Felice 64 is the kind of wine bar that works because it doesn't overcomplicate itself. The room is right — subdued lighting, exposed brick walls lined floor to ceiling with bottles, tufted leather seats that hold you there longer than you planned. The wine list is the draw: over a hundred Italian bottles, more than thirty poured by the glass, all sustainable or biodynamic, most sourced from small producers. The kitchen runs a distant second, which is fine.
The Vibe
Fifty seats inside, sixteen more on the patio when the weather cooperates. At 6pm on a weekday it's calm enough to hear each other; by 8pm on a Friday it fills with the kind of UES regulars who've been coming for years and treat the staff like family. Not loud, not quiet — the right middle. The bar is the best seat in the house for a first date.
What to Order
- Tuscan platter — salami, Pecorino Toscano, green olives, pickled artichokes. The right thing to order with a first glass of wine.
- Fusilli al Ferretto — the pasta to get. Better than the bolognese, better than the carbonara.
- Skip the chicken parmigiana — serviceable, nothing more. The kitchen is better at smaller plates than it is at the big centrist entrées.
When to Come
Happy hour runs daily at the bar from 4 to 6pm — the smartest use of this place for an early date. Dinner reservations available on Resy; book ahead on weekends or you'll wait. A weeknight at 7pm is the sweet spot: full room, not frantic.
The Bottom Line
A reliable, good-looking Italian wine bar that earns its keep on the wine list — the right call for a low-pressure first or second date on the Upper East Side.