Danny Meyer’s New Roman Wine Bar Opens Tonight

The latest casual project from hospitality king Danny Meyer opens tonight, a wine and Champagne bar called Vini e Fritti that finishes out the restaurateur’s vision of a Roman-style piazza in the Redbury Hotel.

The 50-seat bar, located at 30 East 30th Street between Madison and Park Avenues, accompanies coffee bar Caffe Marchio and popular three-year-old Roman pizzeria Marta in the hotel. The idea is that the people can spend the day in the Marchio, dinner at Marta, and take a post-dinner beverage in Vini e Fritti.

As such, drinks are a priority here — specifically light and bright Champagnes and spritzes, according to the restaurant. The food menu from executive chef Joe Tarasco, a Gramercy Tavern alum who also runs the kitchen at Marta and Caffe Marchio, leans toward fried items to accompany those beverages. Options include salt cod, pork ribs with Calabrian chile honey, a pancetta panini, and potato pancakes with horseradish cream.

Vini e Fritti is yet another pretty casual opening for Meyer and Union Square Hospitality Group in a year packed with debuts of more informal restaurants. Earlier this year, USHG debuted fast-casual pizzeria Martina, daytime cafe Daily Provisions, and stand-up coffee bar Caffe Marchio.

See the full wine and food menu below. Vini e Fritti opens Tuesday night at 5 p.m.