South Village Hospitality, the brains behind Ainslie Brooklyn, Cotta, Follia, and Carroll Place, just opened a Manhattan Ainslie this month. The 20,000-square-foot Italian restaurant, wine bar, and beer garden took over the space formerly occupied by Vandal at 199 Bowery on the Lower East Side.
Many a night in my 20’s was spent at the kitschy Vandal – dining on a pricey and confusing food menu while waiting to move to the packed dance floor for drinks served by pretentious bartenders. That is the opposite of Ainslie’s ethos. The re-imagined Lower Manhattan restaurant boasts an airy beer garden that opens to the sidewalk by way of two hangar plane doors with two living floral chandeliers overhead and a Shepard Fairey mural to greet guests. Inside Ainslie are a beer hall with a 50-foot bar and 32 beer taps with games like foosball and shuffleboard. In the back, there is an intimate wine bar positioned in front of an expansive open kitchen, complete with a wood-fired pizza oven.
The restaurant has a stunning dining room with chandeliers overhead and a private dining room. A subterranean lounge called The Underground will accompany the space and open later this year. There will also be heated outside seating.
The kitchen at Ainslie is helmed by NYC veteran Executive Chef John DeLucie, who founded Waverly Inn and is currently the Chef and Partner at Empire Diner and Merchants Social in Hudson, NY in addition to having a platform on the new CookUnity Chef Collective in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
The menu includes Wood Fired Rosemary Wings, a signature Ainslie Burger with prosciutto and gorgonzola dolce served on a Brioche bun, an array of hand-crafted wood-fired pizzas such as The Saltimbocca with fresh mozzarella, prosciutto di parma, sage & white wine, homemade Ravioli, Gnocchi, and Pappardelle, and a Hanger Steak with watercress, balsamic and truffle fries. The culinary delights are reasonably priced, well-curated for the restaurant’s personality, and will leave you fully satisfied.
Beverage Director Jessica Duré, formerly with Broken Shaker, heads up Ainslie’s beverage program. The restaurant, which boasts multiple bars, has over 20 wines by the glass, four wines on tap, and a dozen beers from local and European breweries on tap. Cocktails are also divine, being served by knowledgeable mixologists.
The South Village Hospitality partners AJ Bontempo, Sergio Riva, and Mario Riva are all industry veterans, reflected in their newest endeavor.
The restaurant is open on Wednesday & Thursday 5pm – Midnight, Friday – 4pm – 2am, Saturday – 4pm – 2am, Sunday – 4pm – Midnight with brunch coming soon. For more information, head over to ainsliebowery.com.
-Lauren Wire