Latest & Greatest: Where to Eat and Drink Right Now in Downtown NYC
From an impossibly charming part-Venetian bistro, part indie bookstore, to a small, shadowy and very stylish bar on the LES—we roundup the best new spots.
With new buzzy hotspots popping up below 14th Street on the regular, keeping up with Lower Manhattan’s ever-lively dining and nightlife scene often feels laborious. But don’t allow the endless options to bring you down, because we’ve narrowed down our favorite newly opened restaurants, cafes, and bars in downtown Manhattan, from an impossibly charming part-Venetian bistro, part indie bookstore, to a small, shadowy, and very stylish LES bar whose master mixologists pour the saltiest cocktail in town.
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Walking into Sullaluna feels like being transported to a picture-perfect, bright, and airy Venetian bistro, which makes perfect sense considering it’s the new sibling to the Venice outpost. Tucked away on Carmine Street, this part Italian bistro, part indie bookstore offers endless slices of la dolce vita. Plus, breakfast, brunch, and dinner—serving everything from espresso-based drinks, matcha lattes, and flaky pastries to eggplant parmigiana, bruschetta, and caprese sandwiches—with a vibrant book selection of illustrated books dotting the walls. Opened in late June, be sure to try their refreshing non-alcoholic bellini, mimosa, and spritz as they await their liquor license.
10 Carmine St; T. (646) 243-7534
Popular Woodstock wine bar Early Terrible just got a sibling on the Lower East Side, and the young downtown set already can’t get enough of it. The Croatian-owned Early Terrible NYC is doing things a bit differently, including adding a dinner menu inspired by the Adriatic coast. Menu standout items include ricotta gnudi (ricotta dumplings with Croatian pancetta, peas, pea shoots, and pea juice), Nova Scoatian halibut with romano beans and a foamy oyster sauce, and a gigantic, shareable squid ink risotto. Post-dinner, follow a fashionable crowd downstairs and into the drinking den for late-night revelry and lychee martinis, jalapeno margs, and other killer signature cocktails.
303-305 Broome St; T. (646) 590-8192
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This buzzy new Lower East Side bar from the superstar team behind Hart’s, Cervo’s, and The Fly is inspired by the food and wine of the Basque country and Southern France. Inside you’ll find a neon-soaked, tavern-like setting, complete with a U-shaped bar, wooden booths, pebble-glass windows, and a seafood-centric menu of pintxos (small bar snacks especially popular in Basque country) and larger dishes. In a surprising move, there aren’t actually any eel dishes on the menu. Instead, enjoy a grass-fed burger with anchovies and Roquefort, a potato salad with a hill of trout roe, piquillo peppers stuffed with crab, baked oysters, and a slew of drinks, including several types of vermouth. Tip: try the “Marianito,” made with red vermouth, rum, curacao, and bitters, which goes perfectly with the vermouth-drenched Tarta San Marcos sponge cake.
252 Broome St; T. (646) 850-0140
Housed in the old Stanton Social space on the Lower East Side is the swanky, sprawling Sae Ron, a restaurant focused on “blending traditional Korean dishes with contemporary culinary flavors and techniques, creating a comforting fusion of old and new.” Mission majorly accomplished. For mouth-watering-inducing proof, order the baby-back ribs glazed in yuzu garlic with jalapeno paste and fried kimchi, or the yubu and beef tartare with a sublime truffle yolk spread. Craving something with a kick? Go for the Sundubu-jjigae (spicy soft tofu stew). Here, it’s aptly named the “SoonDubu in Hell,” featuring silken tofu, zucchini, poached egg, and a blazing vegetable broth. Cool off with a perfectly executed cocktail, followed by a dessert. We’re into the refreshing “SaeRona On The Beach” tipple, made with honeydew, soju, chamomile, and egg whites, and the “Mango Passion Bingsu,” a sweet shaved ice dessert topped with mochi and sweet mango cream.
99 Stanton St; T. (646) 454-0848
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Lower East Side dwellers can now breathe a sigh of relief because scene-y pre-fixe culinary haunt Contra is finally back on Orchard Street. Sort of. It’s been reborn under the Wildair team as a vibey and shadowy cocktail bar, spotlighting inventive cocktails and small bites. Among their best-selling drinks are the tart and very salty “Saltair,” which blends umeboshi tequila and lime and comes with a teeny-tiny Modelito sidecar chaser, and the “Sagittarius B2,” made with rum, raspberry orgeat syrup, and a questionable but delicious-sounding ingredient that goes by “acid raspberry.” Hungry? Order flavor-packed bites like Montauk scarlet prawn, wagyu beef tartare, Maine scallops, chicken wings stuffed with creamy Stilton and pork sausage, and a strawberry sundae spiked with fried potatoes.
138 Orchard St
Pair your coffee with head-turning hats and hoodies at Le Gaz, a hip and homey cafe housed in streetwear brand Fugazi’s recently opened store on the Lower East Side. Inside the sun-filled spot outfitted with funky minimalist decor, you’ll perpetually find a very Dimes Square clientele ordering iced coffees and matcha lattes. But it’d be foolish to sleep on Le Gaz’s delectable signature drinks, like the “Cà phê sữa đá,” a Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk, and the “Vani muối latte,” a vanilla latte with salted cold foam. The rose cardamom latte is also to die for. PS: Good luck walking past the pastry display case without ordering a perfectly flaky croissant, made by the East Village’s C&B cafe and bakery.
55 Canal St.
WORDS Alex Catarinella
FEATURED IMAGERY Courtesy www.eelbarnyc.com