Air's Champagne Parlor

Air's Champagne Parlor Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant & décor: Gone is the era when Champagne was a stuffy, serious libation --- and the territory of snobby men. At the postage stamp-size Air’s Champagne Parlor in the Village, New York native and owner Ariel Arce, the former wine director at Riddling Widow and Birds & Bubbles, oversees a list of Champagnes and other bubbly wines from around the world in a whimsical space with red velvet banquettes.

Likes: Champagnes by the glass; cheese service; trout roe toast; cozy atmosphere.
Dislikes: The tiny space can make it hard to get a table.

Drinks & Food: The comprehensive bottle list features 125 Champagnes and sparkling wines with 50 selections priced under $50 and plenty for the wine geeks and adventurous, alongside low-ABV cocktails, still wines and beer. If you’re feeling daring, opt for a personalized flight. Staff ask guests three questions (like, “What’s your Zodiac sign?”) and then create a flight of three Champagnes based on the answers. Food is smartly designed to pair with Champagne. There’s a striking caviar service, Kobe beef carpaccio with fragrant summer truffles and crunchy radish matchsticks, and a briny-sweet spread of trout roe and whipped egg on fluffy brioche. Jumbo gulf prawns are simple and succulent. A tableside cheese cart delivers a carefully curated array of cheeses, from local finds to globally sourced wheels. Keep the theme going for dessert, with a refreshing Champagne snow cone.