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An Italian Bar Fit for Romance in Greenwich Village
Earlier this decade, there were few downtown restaurants hotter than the Lion, a celebrity-packed canteen run by John DeLucie in a Greenwich Village townhouse. But the restaurant got sold and the crowd moved on. In July, a quieter restaurant, Casa Apicii, took over in the space, and a second-floor chamber was turned into an intimate cocktail annex called Bar Fortuna with just 20 seats.
If Manhattan bars often serve as communal living rooms for cramped apartment dwellers, Bar Fortuna is a luxe parlor for the downtown set. A black-and-white photo of Sophia Loren hangs over the fireplace, serving as a sort of patron saint for this distinctly Italian spot.
THE PLACE
Situated on a stately residential block, the candlelit bar occupies a 116-year-old brick townhouse and is lined with lacquered bookcases, velvet sofas and a carefully curated assortment of vintage Italian books and objets d’art. The fireplace enhances the romantic mood.
THE CROWD
Date night. A recent Friday evening was mostly professional couples in their 30s, with some sugar daddies and their younger trophy dates, all settled in for a night of cozy conversation and crafted cocktails. On one of the corner love seats, a gentleman in a crisp blue button-down and fitted chinos shared drinks and whispered secrets with a shapely woman in a short, glittery dress.
THE PLAYLIST
An eclectic mix of slow jams, spanning the decades from Shirley Bassey to Chuck Mangione to Air, providing a soundtrack for romance.
GETTING IN
The bar is still finding its groove, so for now, it is first come first served, especially after 10 p.m. Tell the maître d’ that you would like a drink upstairs, and if there are seats available, you’ll be led up the lipstick-red staircase.
DRINKS
A comprehensive, leather-bound menu has a table of contents, which gives you an idea of the surprising breadth of offerings. The head bartender Fabio Raffaelli, originally from Milan and previously from Daniel, is very personable and enthusiastic about his Italian cocktails, including the Americano ($18). There’s also a fine selection of wine and champagne, whiskey and rum, bitters and amaros, and even grappa (starting at $12). You can also order antipasto (from $12).
Bar Fortuna, 62 Ninth Street (between Fifth Avenue and the Avenue of the Americas); 212-353-8400; casaapicii.com. Open Tuesday to Saturday, 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.
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