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Bâtard, open since May 2014, is closing in Tribeca, a neighborhood anchor that defied a straight-up fine dining label with off-menu fried chicken, PBR at a regular’s request, and two, three, or four-course tasting menus for under $100.
The last day of service is Saturday, May 20, a manager confirmed. It’s the first time “intensely hands-on” restaurateur Drew Nieporent will not be connected to the space once the restaurant closes. Prior to Bâtard, Montrachet resided here in the ’80s followed by fine-dining destination Corton with chef Paul Liebrandt.
A new restaurant will open in its place at 239 W. Broadway, near White Street, headed by Upper East Side chef Chip Smith and his wife Tina Vaughn, Tribeca Citizen reported. The duo was behind Lilliputian French spot, the Simone on the Upper East Side for nearly a decade, until 2022. The LLC is listed as “Chip and Tina” in a liquor license application filed in April.
Bâtard earned a Michelin star in 2015, the same year it was the crowned the best new restaurant in America by James Beard awards; it held onto the star through 2022. The restaurant has been a partnership among Winterman, former maître d’ at Daniel, and Nieporent, behind megahit chain Nobu as well as with Tribeca Grill with actor Robert DeNiro. Chef and owner Markus Glocker, now chef and partner at Koloman in the former Breslin in Nomad, rounded out the trio.
Bâtard carried on the legacy of Montrachet, delivering tailored service and attention to detail, securing Tribeca’s spot as a destination-worthy dining neighborhood. Yet in the case of Bâtard, it came without the ritual and fussiness of fine dining — or the price. “Enjoyable” and “approachable” were used to describe Bâtard in its early days, with Glocker as having “a sniper’s accuracy at the stove,” said Pete Wells in the New York Times three-starred review, yet the cooking was also joyful and expressive. Glocker split his duties at Bâtard in 2018 to join Keith McNally’s Augustine, while still holding onto his partnership until 2021.
“I had big shoes to fill following Liebrandt, but I think we made a mark there,” Glocker says. “The place is still dear to my heart. It was great working with Drew.”
