Forget trendy speakeasy bars. Across the city, restaurateurs are opening hidden eateries within coffee shops, bars and larger restaurants.
“You don’t need to have a storefront to grab people’s attention,” says Terence Tubridy, who opened his restaurant, Trademark Taste, in the cafe Trademark Grind last May.
Here, four hidden restaurants to seek out for yourself.
Dinnertable in The Garret East
206 Ave. A; 212-228-6231
Where: At the back of East Village tiki bar the Garret is a romantic, intimate eatery — Dinnertable. The two are separated by an arched wooden door.
Scene: Downtown bros get wasted on punch bowls at the Garret, while smartly dressed millennials share plates under softly glowing pendant lamps at Dinnertable.
Food: The Garret only serves food for Saturday brunch, encouraging patrons to fill up on liquid refreshments such as the shareable “Tried and True Punch” ($58) with Ciroc vodka, passion fruit syrup and Red Bull. At Dinnertable, Ricardo Arias taps his Puerto Rican roots to create Asian dishes with a Caribbean twist, such as pork belly with clams douzed in yuzu sauce (inset, $19) and baby shrimp mixed with wasabi, scallions and sesame ($13).
Karasu in Walter’s
166 Dekalb Ave., Fort Greene; 347-223-4811 and 718-488-7800
Where: Karasu, a stylish new Japanese tapas bar, is accessed through a nondescript black door in the back of Walter’s, a beloved Brooklyn comfort-food restaurant. The Karasu space was formerly a chiropractor’s office not connected to Walter’s.
Scene: All-day restaurant Walter’s attracts hip Brooklyn parents who park their strollers and gather around the rustic bar for hearty snacks and classic cocktails. At night, trendy singles flock to dark, cozy Karasu, where windowless walls are covered with art deco panels, and speakers play ’30s jazz. “It makes for a really nice yin and yang with what we do in the front at Walter’s,” says co-owner Dylan Dodd.
Food: The restaurants share a kitchen but serve drastically different food. Walter’s offers hearty American fare such as fried chicken ($18) and hamburgers (inset, $15), while Karasu serves delicate Japanese small and large plates such as sesame kampachi sashimi ($16) and udon soup with mushrooms (top photo, $20).
Trademark Taste in Trademark Grind
38 W. 36th; 646-858-2320
Where: Inside utilitarian Midtown coffee shop Trademark Grind is a stylish cocktail bar and restaurant called Trademark Taste that’s accessed through an open archway at the back of the cafe. Both are open all day and located within Hotel Le Soleil.
Scene: During the afternoon, artists and laptop-toting techies listen to hip-hop in the coffee shop beneath neon lights. At happy hour, p.r. girls and bankers flood Taste, sipping cocktails in elevated booths to a classic-rock soundtrack.
Food: Grind offers a melange of pastries and coffee from Brooklyn’s Sweetleaf Roasters. Taste serves elevated bar bites like smashed beets with feta yogurt and fried naan ($12) and pretzel steak tartare ($17), as well as menu of cocktails with punny names ($14).
Tapas Bar in La Sirena
88 Ninth Ave; 212-977-6096
Where: In January, the barroom near the front entrance of Mario Batali’s massive new Italian restaurant at the Maritime Hotel, La Sirena, was converted into a casual eatery with a unique menu by chef Anthony Sasso of Batali’s Union Square Spanish spot, Casa Mono.
Scene: It’s white tablecloths, curtained windows and an older crowd in suits at La Sirena. At Tapas Bar, younger, well-heeled folks nosh on small plates at the lengthy quartz bar before heading out for a night in the Meatpacking District.
Food: At La Sirena, executive chef Josh Laurano offers hearty Italian dishes such as ravioli covered in spring-onion butter ($21), bucatini with octopus and tomato sauce ($22) and brocolli rabe casarecce (inset, $18). Sasso serves up whimsical takes on Spanish fare, such as paella croquettes in a yellow beefsteak tomato gazpacho ($15), ham rolled around a salt globe and served with buttered toast ($18) and shrimp cooked in salt (top photo, $9).