After 20 Years, Atlantic Grill's Upper East Side Location Shutters

Atlantic Grill East Side, a more than 200-seat restaurant that opened in the Upper East Side about 20 years ago, has permanently closed due to an anticipated expansion of a nearby hospital, an employee confirms.

The restaurant, located at 1341 Third Avenue, between 76th and 77th streets, shuttered its doors as a result of Lenox Hill Hospital potentially taking over the property, staff says. In September, Northwell Health — the company that owns the hospital — entered negotiations to buy all the residential and retail properties on Third Avenue between East 76th and East 77th streets, reportedly negotiating a sum close to $300 million, or about $1,200 per square foot. The sale is not yet final, according to Department of Finance records and Northwell Health.

Atlantic Grill, now part of the BR Guest hospitality empire, was notoriously hard to get into when it first debuted about two decades ago. Known for its raw bar and straightforward grilled fish entrees, the restaurant also featured an extensive wine-by-the-glass list. Since then, it has lost some of its initial hip sheen, though it remained a crowd pleaser in the neighborhood.

It’s one of several restaurants originally opened by prolific restaurateur Stephen Hanson that’s since closed or has an uncertain future, though the Lincoln Center location of Atlantic Grill remains open. Hanson first opened Atlantic Grill’s UES outpost in 1998, shortly after opening Blue Water Grill, which remains open but may close, and Ocean Grill, which closed in 2015 after 18 years on the Upper West Side. Hanson left BR Guest in 2013.

As part of the hospital’s anticipated expansion, Haru Sushi’s Third Avenue location will also be closing. An employee at the sushi spot says that no one at Haru has been notified as to when this might happen.