Aria Hell’s Kitchen

Great food; good drinks; really slow service (food came fairly quickly but took forever to get the menus). I had the shrimp rigatoni, which was wonderful, especially the sauce! We also tried the meatballs (very tasty but not out of this world), grilled octopus crostini (now this was more special — all the flavors came together amazingly) and brussels sprouts (interesting — a bit sweet and drizzled with honey, though not my personal favorite).
Overall enjoyable experience.

The food is 5 stars.
The service is what made it 4 stars. Nice people but a bit disorganized. Maybe because it was a busy Saturday night and we had a large table of 9 people.
Food is really great. I’ll definitely be back.

I was looking for a place to have lunch and a friend of mine gave me the address for Aria and although i had been in this area many times, I could not place where it would be located. The space used to be a South African wine bar. I sat down for brunch and perused the menu. Their brunch options were priced at $ 14 each. i ended up getting a pannini sandwich with prosciutto and kale pesto, mozzarella and tomatoes. I also got a cup of coffee to tide me over and I was asked if I wanted to have some bread with EVOO-[of course!!] It was fresh and delicious. The pannini sandwich arrived and it was hot and delicious. The staff was very accommodating-​the space is the same size as its previous inhabitant. i would recommend and return

Aria and its sister restaurant Briciola directly across the street specialize in super affordable pasta dishes and Italian tapas. I’ve already reviewed Briciola and also the other Aria location down in the West Village, so in terms of the food its all identical. But the ambience is not LOL!
I have to say I really loved the particular atmosphere this location has. Everyone from the hostess to the waiters were friendly and courteous. Briciola on the other hand was very small and cramped, and the downtown Aria location was nowhere near as lively and energetic as this one here in Hell’s Kitchen.
I was starving, so this time I ordered 3, YES 3 different pasta dishes. I started off with the Pappardelle. It was simmered in a boar ragu sauce, soooooo meaty!
Next up was Linguine Vongole. Here, they do it with a twist… its still a white clam sauce with garlic and olive oil, but they add fresh chopped tomatoes to it. Note, it did not change it to a red clam sauce, but it added a different tartness to the dish.
And last but not least I ordered the Orecchiette di Puglia. The little ears of pasta were perfectly tossed with garlic and olive oil, with generous meaty chunks of sausage and broccoli rabe.
I asked my waiter what lovely desserts they offered. The special dessert of the night was the Tiramisu and I took him up on his recommendation. It was soooo creamy and rich, with just the slight hint of rum.
Everything was soo wonderful that I left a very big tip. A+ all around!

Love that this place is right by my office. Unique, flavorful small plates and a nice wine list. It’s crowded every night of the week. Most of all, price point for this area of town — Wine and dinner for less than $ 50 on any given night.

Very cute bar/​restaurant, but seating is really tight and bathroom is extremely small. Atmosphere is very quite and intimate, yet surprisingly loud for how small the restaurant is. Drinks are good, average prices for NYC, food is ok, nothing specials. I do like how the dishes are tapas style though so everyone can share. This is the perfect place to pop in for an hour after work before you meet up with friends. Not ideal for a sit down dinner and gabbing, which was what I was hoping to accomplish. Overall, I had a good time, but I would only stop by for a few drinks next time, food I can pass on.

The environment, the people, the service and off course the food makes the experience unique!
My wife and I were in NY for the design week and we were just walking around looking for a cool, laid back restaurant to have a good dinner. We are super happy we found Aria!
The food has a unique touch, super clean and fresh flavors make every dish we extremely happy, satisfied and wanting for more.
Some of the highlights were the tagliatelle bolognese and the osso buco pasta (no clue the name of the pasta).
This place for sure got a place in our hearts/​bellies anytime we come to NYC.

Highlights:
Kale Salad — Tangy, perfectly cooked kale
Caesar Salad — Creamy, classic yet not boring
Orechiette pasta with Italian Sausage — Flavorful yet portion a little too small
Chocolate Soufflé — BEST Chocolate Soufflé ever — decadent, warm chocolate paired with vanilla ice cream *foodgasm*
Cute interior, not too divey, dimly lit, but can be a little loud for a group setting (especially during dinner)
Attentive service
Would like to come back!

There are periods where I eat here more in a week than I do at my own apartment.
I have been a fan of this place since it was a name most people couldn’t pronounce. I came upon Aria (the artist formerly known as Xai Xai) because it’s sister and neighboring restaurant, Briciola, was packed. And rightly so; the place is f*king delicious.
Through our relationship, Aria has adopted a menu mirroring it’s sibling (can you call a restaurant that?) to match it’s intimate, West Village-​like atmosphere. If you aren’t familiar with the West Village: it’s that chic part of downtown too expensive for most New Yorkers to live, but not nearly as expensive as TriBeCa. But I digress… fear not! The prices here are a steal for what you get, and the portion size is satisfying without being excessive.
Did I mention it’s a wine bar? Cause it’s a wine bar. Wine wine wine. I love wine. Down it goes. Into my belly.
Best buys: Rigatoni Gamberi & Lobster Risotto. WHEW! I’m salivating just typing this…

Cute interior décor, horrible service. I might be an exception because I’m gluten free, but I don’t think that means I have to sacrifice taste! Got the gluten free penne with the mushroom truffle pasta dish and it tasted like a Lean Cuisine. Also, our waiter spent more time looking in the mirror at himself than paying attention to us when he was servicing us. Oy, the struggles of a starving model/​waiter. He totally forgot about us until we mentioned to the owner that we needed to eat and scidaddle to catch a Broadway show. Totally missed the mark, sorry Aria.

Excellent food, beautiful ambiance, charming manager…
We had the burrata special, asparagus with poached egg (fantastic) and the lobster ravioli. Everything was fresh, delicious and came out super fast. This may be my new hangout…

This place was wonderful. The bartender offered suggestions for both wines and small plates. Everything was delicious. There are a couple wine bars in the area and many are tiny. This one is also small but there are separate tables so you don’t feel as if you are on top of each other. We were actually headed to Bricola across the street but it was so tiny we just couldn’t imagine being comfortable. Aria was just right.
*We did see the man with pony tail mentioned in other reviews and he was obnoxious — yelling on the phone, etc but he left us alone.

Enjoyed my experience here. I popped in on the way to a show, and the aesthetic is reminiscent of a French bistro, but not in a cheesy way. I had a couple of pints of Peroni and the gnocchi. I sat at the bar and just trolled through twitter and enjoyed my lite meal before the show. It was a Thursday night early, so not too crowded at all.
I know there have been loads of negative reviews re: the dreaded man with the pony tail. I did not see him, but I kept a keen eye out, as he sounds like some sort of Hells Kitchen style culinary terrorist. I’ll be back again as the bar keep was kind and not too pushy although they definitely have a burn and turn vibe. There aren’t that many half-​decent spots in the neighborhood, so I would say give it a shot. All and all a pleasant experience.

This is the same menu and drinks as across the street but a bigger space. Wine selcetion is OK but too warm, the ocotpus is good here.

It looks like a nice spot, very charming, very cosy, but the service is terrible! Not a single one of them seems to be nice. The back of the house is mistreated and they are the only one who works like horses! The food is pretty good though. Nothing that I have been amazed with though.

I have to agree with all other reviews — food is great but manager/​service leaves something to be desired. I was charged twice for my meal — am waiting to find out how they will adjust. Unfortunate experience.

After an awkward arrival and seating arrangement amongst 2 other parties at a sort of community table we were treated correctly and moved to a private table near the door. Not only was our original seating terrible but our waitress was rude and didn’t want to take our order. mostly because I don’t think she wanted to be at work. Me and my friends were about ready to leave but this is when we got moved to a secluded seat with a new waiter. We got the starting bread (which is awesome) and our meals came very quickly. I had pasta with homemade pesto and my friends had lobster ravioli. All dishes were amazing and finished quickly. Despite finishing early we weren’t pushed to leave or to order drinks. We were allowed to sit and talk. I also liked the vibe of this restaurant, very very small but cute and dark with a bar.

Very poor service to point of aggressive, fellow diners on adjacent table were amazed at how rude pony tail man was to our group. It’s a shame because food and wine was well above average, one persons attitude ruined our evening. Classic lesson to get great tip, offer great service and the two will match up, poor service equals lower tip.
Didn’t appreciate the casual prejudices of the manager against all Europeans, how to right off a whole continent! Irony for a supposedly Italian restaurant!

FOOD: My friend and I ordered the octopus salad without bread. It was very meaty, grilled and seasoned well — we loved it! I had the sardines stuffed with pine nuts and raisins, served over sautéed onions — delicious! The roasted brussel sprouts and baked beets were good.
WINE: The wine-​by-​the-​glass list including a few varieties that I didn’t know. I tasted a verdicchio; it was nice, but too dry for the meal. Instead, I had a lovely rose prosecco.
SERVICE: The man who was our waiter was rather inattentive. He took a long time to come to the table and take our order. I had to remind him that he offered a taste of the verdicchio, but hadn’t brought it to me. Another staff person (who initially brought out water and bread) was much more attentive, friendly and responsive.

We were very happy with service and the food was excellent. It is a tight space and seating can be tricky, if you can get a seat the bar which is also on the tight side. It is great place for Italian food and the wine is serve in a small glass which is more authentic.

4 stars for the food– the fettuccine funghi and crab cakes are delicious. Polenta was underwhelming
1 star for the service– the hostess tried to seat the 2 of us at the bar because she «had reservations» at the tables even though they don’t do reservations for groups less than 6. When my date pointed out the available tables for two, she hesitated for a few seconds and led us there begrudgingly.
Additionally, the greasy pony tail waiter was so rude– when I was trying out the wines he couldn’t believe I didn’t like his favorite kind. I shouldn’t be made to feel uncomfortable or guilty because I find the wine too dry for my liking. It was only a taste test of a sip too! It’s not like he opened the bottle for us just for me to refuse it and return it. Then during the dinner it was near impossible to get his attention to order. I had to flag him down just to get him to come to us. I know it was busy, but I felt that he was avoiding us because of the mishap with the wine tasting.
I love the west village location and had such a better time there, but this is more convenient to me for a weeknight. I’d consider coming back just for the reasonably priced pasta, but for the wine bar component I feel like my experience was ruined by a rude waiter who couldn’t properly explain or suggest wines.

I have never written a Unilocal review before– but you need to be warned.
I’ve been to Aria 3 times, and to Briciola across the street a handful of times since I live in the area. The first several times I’ve been there, I really liked the ambiance, the food is decent and their menu style is really good for sharing (it’s all small plates). I had considered it a good staple in my neighborhood
…but last night that all changed It was a Wednesday night– I am on my way to a show with a friend and we think of stopping in for a glass of wine and maybe some snacks. The hostess asks us if we are there for dinner– to which I answer — well we would like to order some wine and some food. She tells me she will check the bar area– which anyone can see is full of people… so I’m not sure what she means by this. She comes back with European greasy pony-​tail man who is mentioned in most of the other bad reviews here– the mood immediately changes as he seems frantic and comes across as just plain rude. He asks us if we are ordering dinner– I respond – yes we are ordering food and wine. I guess he didn’t hear or believe me because he says to me– the tables are only for dinner. There are about 5 empty tables around the restaurant. So I say– OK we will take a table. He then proceeds to tell me (more like yell at me) that a small order of cheese and a meat plate will not constitute «dinner”– Now I’m starting to get really agitated, as is my friend. I tell him we are willing to spend whatever the minimum is (mind you it is ridiculous to impose a minimum food order at a small plate style restaurant) but I guess he starts to sense the aggravation in my voice, or he just started to feel really dumb about how he was behaving — and he RUDELY YELLS at us– there is no table for you here. Leave.
It’s unfortunate that this place is ruined by pony tail man. He also refused to give me his name — very odd as well, he is obviously insecure about the way he acts. I wonder if he is related to the owner, because honestly every bad review on Unilocal here mentioned how awful he is, and I can’t imagine he wouldn’t have been fired by now. Message for the owner of Aria Hells kitchen… if pony tail man is your brother or friend– its time to have a serious chat with him about customer service. If he is unrelated to you– cut the pony tail!

Food is fine. Manager/​owner with long hair absolutely ruins the meal. His Rude, abrasive and disrespectful manner towards customers and his own staff is appalling.
The ambiance is nice, decent wine choices for the price.
None of this makes up for how poorly the place is run.

Second time here; food and the service was great. I just didn’t like the clams (too fishy) but the waitress exchanged it for me and I feel that is amazing customer service. I ordered the Buratta special, Gnocchi Sorrenta, Lobster Raviolli, Articjoke… um what else! Lol I like the place I like Italian food and the wine was great. They really care about how you like things and cater to you. I’m a fan I will be back!

Very tasty Italian meze (finger food or small plates)… Very nice environment, excellent place!!!

Where is the disgust emoji when you need one so badly?
For years I was in love with the West Village spot, so I got really ecstatic when this place opened a few blocks up from my friend’s place. A sucker for their cheap wine, yummy small plates and intimate dark dining room, I thought I would be a frequent visitor. But sure enough this was the most disastrous dinner I have ever had in New York.
Just after we ordered, a pack of staff started hovering over our shoulders — runners, barmen, the hostess. The second my boyfriend put his fork down his apt plate was gone — not even a question if he has finished. Not once, not twice, but three times they tried to do the same to me, with food still on my plate, me trying to protect it diligently. Same story at the table next to ours — a pleasant date was interrupted constantly until the guy finally had to tell them he will let them know when he is done eating.
On his last descent onto our table, the barman dropped a spoon full of pasta sauce on my lap. No apology, nothing — he just rushed away. As I was trying to clean it up with soda water, he reappeared with an odd smile — «darling, this is a perfect occasion to get some shopping done.» WTF?! Are you for real?! I was speechless. Everyone’s attitude was so casual — many staff members saw what happened — as if it is not a big deal and I should not make a fuss about it. He came by just one more time two minutes later — to drop the check — the apology still not making an appearance.
Pretty costly 30 minutes of a rushed meal + ruined jeans. You cannot pay me to go back to that place.

The mushroom bruschetta is delicious. I wasn’t too excited about the ravioli ricotta. I also would have appreciated being asked my seating preference and not directed to sit at the bar because I was dining alone. The place was empty at 1:30PM on a Wednesday.

Easily the best food & service I’ve experienced in NYC a long while!
The service was super kind, in a nice, familial sort of way. And, for food, my friends and I shared burrata & prosciutto, lobster salad, and an order of truffle gnocchi, which were all equally delicious.
Having friends who live in the area (fortunately!), I see Aria as a restaurant we’ll return to again and again.

Pretty good food, nice enough service, and about what you’d expect in this part of town. Kinda touristy, kinda legit, but some good food and nice atmosphere.
That would have been the end of my review, but since the server came up to me and asked why I gave a 15% and not a 20% tip in front of the party I was with, I’ll detail why it wasn’t higher. I would have also preferred to email this directly to the manager, but it was hard to find a way to contact them directly, so up on the clothesline the dirty laundry must go.
So when we got there the place was pretty much empty. The server came over every once in a while but was mostly chatting to another server or zoning out on her phone every time I wanted to have an interaction to get a drink or the check. She told us the specials really quietly and in a thick accent, in a way lower volume than the loud cheesy music they have playing. Some of the words she was saying weren’t even close to being pronounced right — in Italian or English — so it was a lot like listening to someone mumbling unrelated syllables at times. They brought out a different dish than what was ordered by one person in our party. I asked for a cocktail and beer list and she brought me a list of things that mentioned nothing about beer and walked off. When the bottle of wine I ordered came, she opened it and started pouring it for someone else to try, and not myself, who ordered it.
I live in NYC, so all of this stuff never even gets on my radar — it’s par for the course in such a big busy city. I’m not a food snob. If it’s decent to pretty good I’m chill about it. But again, since she felt it was appropriate to challenge me on what was a very standard tip, I am illustrating why the tip was standard and not excellent. By the way, I could have been a real dick about it and give zero to ten percent! I actually gave 16% by the way. But the check was for more than $ 150, so 16% isn’t nothin’.
So there you go, lady, that’s why you got a «bad» tip. But I did appreciate having a foreigner tell me that a standard tip in this country is 18%. I’ve worked in plenty of restaurants, and unfortunately, industry standard is 15%, and I normally give 20% without thinking about it, but since we were in Midtown and it was kind of average service/​experience I gave 15%. Big deal.
So to conclude the review, I guess make sure you tip 20% or they get pissed off here and confront you publicly.

Location location location. Made an attempt to go to Briciola but were drawn to Aria, the less crowded and similar looking option, directly across the street. Summing it up:
Food: 3
Wine: 4
Service: 1
Décor: 4
It’s an attractive wine bar with attractive people in an ever-​emerging Hell’s Kitchen. We tried a few small plates which were good but, in the «I’ve had better» category. Went with the baked dates and burrata /​prosciutto. The wine list is quite good with a good range of reds and whites.
Where I call-​out the service, I would not put it on the table server but, rather on the management. We love to go out on «garbage night» when the sidewalks are piled with trash bags. As the weather is cooling, we were given a table near the door.
The issue is that the wine bar /​restaurant decided to empty its refuse on to the sidewalk at about 6:30pm. This is poor timing on the their part. To accomplish this (necessary) task, there was a (long) series of people carrying boxes and bags of «stuff» out the front door which, in case you don’t recall, was very near my table. Without exaggeration, there were probably a dozen door openings by garbage toting employees.
The «gas on the fire» issue is that the employees, having their jovial garbage night, held the door open repeatedly so that one person could stay in the «warm» restaurant and «crack-​wise» at the «outsiders». Although we told the hostess (who was one of the «door-​openers» that there was a cold draft, there was a genuine LACK of RESPECT for the customer.
Nothing screams louder than a bad attitude or disrespect. Particularly when the manager is part of the problem.
Across the street, Briciola had already installed its cold weather entry and emptied its trash.

The ambiance here is perfect for date night, candle lit tables for 2. The wine selection is vast, all Italian and all delicious.
The food is so delicious, you cannot go wrong! Pasta dishes are all $ 12! That’s a good deal especially for the quality! Salads are $ 10 as well as appetizers.
The espresso is amazing! Straight from Italy, you’ll think you’ve left NY for a brief moment! The tiramisu is a must for dessert!

Oh Aria, I’ve probably been here over 10 times in the past month and had 70% of the non-​meat items on the menu, the food is wonderful, served quickly and at good prices — with a great wine list. I’ve been eating the food on this menu since I started coming to Bricciola across the street 3 years ago (wonderful as well) and since before they revamped Xai Xai into the midtown Aria.
However, most of the times it feels like the waiters are doing their best to push your out once you’re done eating (this place is always packed) which only gets better once them and/​or the manager recognize you or if you sit at the bar. Hopefully they’ll improve upon this unfortunate service mishap.
Regarding food though: get the grilled octopus, grilled eggplant with goat cheese and pomodoro, the braised monk fish, lobster Avocado salad, any of the pastas — though the pesto spaghetti, lobster ravioli and gnocchi are particularly good.
And you must must get the tiramisu. Must.
Also get the coffee, I’m caffeine free but I spent all summer getting coffee from different coffee shops for my brother (blue bottle you failed!) and this is the only place he found agreeable.

This place has got moxie. Perfect for a date, catchup with a few friends, or shenanigans. Or all three. Share a bottle of wine and watch the passerbys.
Delicious menu, just like Briciola’s across the street. I recommend anything on the menu, at least items with meat on them.
For those who remember Xai Xai, Aria maintains its charm, but with extended bar seating. There’s still a communal table, and that dim, romantic lighting.

I’m a big fan of Aria, I love their location on Perry Street. The atmosphere is awesome, the food is AMAZING and the service is always good. I know the Perry Street location is constantly crowded. Today I came around noon and it wasn’t crowded at all but I have to imagine it does for dinner. Be prepared to wait (but its so worth it).
Today I had the mushroom flat bread, the eggplant/​goat cheese roll and a shrimp & artichoke skewer to share with my mom. They were ALL delicious. Every single plate tasted amazing.
If you are a fan of the Perry Street Aria, you’ll be a fan of this one. If you’ve never tried Aria, try it. Either location, same deliciousness.