Ainslie is Now Open at 199 Bowery
In the Lower East Side location of 199 Bowery where Vandal formerly stood, South Village Hospitality has officially unveiled the 20,000 square foot Italian restaurant, wine bar, and beer garden named Ainslie. Ainslie is presented to you by partners AJ Bontempo, Sergio Riva, and Mario Riva who also own and run Osteria Cotta on the Upper West Side, Follia in Gramercy, Carroll Place in Greenwich Village, and Ainslie's flagship in Williamsburg, which launched in the autumn of 2019.
A Shepard Fairey painting welcomes visitors to this large new Ainslie site in Lower Manhattan, which features an airy beer terrace that extends to the pavement through two hangar aircraft doors. A beer hall with a 50-foot bar, 32 beer taps, and games including foosball and shuffleboard is located within Ainslie. An small wine bar is located in front of a sizable open kitchen that includes a wood-fired pizza oven at the back of Ainslie. The restaurant features a private dining room that is ideal for parties as well as a gorgeous dining room with chandeliers above. Later this year, an underground club named The Underground will open beside the venue. It can accommodate 250 people for a cocktail-style event and 130 people seated. Additionally, there will be heated outside seats.
Executive Chef John DeLucie, a seasoned chef from New York City who founded Waverly Inn and currently serves as chef and partner at Empire Diner and Merchants Social in Hudson, New York, as well as having a platform on the new CookUnity Chef Collective in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, is in charge of the kitchen at Ainslie. In addition to a variety of hand-crafted wood-fired pizzas like The Saltimbocca with fresh mozzarella, prosciutto di parma, sage, and white wine, Chef DeLucie's menu at Ainslie also features Wood Fired Rosemary Wings, a signature Ainslie Burger with prosciutto and gorgonzola dolce served on a Brioche bun, homemade Ravioli, Gnocchi, and Pappardelle, and a Free Range Hanger Steak with watercress, balsamic and truffle fries.
After several years with South Village Hospitality, beverage director Jessica Duré, previously of Broken Shaker, now oversees Ainslie's beverage program and will also choose the wines for the new Bowery site. More than 20 wines by the glass, four wines on tap, and a dozen beers from regional and European breweries are available at the restaurant, which has various bars.
The restaurant is open on Wednesday & Thursday 5pm - Midnight, Friday - 4pm - 2am, Saturday - 4pm - 2am, Sunday - 4pm - Midnight with brunch coming soon.
