NYC Restaurants We’re Excited About Now

Written by Natasha Wolff

Fedora, a beloved and storied restaurant in the West Village, has officially reopened under new ownership and ready for its next New York chapter. Located at 239 West 4th Street (and West 10th Street), Fedora has been revived by the owners of nearby St. Jardim (an all day cafe wine bar) Andrew Dete, Christa Alexander with industry veteran Basile Al Mileik, joining as operating partner and wine director (a position he also holds at St. Jardim). Executive Chef is Monty Forrest, a New York native who most recently ran the kitchen at Le Rock in Rockefeller Center for the Frenchette group. Fedora is a beloved and storied restaurant in the West Village. Originally opening as a speakeasy in 1919, before being transformed into a beloved red-sauce Italian restaurant by Fedora Dorato who operated it from the 1950s to 2010. During this period the restaurant took on Fedora’s name, a tradition and history the new ownership is proud to continue. The building’s landmarked neon sign and original bar have been preserved in an interior redesign led by Post Company, who recently designed Cafe Zaffiri and Raf’s. Chef Forrest, known for his work at the Le Rock and the Wythe Hotel, says the menu will stay true to its neighborhood roots, presenting a European-inspired menu through a NYC lens, with French and Italian cuisine being its foundational roots. asparagus tempura; grilled squid with quail eggs and parsley; pierogies with spring alliums and peas; spaghetti with clams and oregano. chicken cordon bleu; black bass provençale; merguez sausage with spring onion and marinated peppers, a roasted culotte of beef with carrots, evoking memories of a Sunday roast. carrot cake Fedora is a wine-forward restaurant with a 300+ bottle cellar centered around natural, low-intervention producers. The program is led by operating partner and wine director Basile Al Milek, formerly of The Four Horsemen and the Wythe Hotel, and features a diverse bottle list as well as a dynamic by the glass offering. The bar program features classics by St. Jardim Bar Director Ben Finkelstein, ranging from a Martini, Negroni, Manhattan and Doña Rosa. Cocktails and spirits are also in-line with the wine program, focused on low-intervention production.

Written by Natasha Wolff

Fish Cheeks, helmed by brothers and chefs Ohm and Chat Suansilphong with Jenn Saesue and Pranwalai Kittirattanawiwat, has opened a second location of its beloved Thai restaurant in Williamsburg. The menu will stay true to Fish Cheeks’ signature seafood-forward approach with new additions crafted by chef Dustin Everett, including Mama Tom Yum (ramen noodles paired with crispy pork belly, shrimp, squid and jumbo lump crab meat topped with egg yolks in a rich, aromatic broth) and marinated raw crab (blue crab cured in lime juice, fish sauce, Thai chili, shallots and cilantro). The 2,200-square-foot location designed by Space NY honors the legacy of the original NoHo restaurant with traditional Thai architectural elements like temple roof patterns and wood paneling.

Written by Natasha Wolff

Barlume, a new restaurant concept from LDV Hospitality founder John Meadow and partner Avery Britton, has opened in Flatiron. The all-day Italian restaurant features seafood, local crudos, rich burrata, housemade focaccia and pastas and imported salumi and cheeses. Designed by Anton Cristell of Cristell Studio, the café radiates old-world elegance with its earthy tones and natural textures and materials. Seating 150 guests, the café and dining room showcases brushed velvet banquettes, wood and cane chairs and burnished brass tables with marble tops. In the cocktail club Barlume Downstairs, warmth prevails with golden velvet seating, deep leather and dark wood accents complemented by a gold leaf bar and illuminated amber glass brick walls. “Barlume is our tribute to both New York and Italy, a celebration of vibrant energy and laid-back elegance,” says Meadow.

Written by Natasha Wolff

Howoo, a high-end Korean barbecue restaurant specializing in USDA Prime, dry-aged beef and A5 wagyu, has opened from Urimat Hospitality Group in Nomad. The 7,700-square-foot, bi-level space offers a sophisticated Korean barbecue experience along with appetizers, noodles, rice dishes and stews. Guests can order a la carte or choose from packages that come with a massive spread of accompaniments: noodles, egg soufflé, a ssam set to wrap meats in freshly picked lettuce and enjoy with cucumbers and carrots and three different rounds of banchan with an array of pickled vegetables and kimchi.

Written by Natasha Wolff

Written by Natasha Wolff

Written by Natasha Wolff