If you follow me on Instagram then you know that back in October I was invited by my girl Kachet Jackson-Henderson {as part of a graciously hosted Alaska Airlines trip for influencers and bloggers} on a trip to New York for the official grand opening of the flagship Nordstrom NYC. Well, while we had plenty of fun events pre-scheduled for us, Kachet and I were also able to carve out some time to get in some New York City nightlife–and knowing The Bubbleista the way that you do, you know that champagne was absolutely going to be involved!
Ever in search of the ultimate in champagne experiences wherever and whenever I travel, I actually had a list of potential spots that I was interested in checking out. I ran the list of options past Kachet and, upon realizing we only had enough reserve energy to visit only one spot {HA}, we decided on Air’s Champagne Parlor in Greenwich Village, hopped into a cab, and went on our champagne adventure. The moment we arrived we instantly KNEW we’d made a fabulous choice!
But before we dive into the experience itself, I wanted to give a little background on Air’s Champagne Parlor. At the helm of the champagne bar is restauranteur, seasoned hospitality pro, badass businesswoman, and champagne connoisseur extraordinaire Ariel Arce. Her background includes stints at Michelin-starred restaurant Alinea, champagne bar Pops for Champagne, and also for champagne bar Riddling Widow, which she ended up buying and turning into Air’s.
Ariel’s love for champagne began while working in Chicago. What started off casually as curiously exploring it turned into full on immersion that found her studying it and experimenting with the bubbles of different producers on her days off. Like I said, she’s truly a champagne connoisseur extraordinaire.
So now that you’ve got the story behind it all, I’m sure you’re ready to find out what this champagne nirvana like, right? Well let’s get into it, then!
THE *INSIDE* SCOOP
Immediately upon hopping out of our cab and seeing the entrance I knew there was a good chance the interior aesthetics and vibe would be cool because of the design attention paid to the exterior: framed out in greenery and orchids and neon letters, the doorway lured you in and enticed you to enter.
Upon entering the door my initial impressions were confirmed with interiors and the vibe that I can best describe as “Cheeky Bohemian Vintage meets Hollywood Regency.” Plush velvet banquettes, gold barstools, gorgeous marble, draping, bubble-shaped lighting, inlaid wood accents. and saucy neon signage greeted us immediately upon opening the door.
The plush and luxurious design is decidedly unstuffy, though and you can tell that the vibe intentionally doesn’t take itself too seriously. There are fun, “burlesque-ish” touches (huge feather plumes, anyone?); the music play list is diverse and bumpin’ (we heard some James Brown vintage soul, hip-hop, pop, and seventies hits all while we where there).
WHAT’S ON THE MENU
There is so much fabulousness at Air’s that even the menu is special. Part wine list, part basic mini-champagne educational course, the list of over 200 producers is divided with headings of “Sparkling (non-champange bubbles from France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria, and the US),” “Blended NV (non-vintage),” “Blanc de Blancs NV,” “Blanc de Noirs,” “Champagne Rose,” “Sparkling Rose,” and “Vintage Champagne,” and it also (thoughtfully) includes by-the-glass, half-bottles, Magnums, Jeroboams, and even about a dozen still wines. That means you can quickly and easily find exactly what your palate–or your pocketbook (ha ha)–is looking for.
Better still there is a healthy number of grower champagnes, small productions champagnes, unique pétillant naturel wines and, coolest of all, wines produced by women. Another big part of the bar’s philosophy is to make bubbly affordable–no huge mark-ups here. Ariel wants you to really explore the world of sparkling wine and she prices her bottles so you can do exactly that.
So now that we’ve covered the wines, let’s talk food! I love, love, love that food menu includes “classic” food pairings as well as inventive offerings of both bites and more substantial plates. That means there are oysters, caviar, frites, and a build-your-own charcuterie and cheese board, but there is also a lavender-honey grilled cheese sandwich and a–wait for it–Caviar. Sammich, y’all!
You know what, just make it easy on yourself and go ahead and order a dozen oysters, a charcuterie board, and the “Royal,” which is a sandwich + fries + a glass of champagne. Then chase the meal with an entire bottle of champagne to wash it all down. You’re welcome for that little tip.
- Charcuterie and freshly shucked oysters © Davon Hatchett
WHY YOU SHOULD GO
Air’s is cool and laid back; unpretentious; provides unique, high quality, affordable wines; is customer-experience driven; has amazing staff; has a super comfortable space ideal for lounging; makes wine approachable; and serves freaking fantastic food. This special combination makes becoming a barfly for an entire afternoon or evening at Air’s extremely easy, extremely pleasant, extremely fun–and extremely likely!
And speaking of amazing staff–all women the night we were there–and a customer-experience driven experience, one of the awesome service notes was that our server casually asked us questions about what we liked so that she could guide us and give recommendations on the wine list that she thought might most please our palates. Cool, right?
Plus if you love supporting diversity and inclusion in the wine industry as well as supporting smaller “mom-and-pop” family producers, then you couldn’t pick a better spot to do exactly that.
Air’s Champagne Parlor should definitely be on you “must go” list the next time you’re in New York. And be sure to follow me on Instagram to get some vidoe footage of our trip and more behind the scenes pics!