AperiBar

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

The Concept Behind the Name

AperiBar takes its name from aperitivo, the Italian tradition of unwinding post-work with a glass of wine, a Campari, and something good to eat. That unhurried, convivial spirit shapes everything here — from the warm, stylish room inside LUMA Hotel Times Square to a menu built around sharing and lingering. The result is an all-day Italian and Mediterranean destination that feels relaxed without being casual, and lively without the noise that usually defines this corner of midtown Manhattan.

Charlie Palmer and the Team Behind It

The restaurant is part of the Charlie Palmer Collective, the expanding group built by chef and entrepreneur Charlie Palmer — the man behind the legendary Aureole, which over 30 years earned 13 Michelin stars and two James Beard Awards before transitioning to a new model in 2020. Palmer's philosophy has always leaned on quality ingredients and straightforward, honest cooking, and that ethos carries directly into AperiBar.

Day-to-day, the restaurant is run by an entirely female-led management team. General Manager Sadie Michaels and Executive Chef Vasiliki Vourliotaki bring what the restaurant describes as "unrivaled passion and hospitality prowess" to both the menus and the guest experience — a combination that contributed to AperiBar earning the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2023, recognition that speaks directly to the seriousness of the drinks program.

What's on the Table

The menu spans the full day. Mornings bring coffee, pastries, fruit, yogurt, and breakfast pizza. Come afternoon and into the late-night hours, the kitchen moves into antipasti, oysters, crudo of the day, salads, Neapolitan-style pizza, pasta, and dishes from land and sea described as "Charlie's favorites." Small and large plates are designed for sharing, and the drinks list — wines, aperitifs, and cocktails — is built to be ordered alongside food rather than separately.

The pre-theatre menu (Monday through Saturday, 5–6 pm) offers a three-course Italian dinner at a fixed price, making AperiBar a practical and genuinely good choice before a show at any of the nearby theaters. Its location on West 41st Street, less than a block from Bryant Park and steps from Times Square, puts it at one of midtown's most convenient crossroads.

The Atmosphere

The space reflects what the restaurant calls "the lively pulse of its Times Square setting" — stylish but uncomplicated, designed for conversation and sharing rather than spectacle. It functions as a bar, a lounge, a dining room, and a breakfast spot depending on the hour, with the Italian and Mediterranean sensibility running through each of those modes consistently.