🚕 NYC Bids Farewell to Two Icons as Tribeca Gains Nonna Dora

Good Morning NY!

This fall, NYC says goodbye to culinary icons while welcoming bold new dining experiences.

Chelsea’s Basta Pasta closes after 30 years, and City Island’s Artie’s Steak and Seafood shutters as its owner retires. Meanwhile, Tribeca welcomes Nonna Dora’s second location with prix fixe pasta menus.

Saishin in the Meatpacking District redefines fine dining with a rooftop omakase experience, blending artistry and breathtaking skyline views.

Union Square gains Seahorse, a luxe seafood brasserie featuring a dramatic raw bar and coastal-inspired dishes by Chef John Villa.

The West Village will host Wild Cherry, a bold hybrid theater-dining concept by Frenchette’s chefs, opening October 3 with playful, theatrical fare.

Tribeca’s Muku offers refined Japanese kaiseki with seasonal precision, highlighting soba from the chef’s family farm and an intimate tasting experience.

NYC’s fall food scene is a mix of nostalgia, innovation, and world-class flavors.

NYC Bids Farewell to Two Iconic Restaurants While Tribeca Welcomes a New Pasta Haven

New York City is saying goodbye to two beloved culinary landmarks this fall.

Basta Pasta in Chelsea, a Japanese-influenced Italian gem, will close its doors on October 30, 2025, after 30 years of serving unique flavors.

Founded in 1990 by chef Satoru Takada and Toshi Suzuki, Basta Pasta became a neighborhood staple.

No official reason was given for the closure, though a future return remains possible.

Meanwhile, Artie’s Steak and Seafood on City Island will shutter on September 28, 2025, as owner Spiros Chagares retires after three decades in business.

While the city loses these classics, Tribeca is gaining new flavors.

Nonna Dora’s has opened a second location at 200 Church Street, offering a larger space and expanded menu.

Highlights include a $58 prix fixe and $78 pasta tasting menu, celebrating authentic Italian cuisine.

This shift marks both an end and a delicious new beginning for NYC’s dining scene.

Saishin’s Sunset Omakase Elevates NYC Dining

Saishin, perched atop the Gansevoort Meatpacking Hotel, is redefining fine dining in New York City.

The restaurant offers an intimate chef’s counter featuring a 14-course omakase tasting menu.

Each dish is a work of art, blending flavors with precision and storytelling.

Highlights include uni kissed by yuzu, melt-in-your-mouth toro pillows, and miso-glazed black cod.

Every course is presented with an explanation, connecting guests to the journey from sea to plate.

The rooftop setting adds magic, offering sweeping views of the Empire State Building and the High Line.

As evening falls, strings of café lights create a romantic ambiance above the city skyline.

Saishin’s combination of culinary mastery, immersive presentation, and breathtaking views makes it a must-visit destination for food lovers this fall.

This is more than dinner — it’s a sunset experience unlike any other in NYC.

Seahorse Brings Luxe Seafood Dining to Union Square

A brand-new seafood brasserie, Seahorse, has opened inside the newly renovated W Union Square Hotel.

Designed by David Rockwell, the 125-seat space features a dramatic raw bar, scallop‑tiled accents, mirrored towers, deep-blue banquettes, and a striking sea‑themed mural by Brooklyn artist En Viu.

Helmed by chef John Villa, formerly of Judson Grill, the menu showcases fresh oysters, crudo, shrimp cocktail, and house specialties like olive‑oil–poached swordfish and spicy lobster cavatelli.

Starters range from $16 to $28, pastas from $24 to $30, and entrees from $29 to $64, offering options for both casual and special occasions.

The cocktail menu includes creative highlights such as the Seahorse Martini and the tequila‑and‑strawberry sparkling Ideal Unwind.

Seahorse is now open for dinner, with lunch service expected soon.

This stylish addition brings elevated coastal dining to the heart of Union Square.

Wild Cherry Brings Theater and Dining Together in the West Village

Chefs Riad Nasr and Lee Hanson, the team behind Frenchette and Le Veau d’Or, are set to open Wild Cherry on October 3.

The new restaurant will be housed inside the historic Cherry Lane Theatre, now operated by A24 as a hybrid theater and dining space.

Guests can expect a menu that blends playful nods to classic theater fare with Frenchette’s signature style.

Seafood starters like tuna crudo and conch with celery will share the spotlight with hearty mains such as kielbasa with sauerkraut and creamy alfredo pasta.

A steak for two with baked potatoes will headline the menu, alongside a highly anticipated new “Black Label” burger.

Cocktails will embrace theatrical flair, featuring Scorpion Bowls in oversized glass goblets and drinks like dirty martinis, Bee’s Knees, and a Sherry Cherry Highball.

Wild Cherry promises a bold mix of performance and dining in the heart of the West Village.

Muku Brings Refined Kaiseki Dining to Tribeca

Tribeca has welcomed Muku, a new Japanese kaiseki restaurant that opened on September 10 in the former Sushi Ichimura space.

Led by Chef Manabu Asanuma, the restaurant emphasizes seasonality and precision in every dish.

One highlight is soba made with buckwheat shipped directly from Asanuma’s family farm in Yamagata, crafted with a distinct 80/20 ratio.

The tasting menu features standout creations like hairy crab in tomato soup with citrus jelly, foie gras chawanmushi, and a luxurious rice bowl topped with unagi and maitake mushrooms.

Muku’s space balances elegance and tradition, showcasing details like a tsuchikabe plaster wall and Japanese artwork with ink and gold-leaf accents.

Guests can experience the intimate tasting menu during two nightly seatings at 5:30 and 8:30 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.

This opening adds another refined, chef-driven experience to Tribeca’s growing culinary landscape.

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