Chelsea Fixture The Park Closes After 20 Years — and More Closings

August 30

— Longstanding American restaurant and lounge The Park has ended its 20-year run in Chelsea. A sign posted on the restaurant’s door says it has closed to make way for a new building. Known for its retro aesthetic and food that dabbles with Mediterranean flavors, the Park opened two decades ago under NYC nightlife vets Eric Goode and Sean MacPherson , who are behind hotels like the Jane hotel, the Bowery, and the Maritime, as well as Waverly Inn and the Lafayette House restaurants.

— Old-fashioned Cantonese restaurant Yee Li has closed after 33 years in Chinatown. The restaurant was known for its window-displayed ducks and whole roast pigs, along with other more obscure charcuterie, and served one of the best wonton soups in the city.

— Longtime Vietnamese Chinatown restaurant Pho Thanh Hoai has closed.

— East Village Mexican spot Boticarios has closed after less than two years.

— Mexican restaurant Savor Por Favor was seized by marshals in the East Village, putting the space back in the hands of its landlord.

— Lower East Side Italian restaurant Bricia Cafe was seized by marshals and closed after just one year.

— The Lower East Side is down a coffee shop with the closure of Hedgehog Coffee.

— Bushwick Vegan bar Precious Metal closed earlier this month, citing low sales and mechanical failures.

— Boerum Hill comedy bar Fawkner closed suddenly, and its future shows have been canceled.

— Upper West Side Australian tea shop T2 has closed, and a chalkboard outside the restaurant cites the reason: “The rent is too damn high,” it reads.

August 23

— After 11 years, Italian-American restaurant Lugo Cucina has closed its restaurant at One Penn Plaza, near Penn Station. A farewell message on its website states the lease was up. The restaurant served pastas like tagliolini with shrimp and burrata, cheese plates, and veal milanese, and

— The Lower East Side lost Taiwanese restaurant Formosa Cafe, which opened in 2015 serving snacks like fried chicken, rice balls, and bubble tea.

— Upper West Side restaurant Boulevard Seafood has closed after less than a year, blaming high rent.

— All-day restaurant Georgio’s Country Grill in Hell’s Kitchen has shuttered. The neighborhood hangout served a wide variety of food from steaks and pasta to seafood and pizza. Its been around since at least 2005, when its first Yelp review was written. It seemed to be a popular spot for brunch and takeout, according to Yelp reviewers.

August 16

— Popular Morningside Heights comfort food restaurant Kitchenette — which has been open in New York in some form since 1994 — is no more. The owners said that it “has become impossible to survive the economic climate in New York City.” It originally opened in Tribeca and has moved since then, becoming a neighborhood spot for Southern food.

— Today’s the last day for Ristorante Morini, the Upper East Side Michael White Italian restaurant that’s been open since 2013. There’s still a location of a more casual Morini in Soho, and on the Upper East Side, the company owns Vaucluse, which remains open.

— The Long Island City location of sustainable fish shop Greenpoint Fish & Lobster Co. has closed. The original location in Brooklyn remains open.

— Lower East Side fast-casual restaurant Falafix closed after just one year on Stanton Street.

— Jersey City’s location of Talde shuttered after four years. It was the final outpost of the restaurant, originally operated by chef Dale Talde.

August 9

— Food Network star and Chopped judge Marc Murphy has closed the Time Warner Center location of Landmarc, his last remaining restaurant in New York. He closed the restaurant late last month after a 12-year run; the chef once owned five restaurants in Manhattan and one in Tampa, but his empire has since dwindled. The Columbus Circle outpost was his second location of Landmarc, which originally opened downtown and helped launch the chef’s career. It was known for its French staples like escargot, onion soup, and roast chicken, as well as Murphy’s signature cream and brandy soaked pain perdu.

— Columbus Circle also lost Gabriel’s Bar and Restaurant, which closed after nearly 30 years. The building it’s housed in at the corner of 60th Street and Broadway is being replaced with a condo tower. The restaurant is relocating to 40 Central Park South.

— Similarly, Indian restaurant Sapphire is also being pushed out of its space and forced to close for the same reason. It too will reopen nearby.

— Park Slope stalwart Park Cafe Diner has closed after more than two decades in the neighborhood. On Tuesday, a sign announcing the permanent closure hung on the diner’s window.

— Chocolate and craft beer stop Nunu Chocolates has closed in Park Slope, though the shop has plans to open in a new location.

— Dean & Deluca has officially closed its brand new cafeteria-style Meatpacking restaurant Stage amid ongoing financial troubles.

— Arcade Bakery served its final baguette inside the 1920s-era Tribeca office building it was housed in. It opened in 2014 and was considered one of the best in the city, though owner Roger Gural says his rheumatoid arthritis has forced him to close the shop. The bakery is up for sale.

— Midtown West’s French restaurant Brasserie Cognac had closed, but it’ll reopen in the fall on Broadway between 53rd and 54th streets.

— Upper West Side Kosher restaurant Boru Boru has closed after just a year and a few months.

— Longtime Midtown West pasta and wood-fired pizza restaurant Bricco has closed.

— The Union Square location of French bakery chain Maison Kayser is no more.

August 2

— Popular restaurant Nargis Bar & Grill has closed in Park Slope. The space is going to become a new jazz cafe and bar in the beginning of August, according to owner Boris Bangiyev.

— One of the city’s best pie shops Daly Pie has closed after three years in Prospect Heights. A cancer diagnosis took owner Meghan Daly away from the store in 2017, and although she completed her treatment last year, she has struggled to keep up with rent.

— Longstanding Park Slope gay bar Excelsior closed after a 20-year run. The current lease is ending, and the landlord was only willing to renew for another year.

— Gowanus seasonal standout Freek’s Mill shut its doors after three years, despite all the critical acclaim it received when it opened in 2016.

— Golden Shopping Mall — famously the birthplace of Xi’an Famous Foods — has closed so that the mall can get a revamp. But it’s not clear where some of the most popular vendors will return. Tianjin Dumpling House is “relocating,” and Express Tea Shop has already closed. Chengdu Heaven, an instant sensation when it opened in the late aughts and one of the best Sichuan spots in New York, will not be returning; the owners are retiring.

— Da Falafel Guys has closed permanently after two years in the Lower East Side.

— Polish bakery Rzeszowska closed up shop after over three decades in Greenpoint.

— The Starbucks at Broadway and 99th Street on the Upper West Side has closed.

July 26

— Fort Greene wood-fired restaurant Metta has closed, according to an announcement on its website. Metta — which opened in 2017 and claims to be New York’s first carbon-neutral restaurant — lost its executive chef Negro Piattoni in February and brought on Greg Otero (June, Glasserie, Uchu) to helm the kitchen. The switch-up meant pivoting from the original Argentine style of wood-fire cooking to induction and Japanese coals as the heat source. The message on its website hints to a possible new venture on the way, saying: “Enjoy the rest of the summer, we will see you in September with what comes next.”

— Southern Hospitality, the barbecue restaurant once backed by Justin Timberlake, has closed its last remaining location in Hell’s Kitchen. Owner Eytan Sugarman originally opened the Memphis-style joint in 2007 on the Upper East Side, expanding it to Hell’s Kitchen in 2011. Timberlake hasn’t been involved for years, and now, the Hell’s Kitchen outpost will pivot to something new in the fall, a spokesperson says.

— Less than two years after opening, chef Harold Moore’s classic French restaurant Bistro Pierre Lapin has closed. The all-day restaurant opened in May 2018, a project between the former Commerce chef and co-owner and pastry chef Julia Grossman. Moore says that the cost of running the restaurant became too much, adding that “restaurants are in crisis in this city.”

— Divisive East Village pizzeria Bruno is permanently closed after a fire forced its shutter last November. Owner Demian Repucci wrote on Instagram that the water damage was “too much to overcome.” The ambitious pizzeria opened in 2015 and was the rare place that no critic could agree upon. Eater critic Ryan Sutton gave it two stars, but Times critic Pete Wells gave it zero.

— Freshly Bagel, which just opened in January on the Upper West Side, has already closed.

— Popular Flushing vegan restaurant Oneness Fountain Heart has closed, leaving several Queens vegetarians disappointed. The retail complex it was housed in is now for sale, and new development is reportedly planned for the spot.

— Fast-casual Japanese spot TongKatsu has closed permanently on the Lower East Side, following a closure that was supposed to be temporary.

— The East Village location of Pizza Rollio has closed, though there are additional locations in Chelsea and the Plaza hotel food court.

— Chinese Graffiti, which opened in the East Village in March, is currently closed.

July 18

— Tiny Sri Lankan restaurant Kottu House closed on the Lower East Side after four years. It was highlighted in the Times’ Hungry City column after it opened in 2015, and the restaurant served its namesake kottu, Sri Lankan street food served with roti. There were also fried snacks, and it was a popular cheap eats spot in the neighborhood.

— The popular Carroll Gardens restaurant Madcap Cafe from chef-owned Heather Fuller closed after just over a year in business. In that short amount of time, it earned a reputation as a standout neighborhood restaurant.

— JJ Johnson’s Henry at the Life Hotel is closed. The pan-African restaurant is no longer taking reservations, and both the website and Instagram have disappeared. A hotel staffer confirmed the closure, and a reason is not yet known.

— Freshly Bagel, which opened in January on the Upper West Side, closed.

— Mamacha Cafe, which spent its short life plagued by lawsuit issues with MoMa, has closed and is planning to move elsewhere.

— Hiro Sushi on the Upper West Side closed.

— Italian pizzamaker Stefano Callegari’s La Rossa has been closed, and the space is now in the legal possession of the landlord. Callegari is credited as the inventor of the street food sensation trapizzino.

July 11

— Mediterranean and Italian restaurant Vai closed after 12 years on the Upper West Side. At Vai, diners picked a main course that was then supplemented by mezzes, sides, and desserts picked by chef Vincent Chirico. There was usually a featured catch of the week and butcher’s cut of the week. Chirico previously had experience at Jean-Georges and Daniel before opening his own restaurant.

— After 17 years, Pie by the Pound in the East Village closed. The pizzeria was known in particular for its vegan and gluten-free options, and around Passover, the pizzeria always sold pizzas made with a matzo crust.

— The Moroccan restaurant Chouchou in East Village closed after it was seized by the marshal.

— A broken refrigerator eventually led to the permanent closure of beer store Beer Fridge on the Lower East Side.

— Tribeca locations of bubble tea cafes Kung Fu and Japioca both closed.

— Upscale — but beleaguered — grocer Dean & Deluca closed its Upper East Side location.

July 5

— Varrio 408 in Park Slope shuttered after more than four years of serving a simple taco and burrito menu, all made with its popular homemade tortillas. It was a neighborhood favorite for Mexican food. The restaurant posted a notice outside noting that it became “significantly challenging” to provide quality food at affordable prices.

— Bang Chengdu StreetKitchen in Chelsea closed after a short run of serving standout dumplings. Eater senior critic Robert Sietsema highlighted those dumplings last summer and, in particular, the chile oil dumplings, which he writes were “thickly snowed with crushed red pepper, and a bargain serving of ‘spicy crinkled potatoes,’ served cold and slicked with Sichuan peppercorn oil, which is one of four condiments offered; black vinegar, soy sauce, and red chile oil are also available.” The menu was divided into three categories: Dianxin Bang (short dishes), Guokui Bang (pocket sandwiches), and Mian Bang (noodles and dumplings).

— The American restaurant and bar near Union Square Park, Ichabod’s, closed.

— Longtime Upper East Side Jewish deli Pastrami Queen closed its Time Square outpost just three months after opening it.

— After two decades in business, the East Village dive bar Manitoba’s closed.

June 27

— After 13 years in Sunnyside, Quaint Restaurant closed. The American bistro had a solid reputation in the neighborhood throughout the years and attracted crowds for weekend brunch with its popular outdoor space. Owner Tim Chen announced the closure earlier this month, and the owner of the nearby Claret Wine Bar told the Sunnyside Post that Quaint helped spearhead a new age of dining in the neighborhood.

— Mugs Alehouse closed in Williamsburg after 26 years of pouring brews and serving pub food. Co-owner Ed Berestecki said he no longer has the energy to keep the bar up and running, citing changes in the neighborhood and other factors for the closure.

— The Carroll Gardens location of grilled chicken restaurant Purbird closed. The Park Slope location of the chicken shop remains open.

— After two years, Black Tap closed its Lower East Side location in Hell Square. The bar and restaurant known for its over-the-top milkshakes has several other locations in the city.

— Lower East Side burger joint Mikey’s Burger has abruptly closed after nearly a decade. The restaurant at 134 Ludlow St., near Rivington Street, opened in December 2009, was reportedly a favorite among locals in the area.

— On the Lower East Side, Spreadhouse Cafe closed after five years of serving coffee and simple cafe bites.

— Chong Qing Xiao Mian II shuttered in East Village. It opened in 2017 and was a sibling restaurant to Hell’s Kitchen’s Chinese restaurant and takeout spot Chong Qing Xiao Mian.

— ESquared’s highly branded, Instagram-y Middle Eastern fast-casual restaurant Dez closed after just over a year in Nolita.

June 20

— Sibling neighborhood restaurants the Eddy and Wallflower are now closed. The West Village’s French-influenced bar Wallflower opened in October 2013, and the Eddy, serving seasonal American cuisine, opened in the East Village in 2014. A farewell notice posted to both websites from owner Jason Soloway says that it was “a gut-wrenching decision,” but neglected to provide a reason. In 2014, Wallflower received a favorable writeup in Ligaya Mishan’s Hungry City column in the New York Times. Both restaurants were well liked neighborhood spots.

— Miscelanea NY, Guillaume Guevara’s combination casual restaurant and shop, shuttered in the East Village.

— Chat ‘N Chew, the diner that made its return in Union Square in April 2018, is closed again. There’s a marshal’s notice on the door, Yelp and Google list the location as closed, and the phone line has been disconnected. The casual diner originally opened in 1994 and then closed in July 2014. The new iteration lasted just over a year.

— Upper West Side Indian restaurant Sapphire Indian Cuisine at 1845 Broadway closed ahead of its building being demolished. It was open for over two decades, and the owner is seeking a new space.

June 13

— The East Village restaurant Yakiniku West shuttered. The restaurant featured grills at the tables for firing up various meats, including Japanese and American wagyus. A fire previously closed down the restaurant last year, but it reopened following repairs.

— Upper West Side French bakery La Toulousaine has closed. The original owner Jean Francoise Gatorze died in 2016.

— Fire & Water, restaurateur Ravi DeRossi’s vegan sushi and dim sum spot, closed after less than a year.

— Less than a year after its $40 million rebuild, the iconic but problematic Four Seasons Restaurant closed following a troubled 10 months for the restaurant: Former partner Julian Niccolini pleaded guilty to sexual assault in 2016 and was forced to resign in December. The investors made the decision to close.

— Chinese kitchen Jin Kitchen closed at 58 Third Ave. in East Village after just a few months.

— The 14th Street location of Dunkin’ has closed.

June 7

— East Village rice noodle shop Just for Fen has shuttered permanently. The sleek but tiny counter-service restaurant offered noodles from Guizhou, a southwestern Chinese province. It opened in September 2017, part of a whole crew of rice noodle shops opening in New York City, though one of the lesser known ones. Eater critic Robert Sietsema had enjoyed its spicy chicken rice noodles.

— Over in the East Village, scoop shop Gelarto has closed at 145 Avenue A, after only two years in the neighborhood.

— Bubble tea shop CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice has shuttered its St. Marks location. Plenty of locations of the Taiwanese chain are open elsewhere in the city.

— The West Village has lost the beloved California-Italian restaurant Barbuto, where since 2004 diners have filled the dining room year after year, returning for signature dishes like garlicky kale salad and roast chicken with salsa verde. But chef Jonathan Waxman’s restaurant may not be gone forever; it’s possible that it will reopen elsewhere in the area in the future.

— East Village cafe Nobletree Coffee has abruptly closed after five months in business at 37 St. Mark’s Place, on Second Avenue. A sign on the coffee shop’s window says the store was “forced” to close due to “slow food traffic.”