Remains of East Village Classic Yaffa Cafe to Be Replaced by Portuguese Restaurant

The former home of the dearly departed East Village staple Yaffa Cafe will become an "eco-friendly" Portuguese restaurant called Taberna. Co-owner Eric Baker, who is also a co-owner of Irish bar St. Dymphnas down the block, described it to DNAinfo as a "food focused" restaurant (are there restaurants that aren't food focused?) "with a European bar/cafe atmosphere." Baker is planning to do major construction on the space, no doubt erasing all of Yaffa's quirky charm. He will also convert the backyard dining area that partially forced Yaffa's closure (being not up to code) into a garden. Expect an opening sometime this summer.