NYCReview
Aita
Included In
You know those places you build up in your head until they’ve reached mythical proportions? Like the bar in your college town that you actually had to wait until you were 21 to get into, or the apartment of the person you’ve been on six dates with, or The Olive Garden? Aita was one of those places for us.
On a quiet, charming corner on the Clinton Hill/Fort Greene border, Aita always called to us. We’re easily seduced by neighborhood Italian spots, and whenever we passed this one it always looked especially enticing: a communal wooden table, a nice bar, outdoor gazebos that are actually warm, and lots of people that always look so goddamn cozy.
And just like how your college town bar ended up just being a bar, and The Olive Garden ended up just being a sad place with stale unlimited breadsticks, Aita is exactly as you would expect: a solid casual neighborhood Italian spot. The usuals suspects are all here (little gem salad, burrata, grilled octopus, pastas), made with rotating seasonal ingredients, and good—though none are particularly memorable. This is the kind of place you’re lucky to have if you live nearby, but not somewhere you need to build an entire night around visiting.
So if you find yourself in Clinton Hill on a date, or with a few friends, or with your parents, Aita will give you what you need. Once you factor in its secret attached bar around the corner (Mayflower), you’ll even have more than you need. And that’s worth a whole lot more than unlimited breadsticks.