Aparna R.
Yelp
Been here twice now, and I'm not yet sure whether I like coming here because I just like the *idea* of a dessert-centered wine bar or if I genuinely recommend the food and drinks.
I often exponentiate my already low tolerance for alcohol by operating on a near-empty stomach on weekdays (I walked so Bella Hadid could...also walk, I guess), so two shots of whiskey or a particularly potent margarita alone can get me drunker than a skunk.
This means that when I call a drink "strong", it might mean nothing at all, but if I call a drink "weak", know that it is likely abysmally so...
The chocolate martinis from Ayza can be characterized as the latter. As delicious as the drinks are, I have to assume that the bartenders have been instructed to merely ruminate on an Irish cream liqueur in the abstract while assembling the drinks instead of actually pouring any into their martinis, because both times I visited, I found myself enjoying the drink thoroughly but wondering if I had missed a note stating that it was a nonalcoholic beverage.
The apple cider mule, on the other hand, was FAR stronger than I anticipated. I had just a few sips of it, and my head started swimming almost immediately. It was ravishing.
I had the chocolate earthquake cake (they should have named it "The Chocolate Earthcake"; a missed oppuntunity, but I digress) twice, and it was delicious both times. But delicious in the way that a lava cake from an applebees is also delicious. The dessert was good, and I would consider ordering it again, but it was nothing to write home about.
Also, a special apology to the poor waitress who panicked a bit after seeing my note about "avoiding dairy" in my second reservation. Some of us are unlucky simpletons who weren't blessed with complete immunity from lactose, and I hope she understood that while I generally make an effort to avoid dairy, the two of us had already made peace with the misfortunes that would undoubtedly befall us after the meal before we even stepped foot in the bar :')