An Icon of Rome Is Now Open in New York

In its first location outside of Rome, Roscioli NYC is open at 43 MacDougal Street, near King Street, in the West Village, with the original known for its iconic bakery, salumeria, and wine bar that have long-attracted fans from across the globe.

As of this week, the New York location is now open, in partnership with the wine-centric Rimessa Roscioli partner, Alessandro Pepe joining Ariel Arce (Air’s Champagne Parlor, Tokyo Record Bar) — in what had been Niche Niche. It leads with the ground-floor rollout of its $105 tasting menu with two, reservations-only, seatings a night, as well as Sunday to Monday wine classes. In late August, the upstairs will open with more casual walk-in dining as well as the salumeria and marketplace.

Antico Forno Roscioli in Rome has been serving Romans pizza rossa, pizza bianca, and breads since the ’70s. The business expanded in 2004 to a second location for Salumeria Roscioli, where cured meats and cheeses are the highlights, served with bread from the nearby bakery — though there are pastas and more substantive dishes, too.

Today, Roscioli features as many as 300 cheeses, 200 cured meats, as well as sauces, honeys and more, and a wine cellar with over 2,500 bottles. Roscioli bakery, and particularly the salumeria, have become a must-see for tourists, with the kind of lines you’d expect — yet Romans are regulars, too. (The wine-focused Rimessa Roscioli, that opened in 2017 in yet a third location, is operated by a different crew using the Roscioli name for dinner and drinks, private tastings, cooking, and wine classes).

The Roscioli move to New York is in part having to do with the next generation’s running the family business, which includes Alessandro and Pierluigi Roscioli who have steered the business for decades, and their sister, Maria Elena, who has recently joined them.

It’s also about serendipity: The road to the New York partnership happened rather organically, starting with an Arce visit to Roscioli in 2018 and a friendship that was nurtured through the pandemic. In 2021, the Rosciolis came to Niche Niche for a weeklong series of events, and from there, plans solidified for bringing a location to New York, the partners confirmed. Meanwhile, Arce got to work on winding down Niche Niche, which closed at the top of this year.

For the starting tasting menu, dishes are simple, highlighting Roscioli products and Italian producers with whom the Rosciolis have relationships. When it comes to olive oil and pasta, for example, many are available for purchase. Look for dishes like panzanella beside burrata served with Calabrian cherry tomatoes; carbonara; polpetti with mushroom broth; and tiramisu. Wine pairings include pours from Russine wines in Basilicata or a Tuscan selection from Contucci winery, for example.

For those who can’t snag a reservation, the restaurant is taking walk-ins for snacks and pours in the wine cellar for now.

Saturday afternoon, Sunday, and Monday’s Taste the Legends of Wine dinners will allow for wine education, while a Roscioli Wine Club, ships members 12 to 24 hard-to-find Italian wines per year, and comes with the option of in-person events with the New York location.

The tasting menu is correctly bookable online but by late summer, an area for a la carte dining will follow.

Downstairs, a handsome wine library frames the dim-lit room, while an ancient-looking alcove has been dressed up to accommodate stylish patrons. Upstairs, opening late summer, the bright, open salumeria will open with chef Tommaso Fratini from Rome. He’s leading the kitchen in conjunction with former Niche Niche chef, Aaron Lirette.

The main level will feature a selection of cheeses, meats, smoked fish, caviar, vegetables in oil, and conservi in the cases to eat on the premises or to take home. The menu will also include supplì alla Romana (like arancini, but with cheese); meatballs with sauce and aged ricotta; and pasta classics like cacio e pepe or Amatriciana.

Reservations for the tasting menu on Resy show a choice of seating at a communal table that’s on a stage of sorts in the ground-level dining area. Seating at individual tables and bar seating are available as well. The events room is in a dramatic alcove that, long ago, used to access the New York waterways.

Roscioli NYC is open every day, serving the tasting menu at 6 or 8:30 p.m. Seatings for wine tastings are listed on Resy. Hours are 6 to 11 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 6 p.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday. Starting July 23, Sunday hours are 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.