Central Park Is Getting A New Café

CENTRAL PARK — Visitors lacing up their skates at Central Park’s newly opened Davis Center ice rink will now be able to warm up with pastries, paninis and warm drinks from a new café outpost run by Settepani, a beloved Harlem restaurant.

The Central Park Conservancy said Monday its new partnership with Settepani is part of the Conservancy’s push to spotlight local, community-rooted businesses at the revamped northern end of the park.

Settepani on the Meer, a three-season café located at the Davis Center, officially opened to the public on Monday.

"Settepani is a cornerstone of the Harlem community, so it’s fitting that visitors to the Davis Center will be able to enjoy their delicious menu at the rink," Darline Lalanne, director of public programs and Davis Center at Central Park Conservancy, said.

Founded in 1992 by Leah Abraham and chef Antonino "Nino" Settepani as a small bakery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Settepani later expanded to Harlem, where it has become a mainstay of the neighborhood’s culinary scene.

The business has since grown to include a café at Time Out Market, its flagship Harlem restaurant, an outpost at the Studio Museum in Harlem, as well as its original Brooklyn bakery.

At the Davis Center, the menu will feature Italian breads, pastries, paninis, soups, salads, pizzas, and hot and iced beverages.

"From walking the children across the park to school, using the playground, ice skating, morning walks with the dog, coveted walks around the reservoir, tennis and so much more, we have so many cherished memories in the north end of the Park," Leah Abraham, co-founder and owner of Settepani, said.

"Opening here feels both new and familiar and we couldn't be more excited to see Settepani in our 'backyard.'"

Holiday and seasonal hours for Settepani on the Meer will be posted on the Davis Center’s website.

Know of a business opening or closing in Manhattan? Email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.