Gottino

Last week I went to Gottino, which is located in the West Village at 52 Greenwich Ave. It’s a cute, quiet, and narrow bar with brick walls and tin ceilings. It has all the elements of an old New York City bar, but you can tell it’s been recently renovated.

The wines were all from Italy and were within an affordable price range. Glasses were between $10 and $14, bottles were $36 to $52, and the wines were also available in a carafe, which were priced at $15 to $21. I decided to order the 2009 Moroder Rosso Conero Aion for $11. The waitress asked if I would like to try it first, so she poured a nice sized taste for me. I approved, and she poured the rest of the glass. The service was pleasant and considerate and the waitress stopped by often to check up on me.

The wine smelled like dried strawberries with a touch of the crisp smell of dried leaves. It tasted fruitier than I expected, with notes of slightly tart, juicy cranberries. It was medium bodied and was not overly dry. It had a nice acidity and it was a good wine to welcome allergies fall with.

The atmosphere of the place had an almost prairie feel to it, although most of the furnishings appear to be new. There are a few little café tables, and in the back are low, wooden picnic tables with benches as seating. The bar is decorated with trinkets, such as old looking milk crates, white porcelain plates displayed on the brick wall, photos of baseball players, and a random boar head on the wall above the staircase. There is a garden in the back of the bar as well. The space is cute, aside from the boar head but perhaps a little too sweet. The ambiance was relaxing and the music was mostly calming, although there were a couple of songs that sounded like medieval English ballroom dancing with an indie twist. It actually felt like more of a café and I found myself wanting coffee more than wine. Which is rare.

Gottino has a decent selection of well-priced Italian wines and nice service. All in all, it’s a nice place to spend an afternoon in, but nothing really stood out to me except the overt cuteness of the place. Is it a café or a wine bar? My visit seemed to feel like the former, but perhaps it picks up a bit during the evening. I give Gottino a rating of 3.5 out of 5 glasses.

Some of the cutesy decorations

Little House on the Prairie

Boar!