Moby-Invested Ladybird Opens Tonight in the East Village

Restaurateur Ravi DeRossi and musician/animal rights activist Moby are swinging open the doors on the newest version of vegan cocktail and small plates bar Ladybird tonight — this time at a bigger space in the East Village.

The all-vegan restaurant is now at 111 East 7th Street, between First Avenue and Avenue A, a move that happened after it spent less than a year in the former Bourgeois Pig space in Greenwich Village. With the change, DeRossi — who’s been trying to convert all 15 of his restaurants and bars into animal-free businesses — brought on Moby as an investor.

Ladybird

Here, Ladybird has 50 seats and maintains its look of white, gold, teals, and ornate lighting. Chef Derrick Styczek, formerly a chef at shuttered UES Michelin star restaurant Etats-Unis, consulted on the new menu. Options include Brussels sprouts with endive, apple, quinoa, and a soy-truffle vinaigrette ($12); kale with pickled daikon, radish, puffed rice, and black garlic ($11); and a breaded and fried eggplant with tomato sauce, basil, and vegan ricotta ($14). It also offers fondue for two, a callback to a signature order at The Bourgeois Pig. Instead of cheese, this fondue is primarily made of tapioca, garlic, and white wine.

Cocktails and drinks come from Jane Danger (Mother of Pearl, Cienfuegos) and Alla Lapushchik (Post Office Whiskey Bar and OTB). All the drinks will incorporate vegetables too, via juice or garnishes.

While Ladybird is just one of several places that DeRossi has nixed meat on the menu, Moby, meanwhile, has been throwing his support behind vegan restaurants for a while now. He’s also an investor at Little Pine in Los Angeles.

“I've been vegan for 30 years, and promoting animal rights is my life's work,” the artist said in a statement. “Luckily not everything involving the promotion of animal rights and veganism has to be grim and tough; sometimes one of the best ways of promoting plant based eating is by serving people wonderful food in a beautiful space.”

Ladybird is open from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. every night, starting Tuesday. Take a look at the full food menu below.