Quick Bites: Estelle’s brings European corner-cafe energy to Meatpacking | The Squared Circle Cafe opens in Harlem for wrestling fans who drink coffee | Greenpoint Fish & Lobster Co. takes over the beloved Bar Bruno space in Carroll Gardens | Highball Ltd. is the tucked-away cocktail bar at Grand Central that Midtown actually needs | Brookiez is serving brownie-cookie hybrids in the West Village
Spring is doing what spring does in New York — bringing new restaurants, bars, and cafes out of hiding. This week’s crop leans toward the unexpected: a wrestling-themed cafe in Harlem, a speakeasy-style cocktail bar hidden inside an office tower, and a classic Carroll Gardens spot reborn under new ownership. Here’s what opened recently and what’s worth knowing about.
What Just Opened
Estelle’s — Meatpacking District
Part European corner café, part contemporary American bistro, Estelle’s opened at 18 9th Avenue on the corner of West 13th Street in the Meatpacking District. Outdoor café tables along the cobblestones set the scene — this is a place built for lingering with a cocktail and people-watching, not rushing through a business lunch. The menu leans French coastal: duck fat tots, caviar service, and a reportedly very good burger. Go for brunch and stay longer than you planned.
18 9th Ave, Manhattan (corner of W 13th St)
Highball Ltd. — Midtown East
Jeff Bell, the managing partner behind the East Village institution PDT (Please Don’t Tell), opened Highball Ltd. in March inside 10 Grand Central on the 11th floor — entrance on Third Avenue between 44th and 45th. It’s a speakeasy-style cocktail bar with a strong Japanese whisky program, 15 cocktails at opening (five classics, five house highballs, five signatures), and the kind of thoughtful, low-key atmosphere that’s genuinely rare in Midtown. Office workers in the area: this is yours. The highball as a concept — carbonated, sessionable, approachable — is the entire identity, and it works.
10 Grand Central, 11th Floor, 87 E 42nd St (enter via 3rd Ave between 44th & 45th), Manhattan
Greenpoint Fish & Lobster Co. at Bar Bruno — Carroll Gardens
Bar Bruno was a Carroll Gardens staple, and it closed earlier this year after a good run. Greenpoint Fish & Lobster Co. has stepped in and taken over the space, bringing their seafood-forward menu south. Expect whole roasted seabass, guacamole, and margaritas that suggest the kitchen has a sense of humor. It’s a natural fit for a neighborhood that runs on long, unhurried dinners.
The Squared Circle Cafe — Harlem
This one’s hard to categorize, which is exactly what makes it work. The Squared Circle Cafe at 271 West 119th Street is a wrestling-themed coffee shop and bar — championship belts on the bar, wrestling re-runs on the TV, menu items named after wrestlers, and a crowd that actually knows the difference between a figure-four and a sharpshooter. Open weekdays from 8am to 3pm, it does double duty as a morning coffee spot and an afternoon hangout for the Harlem wrestling community. Not a gimmick — genuinely a neighborhood spot with a very specific identity.
271 W 119th St, Harlem, Manhattan
Brookiez — West Village
A new West Village bakery doing exactly one thing: brownie-cookie hybrids. Good for a grab-and-go stop in the neighborhood.
On the Radar: Zimmi’s
Zimmi’s has also been drawing attention this spring on the city’s new openings circuit. Early word is positive — worth watching.
A Note on Closings
The stretch of closings that marked late April — including Zaro’s Cafe after 32 years and The Brookdale — appears to have eased as May gets underway. The city’s dining landscape remains in motion, though. If you have a neighborhood spot you love, go soon and go often. If you hear of a closure we should cover, reach out.
HelpNewYork covers NYC’s food scene borough by borough. Browse our Eat & Drink section for neighborhood restaurant guides, cheap eats, and more.
