Gutted by Embezzlement Plot, Whitehall Closes for Good

After nearly four years in business, Greenwich Village gastropub Whitehall has closed up shop for good. The restaurateurs behind this tavern were the victims of an embezzlement plot from crooked consultant John McKee, who shuffled approximately $72,000 of money away from Whitehall into his own private banking account. McKee also stole about as much money from sister establishment Highlands, and he pinched large sums of cash from nearby restaurants Raoul's and Agave. DNAinfo reports that next month, McKee will be sentenced for grand larceny in the second degree, as well as scheme to defraud in the first degree. Whitehall announced its closure last Thursday on Facebook, and its final night in business was on Friday.

Whitehall was a solid option for dinner or drinks in neighborhood, with good cocktails and a menu that mixed pub favorites with lighter, seasonally-driven items. The team behind this restaurant also operated a stylish Scottish restaurant called Mary Queen of Scots on the Lower East Side, which lasted about 18 months. Their first restaurant, Highlands, is still open around the corner at 150 West 10th St.

In a previous lifetime, the Whitehall space was home to Sweetiepie, the restaurant with a birdcage booth and drawings of Imperial Stormtroopers on the walls.