Little Italy’s customary cuisine and (pre-dinner) cocktails have traveled northwest into the trendy West Village neighborhood for a restyle. Aperitivo ‘tails, such the fizzy Aperol Spritz, are experiencing a thoughtful upgrade under top restaurateurs and bev-experts—calling the “who’s who” to the city’s West Side.

“There’s been an uptick in regional Italian restaurants and bars, versus the classic Italian-American red sauce joint, that has dominated the [West Village] scene,” shares Robert Goldman, developer of Saint Theo’s on Bleecker Street. “The rise in popularity of certain aperitivo cocktails, like Aperol Spritz and Negroni, have sparked interest and demand for concepts—that are specific—to the diverse ways of Italian dining and drinking.”