Ayza Chocolate & Wine Bar

Brilliant

We like to order a different bottle every time, even though their by the glasses are great as well. I recommend the Albarino if you go by the glass. And then we'll share a bunch of apps, which helps leave room for dessert, a must here. Their cheese selection is fantastic, and they have this hummus that is addictive. The crepe cake has been my go-to for a while.

AYZA looked so out of place on 31st street as it had such a swanky exterior that was far better suited for MPD or Soho. They had a larger area for outdoor seating but being as it was sub-freezing temperatures we quickly hurried in. Inside, the place is deceivingly small. There is seating for maybe 40 people? You think it goes to the back or there is a second level but there isn't...

The chocolate martinis came with Jacques Torres truffles! I got the classic which I expected to be reminiscent of a TGIFriday's mudslide and I was SO wrong! It was clear but tasted so chocolaty and good. It was like an optical illusion. My friend had the raspberry chocolate martini and that had the creamy consistency I was looking for. Her drink was fantastic and I would definitely get that next time.

Either way, AZYA is a great place for a night cap after a yummy dinner, it's the perfect date (or double date!) spot :-)

Pros: Chocolate Martinis!

Cons: Too small, not enough seating! Pricey

This is my new go-to spot. I always scour c.s. for good places when people come to visit, but now I don't have to. I've brought three out of town guests here for dinner in the last month and they all love it. And there is so much on the menu that I don't think I'll be getting sick of it for a while. It's just New York chic but casual at the same time and the food is delish.

Pros: delish food , amb.

I?ve gone twice now, once with my friend for dinner and another time I took a client. Both times I was blown away. At dinner it?s pretty swanky and they have great entrees. My friend got panini and I got steak and we shared. The plates aren?t huge but it?s a great way to try a lot of things. It's a great place to impress a client too, and you're able to have a nice quiet meal. I'll definitely be going back again soon...

Pros: food,ambiance

Got out of work early yesterday and decided to grb a drink.Ended up staying for dinner and loving it. they have great light salads and soe really delicious apps. We split a bunch of stuff and loved it all. But the most important thing for me was the chocolate. Love the melon. And then there?s white chocolate and lime. Things I?d never put together but that are so good.

Pros: chocolate,wine

Great place, great food, nice staff and service.

Will definately go back and recommend to others.

Pros: Food, Staff

Cons: None

I came for lunch and it was disastrous. The waitresses were running all over the place and seemed o busy, and yet it took them 20 minutes to approach me. I wanted a panini but couldn't get the one I wanted becasue they wouldn't do it without mayo and the waitress wasn't helpful in making suggestions. Finally I settled on a different panini and then by the time I got my food it wa nearly time to go back to work (though of course it took forever to get the check).

Cons: service,staff

When we girlfriend told me the address I really had my doubts. Then I got there and there was one table open, but they refused to let us sit there because it was for four people which was kidn of annoying since there were no parties of four in sight. Dinner was worth the wait though. The food is divine and they do a really good job of helping you pick wines that will go with it. The filt is one of the best I've had, and affordable.

My friend and I are obsessed with this place. We come a lot- it's great for dinner but also great for cheese and dessert. Their cheeses come from Murray's and are fantastic, and their desserts are pretty amazing as well. This yummy moussecake and a molten cake that?s great

Our waitress was very sweet, but she seemed to play that ?I?m pretty so I don?t have to think? card. We loved the place despite her though. The food was amazing. We did a tapas sort of dinner, splitting a bunch of small plates and then each had a flight. Dinner turned out really long since we loved one of the wines and got a bottle of it to share. I love those kinds of meals and this is the perfect place for them

I'm a vegetarian andfind that most wine bars in NYC are really meat focused. Of course they've got cheese but usually with meat too. and everything else is loads of meat. Not so at Ayza. I like that there are lots of options for me here. They have good soups anda veggie panini and pasta and loads of yummy salads -- without meat in them. II don't have to ask to do anything special, which is always so ridiculous and embarrassing.. All are pretty good too, which is nice. And I love the wine and atmosphere as well. The service is usually pretty good though last time my friends and I were there we had the rudest server. I think it must have been a fluke though because I've been loads of other times and they've all been nice, even if some of them are a little slow.I'm not such a chocolate fan so I really could take or leave that aspect -- ironic i know.

I am a huge fan of Richard Bloch and think he did a great job with this space. I?m sure it was hard to work with one so little but he really made it cool. The way that the lights hang from those grates in the ceilings, and you can see the wine from above - there are just a lot of gereat touches. It makes for a really cool or really romanic dinner space..

Pros: ambiance,food

The service sorta comes and goes - last week my waitress was really slow - but the food is consistently good and the wine list is amazing. I would go there just for the cheese but I love the paninis and the filet is really fantastic. Plus, at dinner time there are a lot of hot chicks to look at. Goes with the whole wine/chocolate thing I guess.

Pros: wine list, paninis , food

Cons: service

Great wine bar! I?m generally not all that picky about wines, and will freely admit I don't know a ton, but Ayza could make me a real wino though. They have a huge wine list and if you sit at the bar they often take the time to explain a bunch. The sommelier is probably a genius when it comes to wine and you can tell he's passionate about it. They pair the cheeses as well, which I've discovered makes all the difference. The other night I was there on my own and just had wine and cheese for dinner.

Probably the best wine bar in new York City. The plates were not huge, so sharing seemed the thing which was really fun to do. The chesse plate is lovely and comes out so nicely plated -they do a great job with presentation. We got several cheeses and then a few appetizers and then an entr?e to share so we could taste a little of everything. The service was a little slow but we didn?t really care because we had such great food.

Tthe servers knew NOTHING about wine but she pulled the sommelier over though. I was put off at first but I guess that's actually the way it should be in a wine bar, epsecially one this small. He recommended a great bottle and it complemented our dinner nicely. Ater dinner we got some nice ports to go with the chocolate. I don't normally llike it but these were acutally great.

Pros: wine and food

Cons: servers

My girlfriend loves exploring wine bars but I usually can't stand them. I find them pretentious and overpriced but Ayza is great -- so relaxed but pretty darn cool at the same time. The staff is friendly and down to earth and the food is really good. The portions are a little small, but given NY standards the prices are reasonable and the food is really really good. The waitress recommended a nice wine that didn?t cost too much, which was refreshing -- usually they try to just sell the most expensive thing. We had some sort of pizza that was way more than a pizza and totally delicious and I had a panini that was realy nice a well.

We?ve been back a couple times since we first discovered this place and and love it more every time. One of the owners is always walking around talking to people and the staff are all freindly and passionate about the food. Theydefinitely focus on the details and you can tell. This great cranberry bread that comes with the cheese, and strawberries in a glass of champagne. It's down to earth but also has the feel of fine dining, withouth thshock of a giant price tage.

This place is my new date spot. Its a great palce to bring a gal for a drink or for dinner. Swank and romantic too and the wine and chocolate thing seems to be a crowd pleaser. The food is great and th service is usually friendly, and the the tables are small and intimate.

I wasn't impressed at first. Our waitress had zero personality and didn?t seem to know much about the menu. But the manager suggested wines and was very nice, and the food was amazing. It was one of the best dinners of my life. We got small plates so we could try a bunch of stuff and there was nothing that we didn't like. All just superb.

Pros: food

Went in by myself the other night and sat at the bar for dinner.Love it. THe bartender was cool and freindly and knew the wines really well. I had a great glass and then he did a cheese pairing for me, plus this amazing salad that was kind of a mediterranean salad but all chopped really nicely. I had to do dessert too - you can't be in a chocolate bar without dessert.

Pros: cheese plate,wine ......

friendliest staff ever. When we arrived the man at the door greeted us immediately and our waitress was a total sweetheart. The manager came over to the table to recommend wines and the service was great throughout. We had delicious food too, a very great meal. I will definitely go back some time very soon.

Pros: staff,food,

Came here on a date The guy turned out to be a dud but the restaurant saved it. It?s in a weird location but I love the atmospher and the food?s really good too. We each did our own dinners but it would be a great place to share a bunch of things as well. I saw a couple tables doing that and can't wait to go back with someone I actually like, since it seems quite romantic

They have a fantastic selection of wine, but the food stands out even more in my opinion. And the staff is so ridiculously nice. Plus, it?s really romantic so it?s a great place to take a date - you can share some small plates and then do the whole chocolate thing.. I took a girl here the other night and I think she was rather impressed.

Pros: ambiance,food,staff

A self-proclaimed chocolate fanatic I was so excited to find a wine bar that combines chocolate with my other favorite thing - wine. Ayzy has delicious truffles from Jacque Torres, and paires them with great wines. All this and great food to boot. Plus a really romantic date spot or great for a night out with the girrls - we love doing dinner here because we can share a bunch of stuff.

Pros: wine list,service,food

There aren't many places to do lunh in this area, but Ayza sure beats all the cafeteria style places around. They are friendly and fast and the food is excellent. I love their BBQ panini and could eat it everyday if you let me, though sometimes i just like to do a big bowl of soup too.

Pros: food,quick

I went for the first time last Friday night and it was packed. I wasn't excited about waiting for a table but it ended up being worth it. We stood at the bar (people were eating dinner there too) and had some drinks and then they managed to seat us pretty quickly. The wine list is great and the menu has a little bit of everything. We had a great dinner and then we had some amazing crepe something or other though it looked more like a cake than a crepe, for dessert. It was the waitress recommendation and a good one!

I love their hummus and their trufle pizza and they have great soups that change seasonally. I come with friends and we get a bunch of things to share for dinner tapas style. THen we'll do flights and everyone shares the wine too. THe wine list is great and everything we've had we love. Staff is super friendly and knowledsgable and atmosphere is cool yet relaxed. I love the Monday jazz thing they have going on too.

Pros: staff,ambiance,food and wine

We only had cosmo's and raspberry chocolate martinis. w/ the the truffles..
I am still Craving their chocolateraspberry martinis,
you have to try them! and they are not to strong, but
oh, to die for!!!

Pros: choc. raspberry martinis

Cons: ?

It?s in sort of a strange neighborhood so when my friend told me where to meet her I wasn't all that excited, but then I got there and realized how cool the space is. Really modern and sleek.The wine was great and we had this mushroom pita thing and some hummus and both really blew us away. The staff is very nice and the chocolates are great. For dinner my friend had the chicken which was a little o the dry side but my pasta was amazing. I'll definitely by going back.

Ok, at the risk of sounding pathetic, I'm going to admite that I come here for dinner around once a week, sometimes even more. I am addicted to their truffle pizza, and I love the seasonal soups. Plus, it's just a great atmosphere. It started with stopping in for a glass of wine every now and then, but the smells always get to me, and so it always ends up becoming more. Not the worst habit to have I guess..

Pros: ambiance,truffle pizza

Gorgeous wine bar in Murray Hill. Love going on Monday nights for light dinner and live music. Don't find deals like that in most places in the city, especially not with a sleek atmosphere like this one. We had such a great time and the food was awesome too. Very nice patio - get there while the weather is still nice enough to enjoy it

Pros: live music,food,service,wine

Excellent food, great wine, yummy chocolate. I was with my mom and she loved it, though the music was a little loud. They turned it down but then at one point it seemed to go right back up again. No matter, though - we both really enjoyed our dinners and I'd certainly go back there.

Pros: wine list,service,food

Cons: loud music

I came here on a first date with this guy and it was actually the best part of the date! I ended up not liking the guy, but found a new great wine bar so it wasn't all a wash. It was crowded when we got there and it was a little chilly, but the waitress said that when the weather is nice the patio's great. She was a real sweetheart and I had more fun talking to her than my date. Anyway, they've got great food, and then there are the chocolates, which are just so great. I had a yummy saladand and we shared some cheese (which was amusing because the guy complained about all of them and how small it was). The server gave us great recommendations about everything. We had a couple glases of the wines by the glass, which were quite good but my date was one of those wine snobs and he complained that it wasn?t quite right but I thought it was fabulous. After dinner we had chocolate martinis (I needed the extra alcohol!) which were truly delicious, and the chocolates that went along with them -- holed the phone! I wanted dessert but the dude didn't so I'll be going back without the stick in the mud!

I'm a bit obsessed. I dream about wine and chocolate - I think I may have dreamed this place long before it was ever in existence. But them it goes beyond my dreams. I just feel uopn it one cday walking around the neighborhood and had to stop in immediately even though I wasn't at all hungry. I had a glass of wine and these to-die-for handmade chocolates. Then I just had to have a little food. They have a great selection of cheeses (all from Murray?s which makes them even better) and I had this gazpacho which was just light and fresh and delicous. and then I had more chocolates. I'm a glutton, I know. but I couldn't help it. The staff is really friendly, and the rest of the food is great. I love sitting out on the patio.I feel like I could eat there every day and never get sick of it.

Pros: FOOD,wine

I had gazpacho again, and a mini panini - the veggie is quite good. The people are really nice too, though the one at lunch was a little less friendly -- she seemed a little stressed though -- theywere packed and of course most people are in a rush. Anyway, I'm a big big fan!

My freind took me there for my birthday and I really liked it. I just love the whole wine and chocolate concept. Of course they have cheese too -- from Murray's so you know it has to be good, but wine and cheese is played out so the idea of the wine and chocolate is great. It?s the type of place where you go and you just enjoy several courses.

Pros: wine list,food,pr

Cons: slow service

All I can say is thank you Ayza. Thank you for being amazing and a great wine bar in a city of lot of wine bars that all start looking the same You are not the same. You are a little bit of everything. There are small plates that bounce from Asian shrimp dumplings to the most delicious hummus I've ever tasted. And it doesn't matter because the focus is on the wine. The wine and the chocolate, which is phenomenal BTW. I'm not usually a fan of sweet wines, but they have this white port that's so good -- and the whole thing is just luxe and lovely -- it's cool but friendly and the outdoor patio is a key -- and amazing spect since lots of wine bars are a bit sitfiling. I will definitely be back here again and again.

Pros: wine list,service,food

The whole wine and chocolate concept is really a great one. It?s what drew me in, but what will keep me coming back is the romantic atmosphere and the real comfortable feel. I love the outdoor patio and the swanky inside. The waitress messed up our order but she was able to fix it really quickly and the owner came over to apologize for it and offer us a free dessert. It was nice that they went to all that trouble and made the screwup really seem like nothing. The food was excellent though they wouldn?t let me change my sandwich which I found a little annoying

The staff are very friendly, though our waitress was a little slow. I think she might have been new, because every time we asked a question she hesitated, and often had to go back and ask the kitchen. (My friend has diet restrications and has to be careful about what she eats). The food was very good, though -- my friend had the gazpacho which we both became obsessed with and I had the BBQ panini which was also delicious. We got the handmade chocolates for dessert because the manager (who stopped by and checked on us, which was nice) said they were new and they were really good.

It doesn't get much better than this. Wine AND chocolate? I'm sold -- it's like thi place was made with me in mind. Plus it's just this great space and the people are friendly and the food is great. They have this really cool space that's totally urban chic, with the steel and wood and all the wine showing upstairs.

Pros: food,service,ambiance

A friend had her birthday party there and it was the perfect place for a girls' night out. We drank a lot of wine and gabbed and ate a lot of yummy food and then we got to wash it all down with some delicious handmade chocolates! Could you say lovely night? I think sso. Plus we had almost the whole patio to ourselves. It wasn't the perfect night for patio sitting which meant that we were the only ones cray enough to do it -- and a few others, but we basically had it all. Which was lovely. The whole wine and chocolate concept is brilliant. The setting is cool but very romantic too (it's a great date spot). And did I mention there are handmade chocolates?

It?s the best wine bar in New York in my opinion. The only problem was that the music was really loud the night I was there, but they turned it down when we asked them too. Anyways the steak I got was really good though I would have liked to have more of it. My lady was happy and we really enjoyed ourselves. the wine list is great and the design is cool. We got this truffle pizza to start and it was great. I'd eat that as a meal if it were bigger. We had like a really long meal but they didn't rush us, and let us order in a bunch of courses which was cool It can get a little pricey though. When we go again we'll have to be more careful but the other night we went a little crazy with the ordering. All so good though. And of course the desserts are great. They've got these homemade chocolates that are really nce.

We sat outside and had drinks and it was fantastic. Great wine list, and we were even able to order a reasonably priced bottle of champagne to do a little toast. It?s great for a group because there are a ton of options for wine and food. The watiress was good about keeping track of everyone, even though there were 10 of us. We ordered several appetizers and loved them all. The only problem was that they were pretty small, but I guess it meant we got to try a lot.

Pros: wine list,service,food

Cons: small

A few months ago my friend picked this wine bar and we were hooked. Not we do Ayza more often than any other of the staple restaurants. It's just so Yummy! We always order a bottle of wine and start of with cheese and some appetiers, and by now we've tried just about everything on the menu. Their tet du moine cheese is amazing -- I think we are all addicted. and I love the caprese bites, but then there are these great desserts, that we're obsessed with.

I actually had two meals there in one night. We had dinner and then got a bottle of wine, then felt like eating again. The staff was super nice about how long we stayed, even joking with us by the end.We each had flights with dinner and chocolate martinis with dessert, and then we wanted more wine. (decadent, I know) They have this chocolate cake that is just tres tres chic and it required a bit of wine. Then half way through the bottle we decided a truffle pizza at another table smelled good, so we got that and the shrimp dumplings, both delish! I bet they were ready to see us go but they were so nice.

I've only been to Ayza once and already it's climb to the top of my list for go-to restaurants. I love that it's not just a wine bar bt a wine and chocolate bar. Only in New York, right? They?re always playing fun music, though I think they might just loop the CD! I love to sit outside with a glass of wine and a plate of cheese. Their menu is really diverse, and there are a lot of good options for me and I'm a vegetarian. I like that they have a little bit of everything.

Pros: food,ambiance,wine list

I love that they got the whole New York thing going on: Jacque Torres, Murray?s cheese, Lady M? three great NYC places and its great to draw on that. Then they add there own little spins, such as a divers menu with everything from Asian to French (though it's mostly Mediterranean). They've even got a BBQ panini (which is great BTW). The owners are Turkish and you can definitely sense their influence with things like hummus -- some of the best I've had . I live nearby so I like to stop in oir sometimes I'll order food for pick up on the way home from work.

Pros: food,w?ne

I love wine and I love chocolate, so it was only natural that I would love this place. And love I did! For one, The concept: brilliant, the design: lovely, the food: scrumptious! That's to sy nothing of the huge wine list, which is fab, and the chocolate, well, don?t even get me started on the chocolate. First, you've got Jaques Torres premier truffle maker - gorgeous and tasty little morsels. But now thyey have handmade truffles that are even more amazing, if that's possible I've been a couple times now, and each time is better than the last; cheese plates are a grat app, salads are refreshing, entrees llovely and the atmosphere is so hip and swank, for the area, and just in general. Love sitting outside with a cool wine in the summertime, though inside is equally cozy in the winter.