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Framed photos lean against a wooden wall with a long leather banquette positioned beneath the artwork.

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A Ritzy Tavern Doubling as an Art Gallery Opens in Tribeca

Connected to Smyth Tribeca Hotel, Smyth Tavern replaces Andrew Carmellini’s Little Park

by Melissa McCart
Photography by Gary He

Smyth Tavern, the 100-seat restaurant is now open in Tribeca adjacent to Smyth Tribeca Hotel in what had been Little Park from Andrew Carmellini. It’s the third restaurant from John McDonald’s Mercer Street Hospitality to open this year, following Hancock Street, the West Village spot with supper club vibes led by chef Ryan Schmidtberger, which opened last August at what had been El Toro Blanco until McDonald closed it during the pandemic. In the spring, McDonald launched Bar Tulix, a seafood-centric Mexican spot from chef Justin Bazdarich of Greenpoint’s Oxomoco.

McDonald’s best-known restaurant is the buzzy Lure Fishbar, a Soho fixture since 2004, which has since expanded to Chicago and South Beach. Bowery Meat Company, Bistrot Leo, Butterfly Soho, and A60, among others, fall under the Mercer Street Hospitality umbrella. His first New York spot, MercBar, opened in 1993 and closed in 2016. He is also a co-founder of Midtown’s Lever House restaurant, which earned a Michelin star under Dan Silverman in 2005, and Dos Caminos, which was sold in 2008.

Read on for more about Smyth Tavern and a look inside the restaurant.

A man wearing a light blue button down shirt and a plaid fedora is looking out of frame and smiling.
John McDonald of Mercer Street Hospitality stands in front of a work from photographer John Schlesinger, one of a handful in his new Tribeca restaurant, Smyth Tavern.

What attracted you to the Tribeca space?

The Smyth Hotel and Little Park closed during Covid and when they started thinking about reopening, they decided to change the restaurant. The Little Park owners were actually the ones that did the handoff and we started discussing what I thought would be the best fit for the neighborhood and that location. 

You’re very into design — I feel like I can go into a John McDonald space and know it was yours. Were the mahogany walls here or did you build the paneling? 

The space did not have any wood paneling so we decided to warm up the room with mahogany for a different level of ambiance — and add red leather booths throughout.

What made you choose these particular art pieces?

Placing art in restaurants is always tricky. In this instance, I just talked to various friends who had galleries, as well as some private collectors. The Peter Schlesinger pictures I love, because of the particular individuals he captured in those images. And then Anne Collier works as well. In particular, the one that says “What do you wish for?” is a great conversation piece. David Lewis Gallery and my friend Steve Eckler really helped with making that one happen. 

How does the menu differ from Hancock Street? 

They’re actually quite similar in many ways. They both have a pretty nice range including the ability to have a raw bar, a few great salads, and homemade pastas. When it comes to entrees that’s where they have their own personality for the most part. Smyth Tavern has a steakhouse section, too.

I see you have branzino sliders on the menu — a secret menu item from Lure. 

Yes, the branzino slider has been an off-menu favorite for ten years over there, so we brought it over as an actual menu item. 

Last question: I’m sitting at the bar. What cocktail would you suggest I order?

I’m mostly a classic margarita or Negroni drinker. No gimmicks — just a perfect recipe in a great glass. 

A bartender stands behind the counter of a large, dark bar with backless stools lined up against it.
Framed artwork hangs on a wooden wall above a circular table and chairs.
The four top sits below Anne Collier’s “What do you wish for?” piece.
A black and white framed artwork hangs on a wooden wall.
Small framed photos lean against the wall behind a dark leather banquette and wooden table set with napkins, silverware, and wine glasses.
Photos at the red leather banquette are from Peter Schlesinger.
Wooden booths with dark upholstery line a lowlit dining room with red and white patterned wallpaper.
A cheeseburger topped with two gigantic fried onion rings sits on a plate with fries and ketchup.
The Smyth burger ($25) is dressed with cheese, special sauce, and a bacon onion jam. It comes with both onion rings and fries.
A bowl sits on a table filled with bright watermelon salad topped with chunks of feta.
Watermelon and tomatoes get spiked with serrano peppers and finished with Champagne vinegar and mint ($25).
Square cuts of orange fish are laid out on a white rectangular plate in a pool of orange sauce.
Salmon tiradito is dressed with a miso yuzu vinaigrette and sesame oil ($28).
A bowl of pasta with a spoon sticking out and roasted and breaded oysters to the right.
The mafaldine ($38) is studded with lobster knuckle and claw then dressed with chiles and uni butter.
A plate of six large roasted oysters covered in breadcrumbs, surrounding a half of lemon sprinkled with green herbs in the center of the plate.
Broiled oysters ($27) are stuffed with bread crumbs and garlic.

Smyth Tavern is open weekdays from 5 to 10 p.m. and from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. In several weeks, the restaurant will open for breakfast and lunch.

Disclosure: Melissa McCart had consulted for a Mercer Street Hospitality project on Substack.

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