New Year, New Closings: 3 UES Spots Suddenly Shutter

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — For fans of the restaurant and coffee scene in Lenox Hill, 2024 is not off to a great start.

A pair of restaurants and a longtime coffee shop — all in Lenox Hill — suddenly shuttered around the new year.

Each of the closings were announced by the restaurants. Here's what we know:

Joe Coffee (1045 Lexington Ave.)

For over 12 years, Joe Coffee served as a cozy specialty coffee shop for those near Lexington Avenue between East 75th and 74th streets.

The shop shared the news of the closure on their Instagram page on Dec. 22, just three days before Christmas.

"It's with a heavy heart we share that our lease has come to an end and we've closed our shop on Lexington Avenue," the store wrote. "It's truly been a pleasure to be part of this community and we've been touched by the kind words and memories many of you have shared with us."

But the coffee shop, which just opened a new Park Slope location in November, noted that they were on the lookout for a new Upper East Side location for a new Joe Coffee outpost in the neighborhood.

Aperitivo (14 East 60th St.)

After a relatively short time at their East 60th location between Fifth and Madison avenues, Aperitivo is closing up shop.

"As we say goodbye, we cherish the memories made within these walls," the eatery wrote on their Instagram page Tuesday. "Thank you for being a part of our journey!"

The spacious Italian-American lunch and dinner spot opened in November 2021 and quickly became a favorite of neighborhood foodies.

Last summer, the restaurant was one of the two-dozen neighborhood spots that participated in Restaurant Week.

Under The Bridge (1079 First Ave.)

The Greek restaurant in the prime corner spot across the street from Trader Joes on East 59th Street also announced their closure on Tuesday after serving the neighborhood for nearly eight years.

In October, the owner of Under the Bridge, Dimitri Sarantopoulos, passed away and the family was unable to sign a new lease despite their efforts to continue with the eatery, according to the spot's Instagram post.

Because of that, the restaurant was forced to "make the incredibly difficult decision to permanently close," the post reads.

"We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all our patrons who have supported us throughout the years," the eatery wrote. "Thank you all so much."

Prior to Under the Bridge, the primo corner spot was home to Bruno's Trattoria Bolognese.