Y Bar e Ristorante is bringing 1960s Italy to Buckhead Village

The team behind popular Italian restaurants Yeppa & Co., Storico Fresco and Forza Storico has opened Y Bar e Ristorante in Buckhead Village, a late-night cocktail bar and restaurant that’s meant to evoke the feeling of 1960s Italy.

“Y Bar is dedicated to the generation of ‘La Dolce Vita,’” said Stephen Peterson, Y Hospitality owner.

Peterson moved to Rimini, Italy, in the Emilia-Romagna region when he was a child, and Y Hospitality now operates Villa Yeppa in the region. Y Bar draws on Peterson’s love of Rimini, with wine that comes from a nearby vineyard and dishes inspired by his favorite childhood restaurants.

The interior of the restaurant is papered with drawings and art by the influential “La Dolce Vita” film director Federico Fellini, who was born in Rimini and won four Academy Awards between 1956-1974. There are also family photos around the restaurant from Massimo Lorenzi, the owner of Enio Ottaviani Winery near Villa Yeppa.

The 1960s and ‘70s theme isn’t overt, Peterson said, but is meant to subtly draw on the feelings of that era.

Y Bar e Ristorante from the Y Hospitality team includes decor sourced from Italy, inspired by the 1960s and '70s. (Courtesy of Sarah Lawless)

“It’s our way to express the need and the hope for a much simpler future one day,” he said. “We’ve come to the conclusion that there was this overall sentiment and optimism about the future, which I think we’ve lost.”

Part of the way Y Bar will evoke this feeling is by getting rid of the handheld point of sale system and reverting its staff back to taking orders with pen and paper.

The beverage program offers “very classic but well-thought cocktails,” Peterson said. Chef Ricky Navas is behind the food, which features a snack-y, aperitivo-style menu available all night long, and a “piatti” menu with larger entrees.

“The idea is like an Italian happy hour that never ends. I came in to just get a few cocktails and a few snacks, and I ended up having a great dinner,” Peterson said.

These mini meatball subs are on the menu at Y Bar e Ristorante and will be available late into the night. (Courtesy of Sarah Lawless)

The antipastini menu includes small plates like marinated olives, artichoke dip, beef tartare and “I’m Workin’ with Three Inches,” a plate with two mini meatball subs.

For more complete entrees, expect a snapper crudo with blood orange caviar; cacio e burro that includes handmade tagliolini pasta, pecorino- and carrot-infused butter, guanciale and Parmesan; spaghetti and meatballs; and a crispy lasagna.

“We actually went to some of our favorite childhood restaurants and places (in Italy), and we got inspiration from that, then we translated it into a very simple menu here,” Peterson said.

There will also be a late-night menu available on the weekends. Y Bar is meant to be a place where diners can enjoy predinner drinks and snacks, a full meal and stay for cocktails and dancing late into the night.

Beverage director Luca Fanari created the cocktail menu with five signature drinks, including the copa de nona, a twist on the classic espresso martini served with zabaglione ice cream, and the alla Milanese, inspired by risotto Milanese with mezcal, fernet, saffron syrup and finished with Parmesan foam and black pepper.

On the menu at Y Bar e Ristorante is the alla Milanese cocktail, topped with Parmesan foam and cracked black pepper. (Courtesy of Sarah Lawless)

A rotating seasonal section features five more cocktails. For the summer, the menu is themed after “Club de cantineros de Cuba,” with offerings like a mojito; a Cuba libre with Santa Teresa rum, Cynar amaro, lime and Coca-Cola; and an old Cuban with Bacardi Carta Oro, Amaro Montenegro, prosecco, lime and mint.

The wine list is small but approachable with several options from Enio Ottaviani Winery.

The 1,500-square-foot space holds 55 seats inside and 50 more on the patio. Y Bar’s interior is anchored with a U-shaped bar, and the furnishings feature dark woods, brass, antique silver and vintage lamps, most of which comes from Italy.

The Coppa de Nonna on Y Bar e Ristorante's cocktail menu is a take on an espresso martini topped with gelato. (Courtesy of Sarah Lawless)

The outdoor patio includes covered and uncovered spaces, and windows in the dining room can open up to make the space feel like it extends outside. Entry to Y Bar e Ristorante’s indoor space is restricted to customers 21 years and older, but outdoor seating is open to families, Peterson said.

Y Hospitality is also set to open a second location of Y Bar e Ristorante later this year in west Midtown’s Star Metals District behind Northside Tavern.