New UES Restaurants: A 'Noisy' Wine Bar, Thai, And A Mexican Return

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — The Upper East Side is getting a few new restaurants, including a Thai spot, a new Israeli eatery, a homecoming for a longtime Mexican spot that closed a decade ago and mid-block wine bar that brought strenuous objections from neighbors.

The restaurants were presented to Community Board 8's Street Life Committee on Tuesday as owners sought approval for beer, wine and liquor licenses.

At times, the meeting was contentious, with one board member reminding people to remain civil.

Here's what we learned about each new restaurant:

Grata Thai (1099 First Ave., btwn East 60th and 61st streets)

Chef Phasit Sirikuptamas recently opened this new Lenox Hill Thai food spot on First Avenue.

Back in January, before the new restaurant opened, Sirikuptanas said at the meeting that there was a break-in, but new locks and cameras have since been installed.

There are no plans for sidewalk dining, but Sirikuptanas said they may use a backyard space in the future, a plan that the board approved, provided the eatery can get a new Certificate of Occupancy that says it can legally be used.

Bar Vivent (164 East 88th St., btwn Third and Lexington Avenue)

A small, 400-square-foot nine-table wine bar looking to open at a mid-block location on East 88th Street was met with a vocal response by neighbors, who sounded off over complaints that the new spot would disturb their quiet block with noise, loiterers and lights.

"We oppose this very much," said neighbor Julie Allen. "This is a very poor choice of space, and we're trying to save out block and have it as quiet as possible, and just to come in here with a restaurant, which is just, is jarring to us."

Later, speaking over and interrupting the Community Board 8 Street Life Committee Co-Chair, Abraham Salcedo, Allen told Frank Palillo, the bar's attorney, that their planned hours, roughly to stay open until 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday and until 11 p.m. Friday to Sunday, were "ridiculous."

"Sunday night until 11 p.m.? That's ridiculous," Allen said, then telling Palillo he "should be ashamed of himself."

Palillo replied that he was not ashamed of himself, and Salcedo interjected to remind meeting members to remain civil.

Irina Langman, another neighbor who said she's lived in the building for 30 years, echoed that the application was "jarring" and questioned if the eatery was complying with the State Liquor Authority's rules regulating distances from other alcohol-serving establishments.

Chef Anne O’Hare, who also runs another eater called O Cuisine on Park Avenue between East 97th and 98th streets, responded that the SLA survey found them not to be in violation of any of the 500 or 200 foot rules, which apply to them differently since they are only seeking a beer and wine license.

"It's going to be a lovely quiet wine bar, we're not going to have, you know, patrons loud and causing any problems on the street for sure," O'Hare said. "We'd like to think that we're going to be a quality establishment with a nicely curated wine list."

"It's not gonna be a young crowd that's hanging outside," O'Hare said, "it's going to be people who like to drink nice wine and have a nice conversation."

Palillo said they would be happy to designate an employee at the wine bar who would be responsible for monitoring any loitering outside as a stipulation for the board's approval.

Former Community Board 8 Chair Russell Squire said that he thought the application and the hours were "reasonable" for a wine bar.

Fellow board member Marco Tamayo called the application "unlawful," since he doubted the Buildings Department would approve the mid-block bar. He was the sole vote against the application.

Rafael (973 Lexington Ave., btwn East 70th and 71st streets)

A new Israeli spot called Rafael is set to open, replacing Caffe Dei Fiori, which recently closed in Lenox Hill.

The new eatery is coming from Chef Rafael Hasid, who owns Miriam, an Israeli and Mediterranean restaurant with loctations on the Upper West Side and in Brooklyn.

Hasid told the board that his new spot will look to continue the use of the 16-seat backyard area and will not contain a sidewalk cafe.

Cilantro (1712 Second Ave, near East 89th Street)

A decade after departing from the Upper East Side, popular Mexican spot Cilantro is returning to the neighborhood at its former Yorkville home.

The revived Cilantro will have 54 seats at 18 tables, with 15 seats at the bar, said a representative at the meeting, in addition to a rear yard.

Cilantro will also be applying for the Open Restaurants program, but not right away, the representative added.