We are a restaurant
With a rich history

Yvette Leeper-Bueno is the proprietor of Vinatería, the charming and beloved Harlem neighborhood restaurant and wine bar at 2211 Frederick Douglass Blvd. A lifelong New Yorker, Yvette maintains long-standing roots in Harlem- from her parent’s first meeting on 122nd Street in the 1950s to the renovated townhouse on 112th St. she has shared with her husband and sons for two decades.

Before opening Vinatería in early 2013, Yvette was already an entrepreneur, opening her own clothing design/manufacturing business and children’s clothing boutique, Leeper Kids. Eventually, her entrepreneurial spirit, love for good food, travel, and fashion, as well as a devotion to the Harlem community, led her to open Vinatería on the historic Frederick Douglass Blvd.

Since day one, Vinatería has fostered a spirit of inclusivity and community, offering an accessible but extensive wine program with rare finds, a thoughtful menu of Spanish and Italian-influenced seasonal dishes, a convivial atmosphere, and a fresh, contemporary design. Over the last ten years, Vinateria has been featured throughout The New York Times, Refinery29, Time Out, Thrillist, Cherry Bombe, Domino, and many more and has been named by Wine Spectator as an Award of Excellence winner, since 2017, with an emphasis on our accessible wine list.

Outside of the restaurant, Yvette has completed the prestigious James Beard Foundation's Women Entrepreneurship Leadership program in 2022, is a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier NY, is a graduate of Barnard College and a Columbia Business School certificate holder. Yvette serves as an executive board member of the Frederick Douglass Boulevard Alliance and Mindful Harlem Meditation Center. She is a member of The Hospitality Alliance as well as The New York Women’s Chamber of Commerce.