The restaurant empire behind big, vibey restaurants like Philippe Chow is getting ready to open another huge space, this time on the Upper East Side. Abraham Merchant — who has 16 restaurants in New York — has taken over the three-level space at 116 E. 60th St., between Park and Lexington avenues, for Ivy Lane, an American restaurant with French and pan-Asian influences that opens next week.
For the menu, Merchant’s brought on chef Sung Park, a Seoul-born chef who’s previously worked at Jean-Georges, Bistrot Petit, and Brasserie Seoul. Expect dishes like a seafood pancake served with a citrus emulsion; octopus terrine with a sweet-and-sour chile puree; fluke topped with crab brandade; and lamb pappardelle with ginger, chile, almond pistou, and shaved pecorino romano. Below, see the full menu for the restaurant, which opens on October 16.
Ivy Lane’s first floor will be a cocktail lounge, the mid-level dining room will feature a fireplace and skylights, and the third floor, which houses a 52-seat dining room and a 22-seat private room, will have velvet couches and murals by Brooklyn artist N. Carlos Jay.
It’s a tough space, though. Since December 2016, the property has housed Blu on Park, Jade 60, and Maison Vivienne, all of which have closed. But Merchant says he’s confident the area is becoming a restaurant destination that will make Ivy Lane attractive, pointing to the Frenchette chefs taking over Le Veau D’Or across the street and Piccola Cucina’s opening.
“When we researched, we found out that half the people in the area weren’t even aware of the restaurants that were there before,” he says. “We have to scream out louder. The first thing we did was to reach out to the community, neighborhood associations and community board and send invitations; they never did that.’’
Ivy Lane will be the 17th restaurant for Merchant Hospitality, which also runs Philippe Chow, Ophelia Lounge, Industry Kitchen, and Treadwell Park. He’s also close to opening an 18th spot, a reincarnation of his eponymous bar and restaurant, Merchant’s, which first opened in 1991 at 112 Seventh Avenue and closed early last year when the building was demolished. The resurrected spot will be at 190 Seventh Avenue, and is due in November.