Has Barbuto Already Found a New Location in the West Village?

Beloved West Village California-Italian restaurant Barbuto is set to close at the end of May — but it may already have its sights on a new spot in the neighborhood.

A company with the suspicious name of “Barbuto West LLC” is applying for a liquor license for a new restaurant with a sidewalk cafe at 113 Horatio St., near Tenth Avenue, not too far from the current location. The applying LLC is linked to an address (601 West 26th St., Suite 1245) that’s home to the New York headquarters of P.J. Clarke’s.

PJ Clarke’s owner Philip Scotti and Barbuto chef Jonathan Waxman are partners in the current location of the iconic West Village restaurant. The duo also worked together on the new P.J. Clarke’s at the Curtis Center in Philadelphia. A PJ Clarke’s spokesperson confirmed that the company is behind the liquor license application, but couldn’t comment on whether or not this is Barbuto’s revival.

This could be good news for the Barbuto fans, who have flocked to the restaurant over the past 15 years for seasonal fare like garlicky kale salad and roast chicken. Earlier this year, when the restaurant announced its closure, citing a change in building ownership, Waxman was reportedly searching for a new space in the neighborhood. He hoped to land one by the end of the year, he told the Times.

Longstanding P.J. Clarke’s has three locations in Manhattan, where it serves one of the best hamburgers in the city.

Waxman and a Barbuto spokesperson did not immediately respond to request for comment.