We’re teetering on the dog days of summer and NYC feels a bit like a ghost town right now, but for those of us here, the world is our proverbial oyster. Not only are tables at local hot spots are more available than ever, but the summer openings haven’t stopped, even with fall right around the corner.
This week, look out for Goop Kitchen’s first physical storefront on the east side uptown, a Brazilian cafe’s expansion to NoMad, the long-awaited takeover of the Second Avenue space formerly occupied by Cacio e Pepe, and more.
Broome
In late July, Broome, a boutique hotel on Broome Street, opened its own restaurant as the first phase of a hotel relaunch plan that also includes new guestrooms. At the center of the 200-year-old building is a courtyard that links the lobby, bar, restaurant, and suites. The new design collectively draws inspiration from New York City, the Mediterranean, and the French countryside.
“At its core, my vision for Broome is to create a space that naturally becomes part of people’s lives,” said Liron Sanado, director of operations. “The hotel offers a rare sense of calm, intimacy, and understated luxury—a place where guests can stay, dine, gather, and disappear from the city for a few hours, even as the neighborhood moves at its own pace just beyond the courtyard.”
Chef Moshe Masarty built a menu around French techniques and Mediterranean seasonality in dishes such as the Tuna Tartare with labneh and cucumber consommé; Branzino with dill beurre blanc; and the Olive Oil Chocolate Cake with sea salt and crème fraîche. The cocktail program includes the Garden Fizz, Yuzu Martini, and Spicy Blackberry Mezcal. Expect brunch service to follow in the coming months. 431 Broome St., SoHo, thebroomenyc.com
LIBA
From the team behind 12 Chairs, LIBA comes from the Hebrew word for “core” and the NYC concept is rooted around family recipes and building memories around food. The new restaurant resides in the popular Williamsburg hotel, The William Vale, and centers around an open kitchen with an 800-degree brick oven, a dry-aging program, and an ingredient-driven Mediterranean and Middle Eastern menu with spices imported from Israel.
The menu reflects chef Maayan Glass’ Mediterranean and Middle Eastern roots and nearly everything is made from scratch, including the house-made breads, sauces, pickles, and condiments. Standouts from the impressive oven include Brick Oven Bread and Charred Greens. Don’t miss anything from the restaurant’s aforementioned in-house dry-aging program either, the Steak Frites is an excellent option.107 N. 12th St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn, libanyc.com
Goop Kitchen
After a successful NYC launch this spring, where Goop Kitchen offered delivery to Midtown West and Williamsburg (utilizing ghost kitchens), actress Gwenith Paltrow’s food-focused train rolls on its first physical store on the Upper East Side. The new location is designed to elevate the takeout experience with in-person pick-up and ordering, as well as pre-ordering for both pick-up and delivery.
To experience it first hand, simply walk into the 92nd Street storefront and order salads, gluten-free pizzas, and rotisserie chicken, among other popular items. There’s no seating, only to-to goods. Now that these chef-crafted to-go meals are a bit more accessible, the concept will undoubtedly fit into the residential neighborhood. 346 E. 92nd St., Upper East Side, goopkitchen.com
TAP NoMad
TAP Brazilian Café, a gluten-free, brother-owned Brazilian fast-casual in NYC, is opening this week on Fifth Avenue in NoMad. TAP, which stands for Tapioca sandwiches, Açaí bowls, and Pão de queijo (the warm, bite-sized cheese breads made in-house), focuses on Brazilian superfoods and other popular staples.
The menu features açaí sourced from the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest, imported tapioca, and coffee beans from Minas Gerais, one of Brazil’s renowned coffee-producing regions. The NoMad location joins existing locations in Midtown East, Astoria, the Upper West Side, and Miami. While TAP officially opens on August 12, they’ll be celebrating all day on both August 14 and 15 with $1 Baby Açaí Bowls and Pão de Queijo. 261 Fifth Ave., NoMad, eattap.co
Recente
This Thursday, August 13, Recente (reh-CHEN-teh), a coastal Italian restaurant and aperitivo bar, will open at 182 Second Ave. in the East Village in the space formerly occupied by Cacio e Pepe (which closed in 2020). It’s the first standalone concept from Willem Hock and Lukas Canan, the duo who spent nearly a decade at some of the most influential cocktail bars in NYC, including Dante, Amor y Amargo, and Surf Lodge.
Recente spans across a 60-seat dining room and bar, a 30-seat garden, and sidewalk seating, and will be open for dinner and late-night bites to start (with plans to expand to brunch service next month). The tightly-edited food menu includes seafood, salads, handmade pastas, and antipasti. The beverage program centers on the elevated aperitivo, plus a selection of Italian and natural wines, and a non-alcoholic menu built around the N/A spritz, Crodino, and San Bitter.
“We’ve been lucky to work across some really different worlds — the cocktail precision of Dante and Amor y Amargo, the late-night allure of The Nines, the seasonal energy of The Surf Lodge,” said Lukas Canan, Recente’s managing partner, of the team’s collective experience. “Each one taught us something different. Recente is where all of that comes together, not as a greatest hits, but as something distilled into our version of the kind of place that pulls you in for dinner and keeps you until 2 a.m.” 182 Second Ave., East Village, recentenyc.com
