New UES Restaurants: Gracie's Diner Moves, Bar Coastal Replaced

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A ramen spot, a new location for Gracie's Diner, the return of Sandro's and a replacement for the shuttered Bar Coastal are among the newest restaurants coming to the Upper East Side.

The soon-to-open eateries and bars were presented on Tuesday to a Community Board 8 committee as their owners sought the board's approval to obtain alcohol licenses. They are among the dozens of new restaurants that Patch has covered in recent months as the hospitality industry recovers from the pandemic.

Here's a rundown of the openings we learned about this week:

Gracie's (242 East 85th St., on Second Avenue):

• This will be a new location for the venerated local spot Gracie's on 2nd, which plans to close its existing location a block north on 86th Street, representative Kathleen Stathopoulos told the board. Gracie's has been based on that corner since 2014, after previously spending decades on First Avenue.
• Gracie's owner Steve Nikolakakos has taken over the lease on the corner storefront formerly home to Mexicoma, according to Stathopoulos.
• The space has 33 indoor seats, plus a 21-seat enclosed cafe and 18 stools around the counter, amounting to a typical diner setup. Like its existing location, the new Gracie's will be open 24 hours, Stathopoulos said.

Harajuku Ramen (1393 Second Ave., between East 72nd and 73rd streets):

• This small ramen spot opened days ago on Second Avenue, with a nine seats as well as a seven-seat bar.
• The restaurant will be open daily, from 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. on Friday and weekends, a representative told CB8.

Plug Uglies (1495 First Ave., on East 78th Sreet):

• This neighborhood bar has spent more than 25 years in Gramercy, and now plans to open a second location on the Upper East Side, said owner Dieter Seelig. Seelig is himself a longtime Upper East Sider, and is already active in the neighborhood as the owner of Craft + Carry, a beer bar and shop.
• Plug Uglies will replace Bar Coastal, the beloved watering hole that recently closed after 22 years on the corner of East 78th Street.
• "With Bar Coastal closing, a really well-known well-located bar, we were looking to do the Plug Uglies concept up there," Seelig told the board, adding that he had previously sought to open Plug Uglies in the former American Trash space on First Avenue about six years ago, until a deal with the landlord fell through.
• The bar will be open daily from around noon to 4 a.m., Seelig said — the same hours as Bar Coastal. While the community board is often hostile to such a late closing time, neighbors reacted positively to Seelig's concept, praising the community vibe at his other local businesses.

Sandro's (322 East 86th St., between First and Second avenues):

• This popular Italian restaurant will make a comeback after closing its longtime location on East 81st Street in February, said owner Sandro Fioriti, who has run the business with his parents for 16 years.
• "We love the community, we think the community is kind of what makes the restaurant what we are, so it only feels right to reopen back on the Upper East Side," Fioriti said.
• The new location, replacing the French bistro Little Frog will be the "exact same restaurant" as the old Sandro's, a representative said.
• Open daily for lunch and dinner service, Sandro's will seat 56 people across 14 indoor tables, plus an indoor bar, four sidewalk tables, and seven roadway tables through the city's Open Restaurants program.

Serafina To Go (1492 Third Ave., on East 84th Street):

• While the name suggests this will be an outpost of the well-known Italian chain, no Serafina representatives appeared at Tuesday's CB8 meeting, leaving details unclear. The space was previously home to a LOFT clothing store.
• In the absence of any concrete details, neighbor Andrew Fine expressed concerns that a new restaurant might encroach on the adjacent privately-owned public space, which he noted is a popular gathering place for senior citizens.

None of the upcoming restaurants said when they planned to open.

Have an Upper East Side news tip? Email reporter Nick Garber at nick.garber@patch.com.

Related coverage:

• New Upper East Side Restaurants: Italian Spot, Pub, Indoor Golf Venue
• Newest Upper East Side Restaurants: TBar Returns, Teacup Replaced
• Pizzeria, French Bistro Among New Upper East Side Restaurants
• New Upper East Side Restaurants: Vanessa's Dumplings, Shawarma