There's nothing remotely antique about Antica Vineria Giuliano. It's barely been open a month; you can still smell the paint as you make your way down the stairs. And yet this cozy basement wine bar already exudes the kind of self-assurance that can take other places years to accrue.
That is not really so surprising: It's run by the same people as the excellent Trattoria della Lanterna Magica in the residential streets just north of JR Meguro Station. Giuliano, too, is a local joint, tucked a block away from the main drag in Shirokanedai, though such is the cult popularity of the parent operation that word is already spreading fast beyond the immediate neighborhood.
Unlike Lanterna Magica, which is a proper sit-down restaurant, Giuliano feels considerably more casual. With its low ceiling, graceful whitewashed arches and mezzanine storeroom, it nicely conjures up the image of a converted Tuscan wine cellar.