Popular Greek Avra Team Is Expanding Yet Again Into Multi-Level New Space

Avra is adding another Midtown spot to its lineup

Continuing a rapid streak of expansion, Greek seafood hotspot Avra is reportedly close to signing a massive lease at the base of Rockefeller Group’s offices at 1271 Sixth Avenue. According to the New York Post, after the lease is finalized, the popular Mediterranean restaurant concept will occupy a 16,000-square-foot space across several levels of the building.

The Midtown expansion will be the third Manhattan location for Avra, and the fourth overall; the group also operates a space out in Beverly Hills. Co-owners Nick Tsoulos and Nick Pashalis also just signed a lease on Rotisserie Georgette’s old location on the Upper East Side last week. The new restaurant is next door to Avra Madison but will not be an Avra-branded space; Tsoulos and Pashalis are building an Italian spot, featuring Neapolitan pizza, pastas, and salads.

In other news

— Beloved Greenpoint cafe Five Leaves couldn’t cut it in Los Angeles. Nine months after opening in East Hollywood, the team is closing up shop.

— Korean barbecue-slash-steakhouse restaurant Cote is putting a new, late-night noodle dish on the menu, inspired by award-winning social class commentary film Parasite: chappaguri “ram-don.” It’ll start at $18 this weekend for the Oscars, but totally non-ironically, the price will go up to $28 after that. It’s available Thursday through Saturday starting at 10 p.m.

— The New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) started publicly sharing stipulations on all liquor licenses granted in the state through an online database, courtesy of a new law that just went into effect, according to a press release.

— New restaurant and nightclub Canary Club overhauled its cocktail program, according to a restaurant spokesperson. Large-format cocktails are now on the menu, and there’s a “cocktail hour” addition: $5 martinis and wings from Tuesday through Friday between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

— Theater District institution Joe Allen shut its doors for repairs beginning today, according to the restaurant’s website. The restaurant plans to reopen on February 22.

— Popular cafe and bakery Maman just opened a new location in the Financial District at 50 Broad Street, according to a spokesperson.

— Chikarashi’s new, full-service restaurant, Chikarashi Isso, is adding lunch to the menu starting on Monday, February 10, according to a restaurant spokesperson.

— Genius