I Tried Every Cocktail at Tucci NYC So You Don't Have To (But You Should)
One Writer, 10 Cocktails, and a Revelation About Why This NoHo Italian Spot Has NYC's Most Underrated Bar Program
Plus: The perfect drunk food pairings, which drinks to skip, and why 1 AM on Friday might be the best time to drink in Manhattan
Let me start by saying this was supposed to be a restaurant review. I walked into Tucci NYC at 643 Broadway fully intending to write about their 4.8-star OpenTable rating, their five-generation family legacy, their chicken parmigiana that makes grown adults weep.
But then I sat at the bar.
And then I noticed the bartender's technique—the kind of precise, unfussy movements that tell you someone trained at serious cocktail bars before landing here.
And then I saw him make an espresso martini that looked like it belonged in a frame at MoMA.
And then I thought: Someone needs to document this bar program before the rest of NYC figures it out.
So I did what any responsible journalist would do: I went back. Multiple times. With a spreadsheet. And a very understanding Uber driver named Carlos who now knows my address by heart.
Here's everything you need to know about drinking at Tucci, learned over the course of what my bank statement calls "a situation" and what I call "research."
The Setup: Why an Italian Restaurant Has a Bar Program That Slaps This Hard
First, context. Tucci isn't trying to be a cocktail bar. It's an Italian restaurant from the Delmonico's family, with all the "refined modern Italian cuisine" that implies. But someone—and bless this person—decided the bar shouldn't just be an afterthought.
The main floor bar is beautiful but small, maybe 8 seats. The real action is downstairs in what they call the cantina, where a massive restored bar from the 1800s sits under stone arches that make you feel like you're drinking in a very chic cave. The lighting down here is perfect—dark enough to feel mysterious, bright enough to see your drink's color. The R train rumbles by every 15 minutes, which sounds annoying but actually becomes weirdly meditative after your third cocktail.
The bartenders (I encountered three different ones across my visits) all have that relaxed confidence that comes from actually knowing what they're doing rather than just following recipes. One mentioned he came from a "previous life" at a cocktail place downtown. Another had the kind of mustache that tells you he takes aperitifs seriously.
The Drinks: A Journey Through Italy Via NYC (With Some Wild Detours)
The Espresso Martini
$23-26 / Rating: 10/10 / Order this: Always
Look, I know. Another NYC writer gushing about an espresso martini. But holy shit. They're using Tramet 7 Grappa as the base (or Patron Reposado if you're feeling Mexican, or Community Spirit Vodka if you're basic), Luxardo Espresso Liqueur, fresh pulled espresso, and—this is the kicker—Mediterranean sea salt.
The salt is genius. It's like that salted caramel effect but for coffee. The foam-to-liquid ratio is perfect. This is the espresso martini that converts skeptics. The one you think about the next morning. The one that makes every other version taste like disappointment.
Drunk Food Pairing: The Tucci meatballs. The Calabrian chili marinara needs that coffee bitter to cut through.
The Negroni Collection
All $23 / Rating: 9.5/10 / Order this: All of them, but pace yourself
They're not doing just one Negroni. They're doing THREE, and each is a revelation:
Negroni Bianco: Contraluz Mezcal (yes, mezcal in a Negroni), dry vermouth, Luxardo Bitter Bianco. It's like a Negroni went to Oaxaca and came back enlightened.
Strawberry Negroni: Tanqueray, Campari infused with strawberry and black pepper, sweet and dry vermouth, cardamom bitters. This shouldn't work but absolutely does.
Coconut Negroni: Coconut-infused Ketel One, both vermouths, Bitter Bianco, and pandan liqueur. It's like a Negroni went on vacation to Thailand.
Drunk Food Pairing: The Brooklyn burrata with prosciutto. The richness needs the bitter.
The Amaretto Sour
$23 / Rating: 9.5/10 / Order this: Even if you think you hate Amaretto Sours
This is not your college Amaretto Sour. Angel's Envy Bourbon, Amaretto di Saschira, Gonzalez Byass vermouth, fresh lemon, egg white, Angostura bitters. The bourbon backbone changes everything—it's like an Amaretto Sour that went to graduate school and got its shit together.
Drunk Food Pairing: The chicken parmigiana with smoked vodka sauce. Sweet-sour-savory perfection.
Tramonto Spritz
$21 / Rating: 8.5/10 / Order this: When you want to feel fancy but not break the bank
St. Germain, Aperol, Rockey's Liqueur, Prosecco. It's like an Aperol Spritz's more sophisticated older sister who studied abroad. The elderflower from St. Germain adds this floral note that makes you feel like you're drinking in a garden in Tuscany.
Drunk Food Pairing: The crispy baby artichokes with friarielli aioli.
Lavender Haze
$23 / Rating: 9/10 / Order this: When you're feeling your Taylor Swift era
Ilegal Mezcal, St. Germain, Crème de Cassis, lavender, fresh lemon, pineapple. This is a journey—smoky, floral, fruity, citrusy. It's like someone bottled a really good dream about Provence.
Drunk Food Pairing: The branzino. Light fish with this complex cocktail is chef's kiss.
di Cristallo
$23 / Rating: 8/10 / Order this: If you're adventurous
Bulleit Rye, sake (yes, sake), passion fruit, black tea reduction, fresh lime. This is East meets West meets what-the-fuck-is-happening-but-I-like-it. The black tea reduction is the secret weapon here.
Drunk Food Pairing: The agnolotti with mascarpone and mandarin sauce. Trust me.
Raspberry Fields Forever
$23 / Rating: 7.5/10 / Order this: If you like your drinks on the sweeter side
Codigo Rosa Tequila, Aperol, fresh lime, raspberry-vanilla. It's pink, it's pretty, it's actually well-balanced despite sounding like it should be cloying. The Aperol keeps it from going full dessert.
Drunk Food Pairing: The tuna carpaccio. The sweetness plays well with the raw fish.
Rotondella
$23 / Rating: 8.5/10 / Order this: Summer only
Grey Goose Watermelon & Basil Vodka, vanilla, fresh lime, pineapple, egg white. It's like drinking summer. The basil and watermelon combo shouldn't work as well as it does, but here we are.
Drunk Food Pairing: The shrimp scampi. Light, citrusy, perfect.
Paper Plane
$23 / Rating: 9/10 / Order this: If you know, you know
Jaywalk Rye, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, fresh lemon, Angostura bitters. This is a modern classic done right. Balanced, complex, makes you feel like you understand cocktails even if you don't.
Drunk Food Pairing: The Iberico pork chop. Both have that perfect balance of sweet and bitter.
Peach Gimlet
$23 / Rating: 8/10 / Order this: When you want gin but also summer
Bombay Sapphire, honey-infused Mathilde Pêche Liqueur, fresh lime, dry vermouth. It's sophisticated without being stuffy. The honey infusion is subtle but important.
Drunk Food Pairing: The Faroe Island salmon with lemon caper sauce.
The Late Night Phenomenon (Friday & Saturday Only)
Here's what nobody tells you: After 11 PM on weekends, when Tucci stays open until 2 AM, the bar transforms into something special.
The dinner crowd clears out. The lights somehow get dimmer without anyone touching a switch. The bartenders relax—sleeves get rolled up another fold, the pours get a touch heavier, the conversation gets better. Industry people start showing up—you can spot them because they're drinking Fernet or asking for "dealer's choice" and meaning it.
This is when you want to be here. This is when the bartender might make you something off-menu just because he's bored. This is when that couple at the end of the bar turns out to be comedians you've seen on Netflix. This is when someone orders shots for the bar and you remember why you moved to New York.
I stayed until 1:30 AM on a Friday and watched the whole evolution. By midnight, everyone at the bar knew each other's names. By 1 AM, we were debating whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie (it is). By 1:30, the bartender was telling us about the time he served drinks to that actor from that thing, and we were all friends, and the city felt small and warm and possible.
The Strategy: How to Drink at Tucci Like You Know What You're Doing
If it's your first time: Start with the espresso martini. I don't care if you don't like espresso martinis. Order it with the grappa. This one's different.
If you're on a date: Tramonto Spritz to start (shows you're sophisticated but fun), Paper Plane second (shows you know cocktails), share the Lavender Haze for dessert (shows you're thoughtful and maybe a Swiftie).
If you're here to get properly drunk: Start with the Negroni flight (yes, all three), move to the di Cristallo for the sake surprise, close with espresso martinis so you can rally for the after-party.
If you're industry: Sit at the downstairs bar after 11 PM, order the Paper Plane, make friends with the bartender, let the night unfold.
If you're on a budget: The Tramonto Spritz at $21 is the best value. Or just pound Peronis, but then why are you even here?
The Mistakes to Avoid
- Don't order vodka sodas. They'll make you one, but you'll be wasting everyone's time.
- Don't ask for drinks to be "skinny" or "sugar-free." This isn't that kind of place.
- Don't order more than one espresso martini if you plan to sleep that night.
- Don't sit at the upstairs bar if the downstairs is available. Trust me.
- Don't leave before trying at least one cocktail. Even if you "only drink wine."
The Food Situation (Because You Need to Eat)
You didn't come here for my food opinions, but you're getting them anyway because drinking without eating at Tucci is like going to Paris and skipping the Louvre.
The Chicken Parmigiana: Obscenely good. Order it.
The Meatballs: Perfect drunk food. The sauce is the sauce.
The Focaccia: Necessary. For soaking. You know.
The Burrata: Creamy drunk food that makes you feel fancy.
The Pork Chop: If you're trying to impress someone.
Everything comes in huge portions meant for sharing, which is perfect because after four cocktails, you'll want to share everything with everyone anyway.
The Verdict: Why This Matters
New York is full of great cocktail bars. You know the names—Death & Co, Attaboy, Double Chicken Please, all those places with no signs where you need to know someone who knows someone.
But Tucci isn't trying to be a cocktail bar. It's an Italian restaurant that happens to have a bar program that could stand on its own. There's no pretension, no 25-minute wait for a drink with 17 ingredients, no bartender explaining the terroir of the ice.
Just good drinks, made well, in a space that makes you want to stay longer than you planned, served by people who seem to genuinely give a shit.
In a city where everything is trying so hard to be something, Tucci's bar just... is. And that's enough. More than enough.
The Information You Actually Need
Where: 643 Broadway, NoHo
When: Mon-Thu 5 PM-11 PM, Fri-Sat 5 PM-2 AM, Sun 5 PM-11 PM
How Much: Cocktails $21-26, Wine $17-35 by glass, Beers $10-11
Pro Tip: Go Friday after 11 PM, sit at the downstairs bar, order the espresso martini with grappa
Real Pro Tip: The Negroni flight is the best cocktail education you'll get in NYC
The Last Call
I went to Tucci to try every cocktail. I left understanding something about New York that I'd forgotten: The best experiences aren't always at the places trying hardest to be the best. Sometimes they're at the Italian restaurant with the surprisingly good bar program, where the bartender remembers your name by the third drink, where the couple next to you includes you in their toast, where the rumble of the R train becomes the heartbeat of your Friday night.
Is Tucci the best cocktail bar in New York? Its definitely in my top 10.
Is it the bar I most want to be at on a Friday night?
Yeah. Actually, it might be.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go drink some water and question my life choices. But first, one more espresso martini. For journalism.
Want to know everything else about Tucci? Here's the complete guide.
