monday through Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m., and it’s only $10 to $14 any other time. There are six rosés on the Jadis menu, including one from Lebanon, and for those seeking a twist on the pink drink, the bar offers Grapefruit Rosé Sangria.
42 Rivington St., Manhattan, 212-254-1675
701West, Times Square
Nestled on the 11th floor of the new Times Square EDITION, 701West is the hotel’s signature fine-dining option.
The sprawling restaurant features electric blue and chartreuse-colored velvet banquettes atop white marble mosaic floors, and the room opens onto a single outdoor terrace that overlooks the zealous energy of Times Square below. 701West’s three-course pre-fixe menu was conceived with the venue’s 600-bottle wine list very much in mind, and unexpected additions like a table-side Champagne trolley and a wide selection of vintage Calvados brandy make for a new kind of dinner theater.
“Every table has a dedicated sommelier that can walk through every bottle and flavor profile of rosé on the list,” says wine director Amy Racine. “Once selected, the sommelier and the chef collaborate to tailor your dishes to best pair to your bottle.” This means that if one table orders a dark and herbal rosé, like the Lillian 2012 from Santa Barbara, and the table next to them orders the fruity 2017 Pibaron Provencal rosé, and both parties order the octopus, “the dish will come out in two very different preparations to match the wine on the table.”
There are eight rosés offered at the latest Ian Schrager hotel restaurant, each served by the bottle, and others can be found at the Times Square EDITION’s Paradise Club, Terrace, and Lobby Bar, all curated by Racine.
701 Seventh Ave., Manhattan, 212-261-5400
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Bar Primi, East Village
Known for being one of the first New York restaurants to offer frosé, this two-story East Village restaurant offers three rosés by the glass and three more by the bottle, alongside its traditional Italian fare. 325 Bowery, Manhattan, 212-220-9100
Ingo’s at the High Line Hotel, Chelsea
Inspired by late psychic Ingo Swann, who lived on the Bowery during the 1970s and ’80s, the High Line Hotel’s new cocktail garden, Ingo’s, offers an impressive list of cocktails and wine, including three rosés available by the glass and the bottle. Sip pink wine in this (super)natural courtyard while enjoying light bites from Murray’s Cheese and Breads Bakery all summer long. 180 10th Ave., Manhattan, 212-929-3888
Macari Vineyards, Long Island
For those seeking a bit more adventure this summer, head to Macari Vineyards, located on the North Fork of Long Island in Mattituck, just two and a half hours outside of the city. The vineyard is known for its rosé, which was listed among The New York Times’ top 10 American rosés last summer, and visitors will receive a tasting of five featured wines for $30 per person. 150 Bergen Ave., Mattituck, NY, 631-298-0100
