West Village Old-Timer Caffe Dante Could Close Within Two Weeks

Rumor has it that Caffe Dante, the century-old Italian pastry shop on MacDougal Street, is closing imminently. A tipster tells Jeremiah Moss that the West Village classic has been bought "some Australians," and could close in as little as 10 days. As many may recall, Caffe Dante only just reopened last May after a thorough renovation, which added a bar and kitchen, and transformed the place from cafe to full-fledged restaurant. According to this tipster, that renovation was in fact a last-ditch effort by owner Mario Flotta and his son, Mario, Jr., to save the place – the landlord apparently doubled the rent back in 2013, and the Flotta's hoped that the renovations would allow them to make up the difference in rent. Alas, that effort appears to have failed.

Supposedly, the Australians who bought the space will keep the name Caffe Dante, but mostly so they can hang on to the existing licenses. It's still unclear how much they would change the place, but it's quite possible Caffe Dante will soon be peddling flat whites and avocado toast. Moss says a couple employees have confirmed that the cafe will close soon, in two weeks or so, but neither of the Flottas have been reachable yet. Eater has also reached out to the cafe, but at the time of this posting, the restaurant was not yet open, and no one was answering the phone. Stay tuned.