I love this place! I happened upon it while shopping in SoHo and found it through my Yelp iPhone app (I was looking for a place with free WiFi). What a gem! It was very European (despite it being 2:30 in the afternoon, there were several people drinking wine, which made me want to join in!), and the atmosphere was trendy, yet inviting. I had a soy cappuccino and a nutella croissant - yum! The cappuccino was small, but still pretty good. I was served by Mr. Magoo (as Ryan B. called him). He was friendly enough but I definitely felt like he didn't think I was cool enough to be there too long ;). I will definitely be back and try some of the food and maybe get an afternoon glass of vino. read more

Loved this place - friendly service, great food and good prices. We were seated quickly at one of the long picnic tables, with plenty of room for our party of four. The house white was surprisingly dry (for a pinot grigio) and crisp and a great value. We shared one of the medium boards (cold cuts and cheeses), which was much bigger than expected. 3 of us ordered salads for our dinners, then immediately regretted it upon tasting our 4th's papardelle. After fighting each other for the remaining well-cooked pasta ribbons, we wiped her plate clean of any remaining remnant of the rich ragu. read more

One of my favorite places to go for a good salad. I am now using this place to take out-of-town guests. There is always a seat, the food is always great and the atmosphere is very relaxed. The service is wonky sometimes. They're either right on top of everything, or constantly behind. So don't go if you HAVE to be somewhere in case you get a slow day, but go here if you want to relax and eat great food in an atmosphere perfect for good conversation with friends. PS: Cash only. read more

Lovely french restaurant in Nolita. The food is not super abundant, but well priced but the portion. They have a great selection of wines and delicious burrata. The servers can occasionally be mean/ too cool for school. Otherwise lovely! And cash only. read more

It's unusual to find something open and full of life in this neighborhood on the weekends: this is a great spot for an early morning brunch and conversation. There weren't many people in at 10am with us, just a family and a couple of two, but the space is very inviting and pleasant. Unlike most places in soho, we weren't rushed to pay or order or anything. They let us take our time, which was nice. I'd recommend this as a place to catch up with friends and enjoy a quieter brunch. I tried the pane frattau, which is definitely order again. read more

Avo toast with smoked salmon will change ur life. The end. Haha jk the service was fab, good decor, vibe, ambiance, fast service, good food, good portions, quiet location, FAB FAB FAB. I fux widdit. read more

Epistrophy - Avo toast with a side of SMOKED SALMON - Wine Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Cute, harmless, neighborhood wine bar with cheap Italian eats and a few slightly uncomfortable sidewalk tables. We had dinner: zucchini starter and lamb entree (not more than edible). There is a short list of common Italian wines. The atmosphere is neighborly and the service friendly and amateuristic (which explains the mixed reviews). Bottom line: I don't think this place aspires to be anything special, and it isn't. Everything from food, to wine, to service, to toilet cleanliness says "we do just enough to get by". NOTE: Does not accept credit cards. read more

So the food here is amazing, and the ambience was really awesome, the prices werent terrible especically for this neighborhood. However the service was weird, not awful, but we had to ask for silverware, when our food arrived. Trying to get a servers attention for anything was really difficult, you think theyd be looking when you are sitting right next to where they stand. I would have given them 4 starts, but it's cash only. We had 2 entrees with drinks and it came to over 50, which is not bad for nyc, but I don't like having to spend all the cash I have on hand on one meal. I'm sure they take in enough to afford the credit card fees. I would love to go back even with meh service, but Im not making a special trip to the atm for it. so I'll wait till they accept cards, or just go to one of the many places around that do. read more

Always fresh, always dependable. I keep going back for the charcuterie and cheese plate. Great spot to start the evening. Excellent service and very nice presentation even for simple items. read more

Got brunch here on a Saturday. They have outdoor seating, but we sat inside. The space is really nice. Interesting decor, with good lighting and relaxed vibe. The food was pretty underwhelming though. The girl I was with got some egg and prosciutto salad thing. Egg whites were runny and the greens were just romaine that wasn't so fresh. They were out of what I wanted so I got this asparagus and egg spaghetti dish. Kind of odd for a brunch menu, but sounded better than the remaining options. It was tasty, but nothing special. The bread and olive oil they served at the beginning if the meal was quite good though. Cappuccino was so so. They have a cool couch area, that would be nice to hang out in and maybe drink some wine or coffee. Ok place, if a little disappointing. read more

I use to be HUGE fan. NOT anymore. The freaking BLAZÉ attitude is beyond control. The owner should be there more often to see how your staff is treating customers. Staff who never comes to the tables, when you finally get their attention and ask for something they look annoyed by it. They then bring what you asked for and run away again without asking if we need another drink and if all is going good. Seriously, people? NYC has too many cool places to offer and there is not need to keep going to a place where you are poorly treated. No more for me. read more

Yum! Friendly & tasty! The frittata & macchiato were just right on a cold November day!

They strive to be mediocre in everything they do. Their cacio e pepe was barely edible and topped with thickly grated cheese that was dry and failed to melt. How could you mess up cheese and pasta? Two stars for the decor. read more

Great drinks and small plates that are awesome to share. This place has a great cozy atmosphere.

Really bad experience. Went down hill since COVID. Used to love this place. Order was wrong, coffee was bad, no water refills!!! Potato's are good. Vegetarian Carbonara was bad (which we didn't even order), chicken cutlet was dry. read more

the coffee is great. I liked the sort of Laid back atmosphere. Not too hip, not too casual, just a comfortable nice cafe you would like it to be. I haven't had the food there but the waiters were nice. Nice place to go with your friends and chill out. read more

Love the chill atmosphere (went for brunch). It is a bit retro-chic, hipster, and the staff were all very nice and cool. But not overly, fake nice. I sat at the bar for 30 minutes waiting for my date who was late for brunch. All I had at the bar was water. The bartender, waiters, and manager all made sure I had enough water (I drink a lot of it), without filling it every time I took a sip. They were willing to interact with me, but they could tell that I was waiting for someone and was happy to be left alone to read, so that is what they did. Nothing worse than making small talk with a stranger when you don't feel like it! Food was great. Love that they only serve espresso drinks, or americanos for coffee drinkers, mimosas were awesome with fresh squeezed OJ. Highly recommended if you are looking for a place to have a relaxing meal, or just somewhere to hang out and read or catch up with friend for a few hour. read more

Rustic but stylish Italian restaurant. The menu does not offer many choices, but the food was good, and the pasta was 'al dente'. Poor wine list. It's the kind of restaurant where I'll go again if I happen to be in Nolita at lunch time, but not the kind of restaurant I make plans for. read more

Can't say anything negative about the place. The host and staff are always incredibly courteous and warm, and the food is reliably delicious. Homemade pastas are flavorful and perfectly cooked, and it's also impressive that the kitchen is really just a series of hot plates with no ovens whatsoever! It's a great cozy place for a date, or even to go by yourself and read a book - super low key, and it's never too crowded or empty. My boyfriend is a big fan of the gnocchetti and orders it every time we go. I usually order one of the egg dishes, but so far, the pane frattau hands down is one of the best egg dishes i've tried in the city - and that's coming from a true egg snob! (See other reviews - cough cough, Marc Forgione should take a hint). The salads are fresh and crisp, as are the dressings. If you are here for brunch, definitely ask for the sun dried tomato bloody mary!! read more

If I could give this place 10 stars I would. It embodies everything I am looking for in a restaurant. Great vibe, delicious food and a recurring Sunday night Live Jazz concert. The service was quick and efficient. The owners made us feel at home and provided us with detailed information regarding the food selections. Best Italian restaurant I've been to in New York! read more

The place is super cute, possibly a great place to grab a drink. However, as for the pasta I would have to say the portions were small, the pasta was too salty, a little lackluster, and definitely over priced. Still had a great time simply because of the ambience but really wished they had good food. Wouldn't come here again tbh. read more

Ambiance: nice cafe feel. Food:Expensive cold over cooked over salted reheated pasta. We had multiple items and shared them all. Bruschetta is one plus, nothing else I would order again. Drinks: very good I like it as a cafe not as an expensive restaurant read more

Ordered the gnocchi, it was terrible: Dry, flavorless, undercooked. We also ordered the squid ink pasta with mussels which was terrible as well, honestly tasted like it was stale. I would not recommend Epistrophy for the price. Also, it was raining and their outdoor seating was not at all acceptable. The tables and chairs were drenched with water leaking from everywhere. read more

Such a cute spot. The food was delicious. We had the steak and the orchiaetta and both were prepared so well. The service was consistent as well. Great neighborhood spot for anyone near by! read more

Walked by this place for the last year or so, always put off by the euro-trash vibe. They're deep here, the euros I mean. Finally ended up sitting down for a lengthy meal in company, and it wasn't that bad. Food was rather hit or miss, the sformatto was borderline disgusting (i might be spoiled by Babbo's). Gnoccheti almost heavenly. Cold Cut and cheese platter as expected. Salmon carpaccio rather delicious. Avocado bresaola just didn't work for me at all. Service was nice, pleasant, but completely unrushed despite the full dining room. All the staff looks exactly the same, which is kind of sad since they're try to be so unique. Overall, not a bad place. I'd come in again, but only if I had to, not worth a special trip. read more

I went here with my partner and our friend on a recent Saturday evening about 5:15. We were early enough to snag a good table. Actually, it was a picnic table we shared with another group, but we certainly weren't on top of each other, and the picnic table contributed to the restaurant's relaxed, rustic vibe. The wait staff were friendly and attentive, if a little overly eager to take our order. But once we ordered and were on our second glass of wine, I think they got the hint we wanted to take our time and gave us space. We all started off with salads. A good salad sets the tone for an entire meal, and these were fresh and generously portioned. My fennel salad was incredibly good, and well-priced at $9 for the size. My partner was so satisfied with his salmon salad that he didn't need a main entree. I had a grass-fed sirloin steak for dinner with green beans. Very reasonable at $21, considering some steakhouses could charge twice that much for grass-fed beef. Our friend had potatoes gnocchi, which I didn't sample, but she raved about it. Based on our friend's recollection from a past visit that desserts here were mediocre, we passed in favor of another glass of wine. We were there a good two hours, and after the initial over-eagerness of our server, felt relaxed and well cared for. The music selection, by the way, was incredible: lots of Broken Bells, The National, and even Kate Bush. Good music makes a great dining experience even better. About the cash-only policy: restaurants need to put this information in a more prominent place. Luckily, we had cash, and there are ATMs nearby. But with the excellent (and well-priced) wine selection, a few drinks can really spike your tab, so be prepared. Highly recommended for a first date, a night out with friends, or somewhere to take out-of-town guests who want a taste of the relaxed ambiance of Italy. read more

Went here on Valentines Day when every place else wanted reservations with outrageously priced pre-fixed menus...so I was happy to arrive here to see that we were welcomed!!! The menu was very affordable with freshly made pasta, excellent house wine, and friendly authentic Italian service. I can't wait to go back...and the decor was very cozy. :-) read more

We came here on a snowy night and had great experience! Nice relaxing atmosphere, delicious pasta and kind service. Pappardelle is the best for only $13. Many recommended the artichoke ravioli but we think it is ok as the pesto flavor was a little overwhelming. We also ordered the special crochette which was average. Drinks was nice. I loved the Bellini! Highly recommend for low budget yet great Italian food night. read more

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The rating of solely the food is 4 stars, great quality and tasty. We had the burrata and tuna tartar for starters, both delicious! The today's specials are very tasty. However the service can be improved, we had to wait for both water and salt/pepper even after reminding the waiters. After paying the check (they only accept cash) we never received the change back until we asked for it. They where quiet rude about it. The change (since the gratitude of 18% was already added to the bill) where around $20 so not only pennies. I would recommend anyone looking for a small nice restaurant with great food to visit this place, but don't expect the service to be in line with the food quality. read more

As i walked in, the two ladies that work there did not even greet me. I asked if i could have lunch and it was followed by a "umff, sure...". This was at 2pm. The service was very poor, and i ordered a pesto pasta which tasted like fried basil. Not tasty at all... I asked for the check, and was told that they don't accept card. Could have told me before as i was charged 3$ for their atm machine inside. Awful. Will NOT be returning. read more

Got week day late night drinks here with a couple of coworkers at around 10-ish. It was a nice, cute little place with a romantic, dimly-lit ambiance. We all just ordered cocktails, two of us getting the signature "episotrophy", which was quite tasty. It's a rum-based drink with lime juice and mint. Gave a good kick too! Will likely be back again. read more

We love this place, we got lasagna for lunch! It was amazing the waitress Aisha was very friendly! The decoration of the place is great, you wish to stay for a life there. read more

Epistrophy is a cute little restaurant that I can definitely recommend. I met a friend for dinner here on a Wednesday night and we were very impressed with both the food and service. We arrived at the restaurant around 6:30pm and since it was such a beautiful night we wanted to sit outside. Unfortunately, no outdoor tables were open at the time, but we were told if we waited about 30 minutes one would become available. We sat at the bar and had a delicious cocktail. Sure enough in 30 minutes a delightful outdoor table opened up. To start with we split the burrata, which was scrumptious and fresh. For our entrees, we both had the Cacio E Pepe, which was so amazing that I wanted more. Overall, the food was terrific and the service was good as well. I would gladly return to Epistrophy for another meal. read more

It would be hard to imagine a nicer Soho restaurant than this small and friendly Italian place, somewhere between "cheap and cheerful" and "fun if not fancy." Even when full of buoyant patrons and bubbling conversation, the tight-but-not touching room feels inviting and comfortable. On the menu is a tightly edited selection of thoughtfully cooked and plated Italian fare. (The founders are Sardinian.) And since the place is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as drinks and coffee, it's an easy spot to return to for whatever you may want, when you're in the area. read more

Honestly, there are so many attractive people in New York City. And some of them are on Yelp. Like Preeti B. So on a Friday night, the lovely, intelligent, and creative Preeti B and I decided to take our Yelp friendship to the next level and join the model-esque crowd in SoHo for a friend-date. There are a couple tables outside for al fresco dining but we opted to sit indoors on the comfy couch set amidst bookshelves and exposed brick. The open window was providing a fresh air quality as it was and it was the perfect spot to grab a snack with the nicer weather taking off. We both love to share food and share we did. The artichoke ravioli and the chicken were perfect choices along with a plate of some cheese and vegetables. Sadly, that night I decided to "lay off the sauce" as Preeti would say, so I may have missed out on the wine, but I had coffee instead. We enjoyed some appetizers on the comfy couch and girl talked until the sun went down while more model-types poured in. I would say this is a great spot for a wine conversation catch-up after SoHo shopping or if you're coming during the day, a nice spot to do a coffee date. It is a relaxed environment and thanks to Preeti for suggesting it! read more

We went to N.Y. for a weekend to catch a show. Stayed a few blocks away from Epistrophy, we weren't disappointed. The only reason I didn't give a fifth star was due to some extenuating circumstances. Our food was perfect and the staff was great. The seating situation was tough, I sat in the middle of the restaurant at a two person table, the bench style table was less than a foot off my right arm, I was bumped into probably four or five times and not due to the person being inconsiderate, just too tight of a space. The other reason for the lack of the fifth star is the front door, it doesn't close on its own which could be addressed. This in itself wouldn't be terrible, but it was cold that night and we were in the direct path of the wind, not too mention the group of people who were being slightly inconsiderate and smoking packs of cigarettes in front of the entrance. Every-time the door would get stuck open and I went to take a bite of my meal, I would also get a mouth full of cigarette smoke. If they could fix the door and maybe inform people to step off to the side it would be a five star review all day long. All and all I would most likely return for the quality of the meal alone. read more

Epistrophy is my safe zone. It's where I go when I just want to get away from the crowds of SoHo and when I just want to sit and relax. At Epistrophy I know I can recharge. The iced coffee is really good and although the container for milk is prone to spillage, it doesn't make drinking the joe any less enjoyable. The waitress is a ham and will make friendly banter with you. I've been a few times and she always says something quirky. On this visit, she pretended to be a magician by making a non-existent croissant appear before our eyes. It even had the Nutella we were jonesing for. The pastas and paninis are edible but not spectacular. I'd stick to drinks. Especially when the androgynous barista dresses like Where's Waldo? It's part of the fun of Epistrophy. You can be a klutz, become full of giggles, snicker with your friends, and be playful with the staff. Epistrophy is extremely casual and its a refreshing environment free of NoLita waifers and the too cool for you New Yorkers. I secretly wish that the next time I go the barista will be dressed like a garden gnome and that the waitress will have some new jokes. These random things make it worth coming into the city for and hanging around. It's a far cry from Ceci-Cela down the street. read more

This is an adorable, cozy little restaurant nestled within the streets of SoHo. The atmosphere is one to speak of, be it welcoming, friendly and most of all authentic. Very laid back and easy going vibe, great for dinner. The food was good, as the pastas tasted very handmade and not too salty or overwhelming with flavors. Classic, simple place. Would recommend the pesto artichoke Raviolli! read more

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Not impressed by this place. Tried it with my sister from out of town. The place itself is super cute but service is awful! Maybe we weren't trendy enough to be treated well but we had to flag down someone to take our order, then when we did get our food we wanted salt and hot sauce and again, no server to be found so I asked the bartender and he gave me a salt shaker and said I should ask another table for hot sauce. What?? Really?? I asked if they only had one hot sauce bottle and he shrugged and said maybe. So not only did they take forever to come take our order for drinks/food but they never came to check on if our order came out right or if we needed anything. They also never refilled our water. But of course were super quick to pick up the check. Food was nothing memorable, kinda bland. I won't be back nor recommend it. read more

Had a good experience here. Drinks were delicious (I had the "epistrophy" cocktail and my husband had wine. We started with the zucchini croquettes, which were tiny but tasted good. For our main courses I had the orecchiette and my husband had the spaghetti Cacio e Pepe. Both were very tasty. Service was good and I'll definitely be back! read more