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A Running List of New Restaurants That Opened in New York City, April 2021

A rooftop bar at the Moxy East Village hotel, a community-first coffee shop in Crown Heights, and more restaurant openings this month

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A rooftop lounge is outfitted with colorful couches, chairs, communal tables, and in the background, a view of New York City skyscrapers
The Ready, a rooftop bar atop the Moxy East Village Hotel
The Ready [Official]

More than one year into the coronavirus pandemic, restaurants across the city continue to move forward with openings, sometimes because their concepts could be adapted for takeout and delivery, but more often because their owners saw no other choice but to forge ahead. Since March 16, 2020, when the state first temporarily closed indoor dining, hundreds of new restaurants have opened their doors. This list of pandemic-born businesses includes restaurants serving Korean-Cajun gumbo, vegan soul food, late-night bites, and bowls of Taiwanese noodle soup.

Here’s a round-up of the restaurants and bars that opened in April. This list will be updated weekly. If there’s an opening in your neighborhood that we’ve missed, let us know at tips@eater.com.


April 29

Carroll Gardens: New York cookie company Chip City, formerly known as Chip, opened the doors on its seventh location last week. 361 Smith Street, near Second Street

Crown Heights: Daughter, a community-first coffee shop and wine bar, celebrated its grand opening over the weekend with coffee, grilled chicken, and ice cream. The cafe’s full food menu is still in the works, but coffee and pastries are available in the meantime, starting at 8 a.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. on weekends. 1090 St. John’s Place, near Kingston Avenue

East Village: Ravi DeRossi continues his East Village tear this week with Etérea, a tequila and mezcal bar specializing in vegan Mexican cooking. The bar is the latest in a string of East Village openings from the prolific restaurateur, who also unveiled vegan soul food restaurant Cadence this month. 511 East Fifth Street, between avenues A and B

East Village: From Tao Group Hospitality comes the Ready, a year-round rooftop bar atop the Moxy East Village hotel. Billed as “collegial yet refined” by a hotel spokesperson, the venue is outfitted with tiered amphitheater seating, a beer pong table, couches, and canned wine. 112 East 11th Street, between Third and Fourth avenues

Greenpoint: Named for its home address, Ninety Nine Franklin opened its doors earlier this month for breakfast and lunch. The menu includes breakfast sandwiches for under $10, along with a handful of non-alcoholic coffee cocktails. (Cold brew tonic season came early this year.) A speakeasy-style bar and backyard are reportedly in the works, as well. Open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. 99 Franklin Street, near Milton Street

Greenpoint: A Sichuan-Cajun seafood boil restaurant has opened in the former home of Cherry Point, the borough-beloved bistro that closed last year due to the pandemic. Sup Crab has additional locations in Staten Island and on the border of Chinatown and the Lower East Side. 664 Manhattan Avenue, between Norman and Nassau avenues

Lower East Side: In the roughly two years since Birria-Landia opened in Jackson Heights, the city’s birria boom has mostly been sustained by food trucks and streets vendors, but this week Manhattan gets its own brick-and-mortar birrieria. At Birria LES, tacos and tostadas cost $3 each, with small and large sides of consomme priced at $4 and $6, respectively. 127 Rivington Street, between Essex and Norfolk streets

Midtown: Less than a year after the opening of Manhattan’s first full-blown Uighur restaurant, a second business devoted to the Turkic cooking style has arrived uptown. Tengri Tagh Uyghur Cuisine serves hand-pulled noodles and samsa made in-house. Booth seating available indoors. 144 West 37th Street, between Seventh Avenue and Broadway

Midtown East: Tarik Fallous, the chef-owner behind the East Village’s popular Au Za’atar heads uptown with a second location this week, called Au Za’atar Terrace. The sprawling corner space, formerly home to a location of Rosa Mexicano, can seat up to 120 people, according to a spokesperson for the restaurant. 1063 First Avenue, at 58th Street

Prospect Heights: A year after closing its original location in Bed-Stuy, Dough Doughnuts is has returned with an outpost along Vanderbilt Avenue. The acclaimed doughnut shop, a mainstay of best doughnut lists among local and national publications, also has plans to open in Astoria and Rockefeller Center this year. 646 Vanderbilt Avenue, at Park Place

Union Square: Tom Colicchio makes a foray into Italian cooking this week with Vallata, a pop-up “inspired by a year of home-cooked meals,” according to its website. The restaurant, which is located in the former Craftbar space, is technically a pop-up, though there’s no end date on the calendar. 47 East 19th Street, between Broadway and Park Avenue South

Upper East Side: Longstanding neighborhood Italian restaurant Uva now has a younger — and admittedly, somewhat cooler — neighbor located next door. Uva Next Door, a cocktail bar and restaurant, serves pizzas and pastas, along with a few borrowed dishes from its sibling restaurant, says to owner Massimo Lusardi, 1484 Second Avenue, between East 77th and East 78th streets

Upper West Side: Mamoun’s is celebrating its upcoming 50-year anniversary — you read that right — with the opening of a new location on the Upper West Side, its eleventh falafel shop in the city and first in the neighborhood. 508 Columbus Avenue, between West 84th and West 85th streets


April 22

Astoria: Bayside’s late-night sandwich shop and pizzeria Krave It expands with a second location in Queens this week. 36-18 30th Avenue, at 37th Street

Bryant Park: New York mini-chain of pubs, Stout, opens its fourth location today, a 5,000-square-foot beer hall a block from Bryant Park. The restaurant group is preparing to reopen its Financial District beer hall in early May, according to a spokesperson. 109 West 39th Street, near Sixth Avenue

Bushwick: Following a March opening, Bushwick Burger Co. is now serving burgers, fries, and fried fish sandwiches from 7 a.m. to 12 a.m. daily. There’s a few tables in front of the restaurant for outdoor dining. 354 Cornelia Street, at Irving Avenue

Chelsea: The owner of Elmo restaurant in Chelsea opens Coby Club, a low-lit lounge located right downstairs. The venue’s black velvet banquettes and zebra pattern furniture are intended to nod to 1960s San Francisco Chinatown nightlife, according to a spokesperson. 156 Seventh Avenue, between West 19th and West 20th streets

Downtown Brooklyn: Following a brief stint of takeout and delivery service, historic Brooklyn restaurant Gage and Tollner has opened its dining room. Reservations at the 125-year-old restaurant are available online, or at least were. Seats in the restaurant’s indoor dining room are currently booked for the next month. 372 Fulton Street, near Smith Street

East Village: Planet Taco opened late last month with tacos inspired by Mexico, American cities, and even other planets. In an early visit, Eater critic Robert Sietsema found the restaurant’s tacos, priced between $3.75 and $6 each, to be “generally solid.” 141 Second Avenue, at East Ninth Street

Greenpoint: A big win for north Brooklyn nightlife, a two-story bar called Twins Lounge is now open from 5 p.m. to midnight daily. The venue consists of two levels: a downstairs bar whose vibe Greenpointers likened to a “trendy Poconos cottage,” and an upstairs room with an outdoor patio. The menu of cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks includes pierogis from nearby Polka Dot Café. 732 Manhattan Avenue, between Norman and Meserole avenues

Greenwich Village: Georgian cuisine is rare enough in Lower Manhattan, but a restaurant serving fast-casual versions of khachapuri and khinkali dumplings even more so. The newly opened Cafedelia comes from partners Ramaz Kiknadze and Zurab Kikiani, who tell Grub Street the restaurant is a casual, counter-service version of their Bath Beach restaurant Georgian Deli and Bakery. 59 East Eighth Street, at Mercer Street

Midtown: Chef and restaurateur John Fraser’s long-in-the-works Midtown restaurant finally opens this week. At Iris, Fraser is digging into “his Greek heritage and deep admiration for Turkish cuisine,” according to the restaurant’s website, with a Mediterranean menu that includes ramp labneh and quail kebab. 1740 Broadway, at West 55th Street

Midtown East: For New Yorkers returning to their Midtown offices — first, we’re sorry. Second, consider lunch from Himalayan Curry House Restaurant and Bar, a newly opened restaurant serving momos, biryani, and several lunch specials for under $14. 220 East 53rd Street, between Second and Third avenues

Nolita: 5ive Spice, a Soho restaurant known for its pho, bánh mì, and Vietnamese-style tacos, now has a second location in Nolita. 227 Mulberry Street, between Prince and Spring streets

Nomad: The team behind popular underground cocktail bar Patent Pending opened a Mexican restaurant next door, where tacos and tortas are prepared mostly meat-free. Seeyamañana is open for outdoor and indoor dining. 49 West 27th Street, near Sixth Avenue

Park Slope: Chilaquiles, tequila sangria, and other Mexican brunch hits are on the menu at Manjares de Mexico, which opened on 7th Avenue last month. 422 Seventh Avenue, at 14th Street

Park Slope: Parkview Market, a neighborhood deli, has opened in the former home of Dizzy’s Diner, which closed after 22 years earlier in the pandemic. The quick-service deli comes from Mourad Innab, whose father has owned the nearby Eighth Street Mini Market for more than two decades. 511 Ninth Street, at Eighth Avenue

South Street Seaport: Momofuku’s long-awaited Ssäm Bar revamp opens today in the former space of Bar Wayō. The lauded restaurant, which relocated to the South Street Seaport last year, is now being helmed by chef Eunjo Park, who formerly led the now-closed Momofuku restaurant Kāwi in Hudson Yards. 89 South Street, at Pier 17

Sunset Park: Chun Yang Tea, a bubble tea shop with locations in Flushing and Manhattan’s Chinatown, opened their first Brooklyn outpost on April 10. 6016 Eighth Avenue, between 60th and 61st streets

Union Square: Breads Bakery is the latest New York restaurant to make the pandemic pizza pivot. Stretch Pizza, an after-hours pop-up at the bakery’s Union Square location, is open for pre-paid pick-up from Tuesday to Thursday. 18 East 16th Street, between Fifth Avenue and Union Square West

Upper West Side: The second of two Georgian restaurant openings this month, Chelsea favorite Chama Mama has opened a second location uptown. 373 Amsterdam Avenue, between 77th and 78th streets

Upper West Side: Craft beer bar and bottle shop Craft + Carry has opened the doors on its sixth New York City location. 466 Amsterdam Avenue, between 82nd and 83rd streets


April 15

Bryant Park: Brooklyn-based ice cream company Ample Hills Creamery is expanding with a new scoop shop inside Urbanspace near Bryant Park, according to a spokesperson for the company. It’s the ice cream brand’s third location in Manhattan, and the ninth in the city overall. Open Monday through Friday. Broadway and West 40th Street

Bryant Park: Decades-old new American restaurant Aureole permanently closed last June, and in its place restaurateur Charlie Palmer has opened a flagship location for his national chain of steakhouses. Charlie Palmer Steak, which also has locations in Nevada, California, and Washington D.C., opens this evening for dinner. 135 West 42nd Street, between Sixth and Seventh avenues

Columbus Circle: Hit banana pudding maker Magnolia Bakery opens its seventh location in New York City today, located one block from Central Park South. The bakery is also serving coffee as part of a partnership with Australian cafe chain Bluestone Lane. 1794 Broadway, between 58th and 59th streets

East Village: The city’s selection of potato-encrusted, Hot Cheetos-dusted Korean corn dogs continues to grow this week with the opening of Two Hands. Not to be confused with the Australian brunch restaurant of the same name, this East Village corn dog shop is the first New York location of a national chain, which has stores in California, Arizona, and Texas. Two more NYC locations are in the works, according to the chain’s website. 147 Avenue A, between East 9th and 10th streets

Flatiron District: Novelty ice cream company Dippin’ Dots opened the doors on its flagship New York City location this week. The co-branded store also serves popcorn from Doc Popcorn, but Gothamist recommends sticking to the ice cream. Open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. One Madison Avenue on 23rd Street

Times Square: Taco Bell appears to be forging ahead with its New York expansion plans, which include opening another 25 restaurants in New York state before the end of the year. Its latest location, a boozy cantina restaurant in Times Square, is semi-automated. 1501 Broadway, at 43rd Street

Times Square: A new location of tristate yogurt chain 16 Handles opened in Times Square earlier this month, according to a spokesperson for the company. 732 Seventh Avenue, between West 48th and West 49th streets

Upper West Side: The owner of Columbus Avenue’s popular, but now-closed, Mexican restaurant Cafe Frida has opened a new business in the same space. Restaurateur Cristina Castañeda tells the West Side Rag that Covacha is in the process of “opening softly” but will eventually serve ceviches, aguachiles, moles, and housemade corn tortillas. For now the restaurant is open from 4 to 10 p.m., Tuesday to Friday, and from 12 to 10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. 368 Columbus Avenue, between 77th and 78th streets


April 8

Bath Beach: Joining the ranks of a growing list of Malaysian restaurants in NYC is Little House Malaysian Kitchen. Dishes like prawn mee and burger lemak are among the highlights. 2012 86th Street, near 20th Avenue

Bed-Stuy: Greek fast-casual food has a new representative in the city in the form of Chicken Feastin. Expect charcoal-broiled chicken, souvlaki, salads, and more. 561 Gates Avenue, near Tompkins Avenue

Bensonhurst: Crepes, milkshakes, and other desserts are the highlights at new cafe Brooklyn Tasty Treats. 6216 18th Ave, between 62nd and 63rd streets

Brooklyn Heights: Indian restaurant Asya has been replaced by another Indian establishment. Mint Heights serves up a broadly North Indian menu and also has an $18 prix-fixe including an appetizer and an entree. 46 Henry Street, near Cranberry Street

Cobble Hill: South Street Seaport Italian restaurant Barbalu has opened a Brooklyn outpost. In addition to the homemade pastas at the original, the Brooklyn location is also serving pizza. 68 Bergen Street, near Smith Street

Cobble Hill: Following a popular pop-up run at Prospect Heights bar Finn’s Corner, baked empanadas spot Kimpanadas now has a brick-and-mortar location. 228 Smith Street, between Butler and Douglass streets

Flatiron District: Rooftop restaurant The Sentry, at the Hotel Henri, opened in early April as a club for hotel patrons during the day, and a spot for cocktails and small plates open to the general public after 5 p.m. 37 West 24th Street, between Fifth and Sixth avenues

Fort Greene: Stylish Italian restaurant Loreto, inspired by wine bars throughout Europe, opened last month. Chef Pietro Aletto has created a menu with traditional pizzas, pastas, salads, and more. 280 Ashland Pl, at Lafayette Avenue

Fort Greene: Bibimbap, japchae, bulgogi, and various versions of jjigae are all on the menu at Woori Korean Restaurant, a welcome addition to the stretch of Myrtle Avenue near Fort Greene Park. 336 Myrtle Avenue, near Carlton Avenue

Harlem: Meatless Mediterranean all-day cafe Jordan Pie Cafe opened this week, bringing falafel sandwiches, tabbouleh, and portobello fries to the neighborhood. 18 East 116th Street, between Fifth and Madison avenues

Long Island City: Korean fried chicken newcomer Kuku Chicken has opened in the former home of acclaimed ramen spot Mu Ramen. Delivery and takeout options are available. 12-09 Jackson Avenue, near 48th Avenue

Sheepshead Bay: Turkish newcomer Burchak Pide offers an expansive range of lahmacun, pides, paninis, and more. Currently open for indoor dining, takeout, and delivery, with outdoor dining to follow. 1614 Sheepshead Bay Road, near Jerome Avenue

Upper West Side: Owner and chef Jun Park’s “two most favorite foods [are] fried chicken and ramen,” according to the website for just-opened Chick Chick, and that’s exactly what’s on the menu at this sunny new spot on the UWS. It is currently offering outdoor dining, takeout, and delivery. 618 Amsterdam Avenue, near West 90th Street

Upper West Side: The owners behind Pain D’Epice and Muffins Café have opened a new French spot — Epices Bakery — in the neighborhood. The bakery is stocked with baguettes, croissants, tarts, and housemade jams. 104 West 70th Street, between Columbus Avenue and Broadway

Upper West Side: Japanese curry and sando shop Curry Mania opened in mid-March and is already getting rave customer reviews for its range of curries served over Koshihikari rice. Open for indoor dining, outdoor dining, takeout, and delivery. 267 Amsterdam Avenue, between West 72nd and 73rd streets

Williamsburg: Breezy, plant-filled bar and restaurant The Rusty Face has landed in Brooklyn with plenty of Instagram-friendly cocktails on the menu. 188 Grand Street, between Bedford and Driggs avenues

Windsor Terrace: Brooklyn coffee chain Poetica Coffee opened its fourth location in the borough in mid-March. 240 Prospect Park West, between Windsor Place and Prospect Avenue


April 1

Astoria: Ruta Oaxaca opened its doors in January, bringing an impressive selection of Oaxacan moles to Queens. The Mexican restaurant from co-owners Jose Castillo Reyes, Iris Castillo, and Carlos and Felipe Arellano serves mole Oaxaca, amarillo, and verde, along with other varieties as occasional specials. Open for takeout, delivery, and outdoor and indoor dining. 35-03 Broadway, between 35th and 36th streets

Chelsea: Australian coffee shop chain Bluestone Lane opens three new locations today through a partnership with Chelsea Piers: A cafe located on the north end of the Manhattan sports complex, and coffee shops at Chelsea Piers Fitness in Manhattan and Brooklyn. 62 Chelsea Piers Pier 62, near West 22nd Street

Crown Heights: Jungle Juice Cafe celebrated its grand opening with a juice tasting on March 22. Located a short distance from the Brooklyn Museum and Botanic Garden, the neighborhood cafe is serving juices and açai bowls. 843 Classon Avenue, between Lincoln Place and Eastern Parkway

East Village: Ravi DeRossi, the restaurateur behind Ladybird, Avant Garden, and Proletariat, moves forward with expansion plans in the East Village this week. Cadence is his latest project, a vegan Southern and soul food restaurant run by Shenarri Freeman, a Richmond, Virginia-born chef who previously worked at Avant Garden. Open for outdoor and indoor dining. 122 East Seventh Street, near Avenue A

East Village: A restaurant serving Taiwanese beef noodles has opened in the former location of Chinese seafood boil restaurant Le Sia. Four Four South Village, which also has a second outpost in Flushing, serves beef noodle soups, sesame oil chicken soups, and luwei, a selection of braised meats and vegetables. Open for takeout and outdoor and indoor dining. 11 East Seventh Street, near Third Avenue

East Village: Emerging hospitality group 29Monroe unveiled its second project this month, a bar and lounge called Writing on the Wall. The space is billed as an “upscale companion” to the Orchard Room, the group’s first project that opened in the former Max Fish space earlier this month. Reservations for indoor dining are available Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 6 to 11 p.m. 244 East Houston Street, near Avenue A

Greenpoint: The Meat Hook team is now serving its popular burger from a counter at Threes Brewing in Greenpoint. Similar to the butcher’s set-up at Threes Brewing in Gowanus, the Meat Hook Burger Shop will serve burgers, fried chicken sandwiches, and meatball parmesan sandwiches. 113 Franklin Street, at Kent Street

Hell’s Kitchen: From acclaimed Japanese restaurateur Akio Nadamoto comes Prime Meat Rokko, a new restaurant specializing in chicken, beef, pork, and duck cutlet. Nadamoto has eight barbecue restaurants in Japan and a ninth in Cambodia, but the Hell’s Kitchen outpost is his first United States debut. There are eight seats outdoors and 30 seats inside. 783 Ninth Avenue, near West 52nd Street

Prospect Lefferts Gardens: Fiona’s Bar, a neighborhood watering hole with a sizable birch tree in its dining room, opened on Flatbush Avenue at the beginning of March. The bar has been in the works since October 2017, according to co-owner Adrianne Wilcox, when she and partners Matt Kuhn and Matt Kimmett entered a hand-shake agreement with the building’s landlord. More than three years later, the bar is now serving cocktails, a dozen or so beers, and $8 beer and shot specials. 562 Flatbush Avenue, at Beekman Place

Upper East Side: Chef Jae Jung, a fine dining veteran who worked for the late New Orleans chef Leah Chase and as the sous chef at Upper East Side French restaurant Café Boulud, has opened Kjun, a Korean-Cajun delivery-and-takeout restaurant. Direct message the restaurant on Instagram for a 10 percent discount on orders. 345 East 62nd Street, between First Avenue and the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge Upper Roadway

Upper West Side: Beloved Brooklyn-based ice cream brand Blue Marble breaks out with a new location in Manhattan, where co-founders Jennie Dundas and Alexis Gallivan will sell coffee, pints, and baked goods from Colson Patisserie. The company, which started as a scoop shop in Prospect Heights in 2007, has since grown into a multi-million dollar business, with an ice cream production facility in Sunset Park. 2578 Broadway, at 97th Street

Flatiron District: There’s a star-studded cast backing this newly opened Manhattan restaurant. Sona comes from first-time restaurateur Maneesh Goyal and David Rabin, a partner at the Lambs Club, while Indian actress and producer Priyanka Chopra Jonas is serving as a creative director for the restaurant. From an outdoor dining set-up, chef Hari Nayak is serving butter chicken, tamarind lamb chops, and gruyere dosas. 36 East 20th Street, between Broadway and Park Avenue South