NYCFeature
NYC's Most Exciting Spring Restaurant Openings
The return of Superiority Burger, a Spanish wine bar in Park Slope, and more highly anticipated spots.
photo credit: Evan Sung
The Yankees are gearing up to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in the pursuit of an early playoff exit, and that can only mean one thing: Spring is here. As the city—and your enthusiasm for the outside world—starts to thaw, lots of exciting new restaurants will be opening up. Put your wool socks back into storage, and get ready for backyard croquetas from the Fausto team, top-notch soul food from a PLG favorite, and the return of one of the city’s top cocktail bars.
THE SPOTS
Opening: April 2023
Finally, Málà Project is heading to Brooklyn. After opening in the East Village and expanding with two locations in Midtown, the casual mini-chain is setting up shop near McCarren Park in Greenpoint. The new restaurant will offer the same standout Sichuan dry pot found at the other the locations, but the 70-seat space will be flashier than the rest. It'll have a ‘90s aesthetic, complete with a fountain, a vintage photo booth, and plenty of neon.
Opening: April 2023
When Donna closed in 2020, New York City lost one of its finest drinking destinations. Fortunately, the bar is being resurrected on Cornelia Street in the West Village by a worker-owned cooperative of past Donna employees. This second iteration will have new food options and an overhauled cocktail menu. We hope the frozen drinks are sticking around.
Opening: April 2023
Popular New Mexican cafe Ursula—purveyor of one the best breakfast burritos in NYC—is moving to a new location. Unlike the original in Crown Heights (which is closing April 2nd), the new spot on Nostrand Ave in Bed-Stuy will have indoor seating, brunch, and dinner. The menu will expand on current offerings, which include sopaipillas, a green chile cheeseburger, and gluten-free pastries from Brutus Bakeshop.
Opening: April 2023
Having previously worked as a pastry chef, chocolatier, and baker at Arcade Bakery (home of NYC's best croissant until it closed in 2019), Amadou Ly is branching out on his own with a spot in Chelsea Market. ALF Bakery will be selling baguettes, loaves of bread, a few types of croissants, and several lunch options like an open-face smoked trout sandwich. The baked goods look promising.
Opening: April 2023
Cédric and Ochi Vongerichten are slowly taking over the block of Spring Street between Elizabeth and Mott. Their first restaurant, the French-inspired Indonesian spot Wayan, opened in 2019, and they're launching their next one, Ma•Dé, right next door. The name translates to “second born” in Balinese, and the menu will focus on seafood and vegetables with "global flavors." Modeled after Bali's coastal beach bars, the whole place will be a pastel affair, which should go over well in Nolita.
Opening: April 2023
Since it opened in late 2016, Loring Place has been a reliable spot for a nice meal with friends who enjoy New American food that isn’t as boring as most New American food. The Greenwich Village restaurant’s chef is now launching Greywind, a 58-seat farmhouse-inspired spot in Hudson Yards with an emphasis on rotisserie cooking. Greywind will also have an adjacent bakery that turns into an eight-seat chef’s counter at night, as well as a cocktail bar (called Spygold) underneath the space.
Opening: Spring 2023
This spring, Hudson Yards will also be receiving a full 4,500 square feet of Russ & Daughters. The newest location of the classic appetizing shop (which also has a cafe on the Lower East Side) will feature a smoked fish counter, a seat-yourself dining room, and a caviar-and-champagne bar with a Happy Hour.
Opening: April/May 2023
Park Slope is getting a new Spanish wine bar from the owners of Fausto and LaLou, with food from a Barcelona-born chef who previously worked at Prune. The menu will feature conservas, croquetas, and other dishes showcasing Spanish ingredients, in addition to cocktails and a bunch of natural and biodynamic wines. Bar Vinazo will feature 30 seats indoors as well as another 40 in a dual-level garden out back.
Opening: May 2023
Balkan Streat opened in early 2023, and it’s already one of the best places for a quick handheld meal in the West Village. (Try the Balkan-style burger on a big, chewy bun.) Now, they’re expanding to the East Village, although the new location won’t be counter-service like the original. The 2nd Ave version will be a sit-down spot with a full bar and an expanded menu featuring large-format plates.
Opening: Spring 2023
Milu, another great counter-service spot, is also getting a second iteration. The sequel is opening near Domino Park in Williamsburg, and it’ll have the same menu of regional Chinese dishes like Yunnan brisket, Mandarin duck, and plump smoked pork wontons. They’ll also be serving cocktails, beer, and wine at this location, and there’ll be a big outdoor patio in addition to 30 indoor seats.
Opening: Spring 2023
If you’re a fan of high-end fish, the name Ichimura might sound familiar. Eiji Ichimura previously ran Uchu and the tiny omakase spot Ichimura at Brushstroke, and now he’s opening a new Tribeca restaurant in collaboration with the folks at L’Abeille (one of the Best New Restaurants Of 2022). Dinner will consist of the chef’s signature Edomae-style omakase, and the atmosphere will be “elevated, yet relaxed.”
Opening: May 2023
During the pandemic, Kiana Muschett-Owes partnered with Rethink Food to provide thousands of free meals for the community. Her restaurant, Katie O's, closed during that time, but soon we’ll be getting a renovated version of the PLG soul food spot serving everything from seafood boils to a ton of different sandwiches, platters, and po’boys. The new location will have a full liquor license, and you should be sure to get a side of potato salad when you stop by. It's some of the best in the city.
Opening: June 2023
Inspired by European brasseries, classic NYC Jewish cuisine, and unpretentious spots where you can pop in for a burger and a cocktail, Gertrude’s is an upcoming restaurant that'll be located in the old James space in Prospect Heights. The place is a collaboration between a co-founder of Samesa and the owners of Williamsburg brunch destination Gertie, and it'll be serving things like steak frites (with your choice of fries or latkes), a seafood tower, and seven-layer chocolate cake. Expect a vinyl soundtrack and lots of antique tchotchkes.
Opening: Spring 2023
A new "deluxe" Superiority burger is arriving soon in the East Village across the street from Tompkins Square Park. The original—a closet-sized spot on 9th Street—drew long lines for its gelato, focaccia, and veggie burger until it shut down in 2021. Located in the space formerly occupied by Odessa, the revamp will actually have room for you to sit down and eat, and it'll be serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Bar snacks will be available for 25 cents.
Opening: Spring 2023
After a lengthy renovation, the historic Hotel Chelsea reopened in 2022 with a revamped version of longstanding restaurant El Quijote and a fancy new bar that serves one of the strongest martinis in town. This spring, the hotel will be getting another new venue: a French/American bistro with “strong Provençal influences.” The restaurant, Café Chelsea, will be open all day.
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