Brooklyn’s restaurant scene has two big pieces of news this week: one closure that will sting for anyone who loved it, and a fresh opening that gives Williamsburg something new to look forward to. Greenpoint’s Ilis — one of the borough’s most ambitious dining experiments — has announced its final service date. And on the other side of the borough, Williamsburg is about to welcome Café Bar J.F. on Withers Street. Here’s the full picture.
Ilis Is Closing — Final Service May 28
Ilis, the Greenpoint restaurant opened by Mads Refslund — co-founder of Copenhagen’s legendary Noma — will close permanently after service on May 28. The restaurant is located at 150 Green Street in Greenpoint, and has operated for less than three years since opening in late 2023 to significant critical acclaim. The closure was announced by Refslund directly to diners via email: the building was sold to a developer who plans to demolish it and build condominiums. Refslund and a group of investors attempted to purchase the building to prevent the closure, but were outbid.
Ilis was not a casual neighborhood spot. It was one of the more serious dining rooms in Brooklyn — a place that drew guests willing to commit to an experience built around foraged and fermented ingredients, with a wine program and service to match. For anyone who has been meaning to go, May 28 is the hard deadline. Refslund has indicated he is looking for a new space and plans to continue through pop-ups in the interim, but the current room at 150 Green Street is closing for good.
The closure is a reminder of how precarious even the most celebrated restaurants can be in New York City. A building sale is beyond a restaurant’s control, and the condo pipeline shows no sign of slowing in Greenpoint’s most desirable blocks. Ilis’s situation will likely not be the last of its kind in the neighborhood this year.
Café Bar J.F. Opens May 13 in Williamsburg
While Greenpoint mourns a closure, Williamsburg is getting something new. Café Bar J.F. opens at 50 Withers Street on Wednesday, May 13 — which is tomorrow if you are reading this on Tuesday. The concept is described as a neighborhood-focused tavern with seasonal cooking and a warm, approachable atmosphere built for local gatherings. The address on Withers puts it squarely in residential Williamsburg, away from the Bedford Avenue tourist strip and closer to the neighborhood’s slower-paced blocks.
Café Bar J.F. is positioned as a community gathering place rather than a destination restaurant — the kind of spot where a Tuesday night doesn’t require a reservation and the menu shifts with what’s available seasonally. The spacious location gives it room to breathe, which is increasingly rare in Williamsburg’s tighter commercial corridors.
Also worth noting in Williamsburg this spring: Sud NYC has opened at 79 Grand Street, in the former Bacàn space, offering straightforward Italian dining — pizza, simple pasta, cocktails — with an easy setup that works for families and casual weeknight dinners alike.
Brooklyn’s Dining Scene in Context
The combination of the Ilis closure and the Café Bar J.F. opening captures something true about Brooklyn dining right now: the upscale, ambitious end of the market remains vulnerable to real estate pressure, while the neighborhood-tavern format continues to find new homes across Williamsburg and beyond. Neither story is surprising in isolation, but together they sketch a clear picture of where the borough’s food scene is heading in 2026.
If you are exploring more of what Brooklyn has to offer beyond the familiar spots, our coverage of Georgian food in Brighton Beach and Sheepshead Bay is a good window into one of the borough’s most underrated dining corridors. And for the latest citywide openings and closings, the May 10 restaurant roundup has more detail on what’s moving across the five boroughs.
What You Need to Know
- Ilis closing: Final service is May 28, 2026 at 150 Green Street, Greenpoint — building sold, lease lost, developer plans condos
- Why it matters: Ilis was opened by Noma co-founder Mads Refslund and was one of Brooklyn’s most critically recognized dining rooms — once it closes, that room is gone for good
- Café Bar J.F. opens: 50 Withers Street, Williamsburg — opening Wednesday, May 13
- What it is: A neighborhood tavern with seasonal cooking, designed as a local gathering spot without the pressure of a destination-dining format
- Also new in Williamsburg: Sud NYC at 79 Grand Street is open for Italian dinners in the former Bacàn space
- Ilis pop-ups planned: Refslund says he is looking for a new space and will host pop-ups in the meantime
If you have been putting off a visit to Ilis, now is the time. And if you are in Williamsburg on Wednesday, 50 Withers Street is the address to know.
