A YEAR-OLD EAST VILLAGE SPOT CLOSES IN THE WAKE OF A LAWSUIT

In this weekly column, Eater documents the city’s permanent restaurant and bar closures. If a restaurant or bar has closed in your neighborhood, let us know at [email protected].

July 26

Carroll Gardens: Santo Brúklin has closed after five years. The Brazilian-leaning restaurant announced its closing on Instagram earlier this month because the owners are heading west “staying closer to our family and friends on the other side of the country,” they said. 548 Court Street, at West Ninth Street

East Village: Boulton & Watt closed earlier this month after over a decade, according to EVGrieve. Meanwhile, the brand will remain at JFK Terminal 4. They’re holding onto the storefront, according to the website, to turn it into something new. 5 Avenue A, at East Houston Street

East Village: Memphis Seoul, from former New York Post sportswriter Bart Hubbuch, has closed less than a year after opening in this location, with a Marshal’s notice on the door stating that the landlord has legal possession of the space. The shop claims to have pending litigation against its landlord, EVGrieve reports, having filed a $500,000 lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court for alleged breach of contract, tenant harassment, fraud, and misrepresentation against Lunar Estates, LLC d/b/a Lunar Estates. The Korean soul food spot has a location in Crown Heights. 123 First Avenue, near St. Marks Place

Upper West Side: Open since 1991, Hamilton Deli from Columbia University has closed due to “personal reasons” according to a sign. A new deli and juice bar, Hajjis, known in Harlem for its chopped cheese, will open in the same space in July. 1129 Amsterdam Avenue, at West 116th Street

July 19

Cobble Hill: La Rose, a popular Detroit-style pizzeria, closed this week after a year. Owner Andrew Halitski broke the news on Instagram: “We are so incredibly grateful for every single one of you who have supported us along the way,” the post reads. “Your positive feedback to our squares and pies have truly meant the world.” The pizzeria opened last summer, serving crunchy, square slices that ranked among the city’s best. 150 Smith Street, near Bergen Street

Crown Heights: Neighborhood cocktail bar Two Saints poured its last drinks on June 15. “While we have proudly served the community for the last nine years and wish to continue doing so, business post-pandemic has not been enough to sustain operations,” the business shared on Instagram. Owners James Petrie and Michael de Zayas opened the bar in 2015. They “wanted it to be like a mashup of the European idea of a cafe, but we want to pay homage to the neighborhood.” 753 Nostrand Avenue, at St. Johns Place

East Village: Bad Habit ice cream, known for its unconventional flavors like miso raspberry and sweet corn, closed its storefront over the weekend. Owners Jesse Merchant Zuñiga and Javier Zuñiga are leaving New York City. “We are on to a new adventure, welcoming a baby boy of our own on the West Coast, where we will continue churning, cooking and baking,” the couple shared on Instagram The Zuñigas started making ice cream from their Brooklyn apartment during the pandemic. At peak, their pints were delivered throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn and sold on restaurant menus. The ice cream shop opened in 2023, originally with an attached wine bar called Caleta. 131 Avenue A, near St. Marks Place

East Village: French American restaurant David’s Cafe is no more. There’s a “for lease” sign in the front window, according to the local website EV Grieve; Google lists the business as permanently closed. Owner David Malbequi opened David’s Cafe in 2015. He also runs Spice Brothers next door, which was recently reviewed in the New York Times. 102 St. Mark’s Place, between Avenue A and First Avenue

East Williamsburg: Ho May Kitchen closed at the start of the month. The Chinese American restaurant anchored the intersection of Kingsland Avenue and Frost Street in East Williamsburg. The restaurant’s sign, advertising “takeout Chinese food” has been removed. 100 Woodpoint Road, at Frost Street

Midtown East: It’s the last call at Neary’s. After 57 years, the Irish pub is closing its doors on July 19. Una Neary, the daughter of the pub’s late founder Jimmy Neary, is selling the building that her family has owned since the 1980s. “From the depths of our hearts, thank you for making Neary’s a truly magical place,” a note on the website reads. Jimmy Neary, an Irish immigrant, opened the pub in 1967 and attracted many fans over the years, including several New York City mayors. When he died in 2021, his daughter took over. She plans to open “a more modern Irish-themed restaurant” later this year, according to the New York Times. 358 E. 57th Street, near First Avenue

Upper East Side: Italian cafe Poppi has closed after two years. “We were not able to renew our lease and have not yet found a new location,” the business said on Instagram. Owners Kristen Harper, Fern Moufarrige, and Charlotte Snyder opened in 2022. 20 E. 69th Street, near Madison Avenue

West Village: Organic Grill, a 25-year-old vegan restaurant, closed on July 9. Owner Vlad Grinberg was forced to move his restaurant from the East Village to the West Village during the pandemic. Business was never the same, especially among his regulars. “They do come in, they spend money, but it’s nothing like it used to be,” he told AMNY. 133 W. Third Street, near Sixth Avenue

July 12

Bay Ridge: South Brooklyn Foundry has closed after eight years. According to Brooklyn Paper, the closure follows a dramatic appearance on an episode of Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. Owners Kelly Agnes and Rey Martinez parted ways following production; Agnes said participating in the show was the “worst decision” she ever made. The restaurant opened in 2015. 6909 Third Avenue, near Bay Ridge Avenue

Bed-Stuy: Swell Dive, a bar with Filipino food, has closed. The bar changed owners at the end of 2023, after two former employees, Gino Angelo and Tara Reyes, took over and saved it from extinction. They changed the menu — chicken fried spam, Frito pie — to have a greater focus on Filipino food. The last day was June 30. 1013 Bedford Avenue, near Lafayette Avenue

Clinton Hill: Bittersweet Breakfast, a diner, has closed after a quick five-month run. It’s the third closure at this address in the last two years. The former tenant, Lulu & Po, closed in December. Before that, a diner named Rosalu operated from the space. Bittersweet Breakfast was run by the owners of Bittersweet, a coffee shop in Fort Greene. 274 Hall Street, near Dekalb Avenue

Cobble Hill: Bạn Bè, the online bakery that once had a 2,000-person waitlist, closed on June 23. Owner Doris Ho-Kane will use the space to teach classes on making Vietnamese American desserts. The bakery, from Ho-Kane, a fashion-industry veteran, started online during the pandemic. 187 Sackett Street, between Henry and Hicks streets

East Village: Crazy Burger, a short-lived smash burger spot, is now closed. The restaurant opened in January. Earlier this week, workers were seen renovating the space, according to EV Grieve, a local blog. 193 Avenue C, between 11th Street and 12th Street

Flatiron District: Sona, a modern Indian restaurant that opened with actor Priyanka Chopra, has closed in Manhattan. “After more than three remarkable years, Sona will be closing,” the restaurant announced last month. Sona was the first venture from Maneesh K. Goyal; he opened the restaurant with Chopra, who is married to the musician Nick Jonas. (She walked away from Sona last fall.) Most of its buzz was related to the celebrity partnership, but Eater critic Robert Sietsema said the food could stand on its own. “Among the hundreds of Indian meals I’ve enjoyed over the last decade, this was one of the best,” he wrote in 2021. The last day was June 30. 36 E. 20th Street, between Park Avenue South and Broadway

Greenwich Village: American restaurant Jane has closed on Houston Street after 20 years. “Although we are closing this chapter, we are excited for what’s to come in this landmark location,” says a note on the website. In 2017, Jane was purchased by the local chain Sarabeth’s, which recently closed in Tribeca. 100 W. Houston Street, near Thompson Street

Tribeca: Local chain Sarabeth’s has closed its location on Greenwich Street after 13 years. The restaurant lost its lease, according to its website. “We will miss this iconic location and community but can promise you that you will be able to find the same Sarabeth’s welcoming energy at a new downtown Manhattan location later this year,” ownership said in a statement. The original restaurant opened on the Upper East Side in 1983. There are now locations in Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. 339 Greenwich Street, at Jay Street

Tribeca: V Cafe, a 20-year-old Vietnamese restaurant, has closed. The restaurant has had “for lease” signs up since 2021. Owner Lan Tran Cao, a former executive at Deutsche Bank, recently confirmed the closure in an interview with Tribeca Citizen, a local news website. 345 Greenwich Street, between Jay and Harrison streets

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