Central Park’s Landmark Tavern on the Green Finally Reopens

Tavern on the Green reopens after a yearlong hiatus

Central Park fixture Tavern on the Green has finally reopened after staying dark for just over a year due to the pandemic. The century-old restaurant, located across from Sheep Meadow and known for its sprawling outdoor patios offering stunning views of the park, is back up and running with reworked lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch menus served in its central restaurant, the main outdoor courtyard, the beer garden, and the south terrace.

The restaurant has been one of the few spots in the city that laid dormant throughout the entire coronavirus crisis in NYC. Now, as the dining destination gets back on its feet, it has equipped itself with a full range of dining options headed into the summer: The landmark restaurant is offering lunch sandwiches, snacks, and alcohol with online ordering through a to-go window; lots of outdoor seating with weekend live music; and indoor dining at 50 percent capacity.

The reopening follows a March announcement that the Central Park Loeb Boathouse — another park mainstay for dining amid picture-perfect outdoor landscapes — was at last reopening after its own yearlong pause as it struggled to stay afloat during the pandemic.

In other news

— Shake Shack’s latest chef collaboration series continues with the May 6 debut of the Atoburger from chef Junghyun Park and the team at acclaimed Korean restaurant Atoboy. The $7.49 burger — a shrimp patty topped with a crispy hash brown, the restaurant’s Grenada pepper sauce, red onions, and butter lettuce — will be available on Thursday only, at Shake Shack’s Madison Square Park location, according to a company representative. All proceeds will be donated to local nonprofit Heart of Dinner.

— In celebration of bar seating returning to the city today, Bowery restaurant and bar Short Stories is renting its bar for private drinking sessions by the hour (for $60 per person) every Monday until the restaurant reopens, EV Grieve reports. All proceeds go to Short Stories’s bartending staff.

— Taco chain Tacombi will be donating 100 percent of its proceeds on Cinco de Mayo to fund its Tacombi Community Kitchen, which donates meals to New Yorkers who are food insecure, according to a restaurant representative. The chain aims to fund 50,000 meals through money raised on the holiday.

— The Original Nicky’s Vietnamese Sandwiches in the East Village has permanently shut down.

— Midtown mainstay Ben’s Kosher Deli is reopening today, while critically acclaimed Middle Eastern restaurant Nur in Flatiron is reopening on May 6, according to representatives for both restaurants.

— Zaro’s at Grand Central is hosting a pop-up through the month of May with Hudson Valley vegan cheese brand Treeline, according to a company representative. The bakery will be selling bagel sandwiches made with Treeline’s cashew-based cream cheese.

— Dinner plans: