Jody Williams and Rita Sodi — the couple behind Via Carota — opened Bar Pisellino on the corner of Grove and Bleecker as an Italian caffe that functions exactly as a caffe should: morning espresso and cornetti, afternoon spritzes at the marble counter, evening Negronis on the sidewalk as the West Village does what it does best, which is make you feel like you live in a village. The room is small and tiled, with the clean geometry of a Milanese bar. The spritzes are calibrated, the Negronis are bitter and correct, and the cicchetti provide exactly enough food to justify another round without becoming a meal. The sidewalk seats on Grove Street may be the most pleasant outdoor drinking in Manhattan.
Location
West Village, New York
Map
Insider Intel
A Negroni or an Aperol Spritz — the aperitivo classics are why this bar exists and they are built with the same precision Williams and Sodi bring to everything. Morning espresso and a cornetto if you arrive early. Cicchetti from the small bites menu: the crostini, the marinated vegetables, whatever the kitchen is offering that day. A glass of Italian wine if you want to linger.
Late afternoon from 4pm for the aperitivo hour, when the light on Grove Street is golden and the transition from espresso to spritz feels natural and civilised. The sidewalk tables are prime real estate from April through October. Morning for coffee and pastry. Avoid peak dinner hours when the wait for Via Carota next door spills into Pisellino's space.
52 Grove Street, West Village. Christopher Street-Sheridan Square station (1). Cocktails $16-19, wine by the glass $14-18, espresso $4-5. Walk-in only, no reservations. The corner location on Grove and Bleecker is one of the most photographed in the West Village. Jody Williams and Rita Sodi's caffe adjacent to Via Carota. Cards accepted.