In March 2020, the legendary Gotham Bar and Grill at 12 East 12^th Street shuttered after 36 years of operation. Home to former chef Alfred Portale, Gotham won numerous awards including Michelin stars and a record six 3-star reviews from the New York Times. Ownership of the famed eatery passed on to its managing partner of 13 years, Bret Csencsitz and his team. Former pastry chef Ron Paprocki will be the new Executive Chef. The refreshed design, including a new lounge, bar, and library, will also feature a rotating exhibition of original artwork from established and emerging artists. The new restaurant will re-open in early November. Bernstein Redo Savitsky, P.C. is proud to be a part of the Gotham Bar and Grill team.

The landmark Battery Maritime Building located at 10 South Street, on the National Register of Historic Places, is the new home of Casa Cipriani. The Beaux-Arts building designed in 1906 is the only Exposition Universelle-style ferry building still operating in Manhattan. Casa Cipriani includes a hotel, event space and an upper floor private member’s club.  The 2^nd floor event complex includes a 9,000 square foot great hall accommodating up to 800 guests, while the hotel includes 47 luxury rooms and suites overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty. Managing the project is Maggio Cipriani, the New York–based president of Cipriani and great-grandson of the founder of Venice’s legendary Harry’s Bar. The project’s architect, Thierry Despont, is known for his work on such icons as the Woolworth Building, the Ritz Paris and Claridge’s hotel in London. Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to be part of the Casa Cipriani team.

A “floating island” conceptualized in 2013, Little Island is a converted old pier off 14^th Street that will be a public park, with short walking paths, sitting plazas, rolling grassy areas and a 689-seat waterfront amphitheater.  Under lease with the Hudson River Park Trust, Little Island is an initiative of the Diller-Von Furstenberg Family Foundation. There will be programming six days a week featuring dance, theatre, arts, educational classes, comedy and other performing arts events throughout the nearly three acres of space. The park will be open to the public at all times and also includes a 300 seat main plaza. Food and beverages, including wine and beer, will be provided by Savory Hospitality Group until 11pm nightly. Little Island is an integral part of Governor Cuomo’s New York Art Revival, a public-private partnership to bring back the arts, and will open in May 2021. Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to be part of the Little Island team.

Cobi Levy and Chef Alex Guarnaschelli plan to open Osteria Lola, the Italian follow up to the popular SoHo Lola Taverna.  Osteria Lola, currently under construction, will be located on the corner of 18^th Street and Tenth Avenue in the Thomas Heatherwick designed Lantern House.  Alex is an Iron Chef, best-selling cookbook author and Food Network star.  Cobi owns Lola Taverna and Babu Ji. Osteria Lola will be a breezy coastal Italian restaurant celebrating the finest local ingredients. They have hired GRT Architects to create an approachable, elegant interior.  Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to be part of the Osteria Lola team.

Korean automaker Hyundai will open a three story 43,000 square foot showroom in a new ten story building being constructed at Tenth Avenue between 13^th and 14^th Streets known as the Solar Carve Tower. The venue is designed to promote its luxury car brand, Genesis, and also provide for programming, with a food and beverage component featuring a Korean-based menu to be run in partnership with Restaurant Associates. The cellar space will hold private events for up to 232 guests, and the second floor restaurant will include an outdoor terrace facing the Highline. The first floor showroom will showcase the Genesis brand automobiles. Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to be part of the Genesis House team.

We noted last August the planned opening in New York of Soho Works. This new workspace opened its doors this month, its first location in North America, at 55 Water Street, just a few floors below DUMBO House.  Soho Works is an international network of workspaces by Soho House, designed and equipped to help creative thinkers and businesses connect, collaborate and grow. Created in response to their members’ need for more functional spaces, amenities include phone booths, meeting rooms, podcasting equipment and more.  Membership includes access to all Soho Works world-wide as they continue to be developed.  Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to be part of the Soho House and Soho Works team.

Adding to his portfolio of New York restaurants, award-winning Stephen Starr has unveiled his latest, Veronika. The new restaurant is located on the second floor at 281 Park Avenue South, a 45,000 square foot, six story building that is the new home to Stockholm-based Fotografiska. The building houses a photography and cultural museum with three floors of exhibition space. The 146-seat restaurant was designed by Roman and Williams, the design team behind Starr restaurants Le Cou Cou and Upland, among others. It is styled as a grand European café. Robert Aikens, formerly at the Rainbow Room, will be the chef. The name Veronika pays homage to Veronica, the patron saint of photography. Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to be a part of the Veronika and Fotografiska team.

New York’s iconic St. Regis Hotel was sold last month by Marriott International Inc. to the Qatar Investment Authority for $310 million. The hotel, located on East 55^th Street off Fifth Avenue, was opened by John Jacob Astor IV in 1904. The famous Beaux-Arts building is eighteen stories with more than 200 guest rooms. Marriott had acquired the property from Starwood Hotels in 2016, and will continue to manage it for QIA.  This purchase adds to QIA’s existing portfolio in New York, including the Plaza Hotel which it acquired in 2018.  Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to part of the QIA team.

Eater New York’s survey last month named Sisters Cuisine at 47 East 124^th Street as the number 1 killer Caribbean restaurant in the New York area. This small eatery in East Harlem has been serving locals for over twenty years with top notch freshly prepared authentic Jamaican food. Congratulations to our dear friends Marlyn Rogers and her son RanDe on getting this well deserved top spot.

For over three decades, Canada-based Toptable Group has defined elegant and approachable dining with renowned restaurants and award-winning chefs. Its regional restaurants in Vancouver and Whistler include Araxi, CinCin, Thierrey, Elisa, Il Caminetto, and Blue Water Café. This month the group opened its first New York restaurant, Oceans, at 233 Park Avenue South in Manhattan, specializing in locally and globally sourced seafood and sushi. Executive Chef Andy Kitko leads the team at Oceans, having trained in Michelin-starred restaurants such as Café Boulud and Aqua, and most recently at famed Estiatorio Milos. The space was occupied years ago by Canastel’s. Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to be part of the Toptable Group and Oceans team.