An Upper East Side French Bistro Calls It Quits — and More Closings

Two years after New York’s first indoor dining shutdown, restaurants and bars continue to close their doors. More than 1,000 have closed since March 2020 due to the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Due to the difficulty of tracking restaurant and bar closings, experts say that number could be even higher, and will likely take months or even years to assess.

Below, Eater is documenting the city’s permanent restaurant closures, including Almond and Little Frog. If a restaurant or bar has closed in your neighborhood, let us know at tips@eater.com. This post will be updated regularly.

May 27

Flatiron: The Flatiron location of Almond, a restaurant serving crowd-favorite charcuterie platters, salads, and short ribs, is no more. According to the New York Times, restaurant co-owner Eric Lemonides attributed the closure to a downturn in midday foot traffic during the pandemic. Locations in Bridgehampton, New York, and Palm Beach, Florida, remain in business.

Upper East Side: After about five years in business, uptown French bistro Little Frog is shutting down. Owner Francois Latapie shared the news on LinkedIn, writing that he closed the business due to a “lack of government support” during the pandemic. Latapie, an alum of Le Cirque who previously co-owned the famed French restaurant Orsay, wrote that he hoped to reopen in a new neighborhood.

Upper West Side: West Side Rag reports that pastry spot Margot Patisserie, open since 1994 inside of the iconic apartment building the Ansonia, is calling it quits.

May 13

Park Slope: The Bagel Store, known for its rainbow bagel that went viral in 2016 and inspiring many copycats, has shuttered. The Bagel Store’s Instagram bio lists the reason being related to “health concerns.” According to the Brooklyn Paper, Scot Rossillo trademarked the the rainbow bagel name, which he had been making for nearly two decades before it started trending on the internet. The store experienced highs and lows ever since Rossillo’s bagel struck social media fame: The original shop located on Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg temporarily closed when demand was overwhelming. Then in 2019, Rossillo’s store was seized for $900,000 in unpaid taxes. During the pandemic, he moved the Bagel Store to the current Park Slope location.

Upper West Side: Indian restaurant Aryurveda Cafe, known for its set vegetarian menus, closed earlier in May, according to Westside Rag.

Upper West Side: The latest NYC diner to closet is Olympic Flame Diner, according to the ILovetheUpperWestside.com. It had been in the area for more than 30 years. The diner, started by Greek immigrant Vasilios “Bill” Katsanos, had reportedly just renewed its liquor license in March 2022. No reason was listed for the closure and Google marks it as permanently shuttered.