BAR LENTO

158 Eight Avenue, at West 18th Street

HOURS:

Tues./Wed. 12pm-10pm

Thurs. 4pm-10pm

Fri./Sat. 12pm-11pm

Sun. 11am-6pm

Closed on Mondays

Happy Hour: Sat./Sun. 4pm to 6pm

Click Here for the wine list

Click Here for reservations

Instagram: @barlentonyc

Having oponed its doors just a few weeks ago, Bar Lento is a window onto life as they live it—and wine, as they drink it—in Verona. The Eighth Avenue bar with a vintage jazz aesthetic offes a menu that’s every bit as Italian as the 60+ labels on its wine list. The vibe is warm and welcoming, and the message is clear: We’re in no rush to see you go. How do we know? After hearing from a reader who raved about the new wine bar’s authentic offerings (and not-so-secret garden), we reached out to ownership. A series of email inquiries yielded the below Q&A…

Scott Stiffler, for Chelsea Community News (CCNews): What’s the origin story of Bar Lento? What’s your position there, and why choose Chelsea for your location?

Simone Viola, for Bar Lento (Simone): I’m Simone Viola, founder and owner. I’m from Verona, where the aperitivo is a daily ritual: A glass of something good, a few bites, friends, no rush. I wanted to bring that exact hour to New York. Why Chelsea? Because I love it, and because it’s a neighborhood of families. Bar Lento is made for them, for young people, for anyone who wants a place to bring friends, and have a place to celebrate birthdays and other special occasions. I found the space at the beginning of 2026, thanks to Federico Cutroni, a friend and broker. The moment I saw how this ordinary storefront on Eighth Avenue opens onto a garden, I knew it was the right place.

CCNews: What’s the concept, aesthetic, and cuisine?

Simone: We’re a wine bar, first of all. The list is all Italian: More than sixty labels from small producers, many of them hard to find even in Italy. The kitchen is Italian: A short, seasonal men; bruschette with whipped buffalo ricotta, burrata with Cantabrian anchovy, hand-chopped beef tartare, mezze maniche, chicken alla diavola, branzino, and a tiramisù people come back for. From November, new dishes arrive to face the winter. The style of the whole place is vintage Italian jazz, from the music to the colors: Candlelight, paintings by Rob Wilson on the walls, a long bar, and a lot of wine.

CCNews: When all of those elements combine, what sort of atmosphere does it create?

Simone: The name says it: “Lento” means “slow.” It’s the opposite of a loud New York bar. You sit down, the lights are low, the jazz is old, the glass is good—and an hour goes by without you checking your phone. People come for one drink and stay for dinner. That’s the whole idea.

CCNews: Tell us about the outdoor space and how it will function during the colder months.

Simone: The garden is the magic of the place, and one of the very few in the city with both a covered indoor garden and an open-air one. The covered part is heated and stays open during the winter: Plants all around, candles on the tables—and in December, it feels like a greenhouse with a wine list. We add plants every week. The goal is to create a real garden space, not a patio with a few pots. On a cold night, with the heaters on and a glass of red, it’s the warmest room in Chelsea.

CCNews: Tell us about the wine and spirits selections.

Simone: We’re a wine bar in the strict sense: Wine and beer, no spirits—and that’s by design. The list is Italy from north to south: More than sixty wines, small producers, sought-after and rare, poured by the glass so you can travel without committing to a bottle. Our aperitivo cocktails are wine-based spritzes we make in house: Agrumato, Ceraso and Toscano with vermouth. And on weekends, there’s L’Ora Lenta, our Happy Hour: Saturday and Sunday, from 4pm to 6pm.

CCNews: Are you now, or will you be, an event space available for private functions?

Simone: Yes, already. The covered garden and the outside bar work as a semi-private space for 20 to 30 guests, and the whole place can be yours for up to 65 standing. This fall, we’re hosting engagement parties, birthdays, company happy hours and dinners. For details, email us at info@barlentony.com.

CCNews: The website says the project is still in the “discovery and development” phase. What’s upcoming?

Simone: The garden keeps growing, literally. Live jazz will become a regular thing. And more parties, events, and themed nights, because that’s what the neighborhood asked for first. People have really responded to the garden, and the fact that nobody rushes them.

CCNews: Anything else our readers should know?

Simone: Only that we’re neighbors. Our first guests were the people who live on our block, or nearby—and that’s the crowd we want. Come for a glass, stay as long as you like. Lento.

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Launched on April 23, 2019, ChelseaCommunityNews.com (CCNews) is an independent online newspaper serving Manhattan’s Chelsea community and adjacent areas (Flatiron/NoMad & Meatpacking Districts, Hudson Yards, Hell’s Kitchen). Our free editorial content is made possible by advertising revenue, grants, quarterly pledges of support, and voluntary reader donations (click here to donate). To subscribe to our free ENewsletter, click here. ChelseaCommunityNews.com is a member of the New York Press Association (NYPA) and the Empire State Local News Coalition. Our work is collected for placement in the United States Library of Congress’ LGBTQ+ Studies Web Archive. Honors at NYPA’s annual Better Newspaper Contest, 2021-2025, include 3 wins for Coverage of the Arts, and 2 wins for Best News or Feature Series.

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