Quick Bites: A waterfront seafood-and-martinis room finally landed in Domino Park, a Boerum Hill brownstone got the Ingas Bar treatment, and a Michelin-recognized Thai chef from San Francisco is putting the finishing touches on a 24-seat tasting counter in Chelsea. Closings this week are mostly Health Department-driven, with one notable long-runner announcing the end is near.
Brooklyn: A Waterfront Raw Bar and a Boerum Hill Brownstone
Bar Susanne — 6 River Street, Williamsburg. This one is the talk of the borough. Chef Jackie Carnesi (Nura, Kellogg’s Diner) and James Beard Award-nominated designer Matthew Maddy opened Bar Susanne on May 15 inside Domino Park, and the East River views alone would be enough. The menu doubles down on raw bar and Long Island seafood: scallops dressed with turmeric and tangerine, razor clam ceviche with passionfruit aguachile, pickled mussels layered with coconut and herbs. The drinks list — overseen by Milos Zica (Employees Only) — leans martinis, agave, and low-ABV spritzes. Cocktails hover around $22, and there are 75 seats under hardwood oak, amber light, red Spanish marble, and teakwood bar tops. If you only check out one new opening this month, this is the one.
Lonnies — 112 Bond Street, Boerum Hill. The married duo behind Ingas Bar (Sean Rembold and Caron Callahan) opened Lonnies on May 20 in a sprawling corner brownstone. Art Deco bones, seasonal cooking, natural wine. The menu runs brick chicken, prime rib, seasonal vegetables, and Basque cheesecake. Nine bar stools and a handful of tables are held for walk-ins, so it’s not a “book three weeks out” situation yet. Bar stays open until midnight; kitchen closes at 10.
Manhattan: A Wasabi-G&T Bar, a Smash Burger, and a Thai Counter on Deck
Love Thy Neighbor — 55 Christopher Street, West Village. Opened May 19 in the basement that used to hold 55 Bar (the legendary jazz club that closed in 2022). Shigefumi Kabashima (ROKC, NR) and chef Elias Popa built a bar with “no straight lines” — soft tan curves, tucked alcoves, almost spaceship-like. Food from chef Takanori Akiyama (formerly of Tsukimi) is Japanese-inspired tapas, sandos, and shareable plates. The drinks lean experimental — the G&T for Neighbors uses a gin gently infused with wasabi for a subtle sinus tingle. During demolition, the team found a loose brick from the exposed wall of the neighboring Stonewall Inn. That’s the kind of detail that sticks.
Skinny Louie — 1565 2nd Avenue, Upper East Side. The Miami-born smash burger that won the South Beach and NYC Wine & Food Festival Burger Bashes opened its third NYC location on May 8. The menu is simple — smash classic, cheeseburger, applewood bacon burger — plus shakes and fries. Open Sun–Thu 11am–2am, Fri–Sat 11am–4am, so it doubles as a late-night option.
HED NYC — 461 W 23rd Street, Chelsea. Opens end of May (target: this week). A 24-seat Thai tasting menu from Naurephon “Billie” Wannajaro, who runs the Michelin Recommended hed11 in San Francisco. Head chef Piriya “Saint” Boonprasan previously cooked at the Michelin-starred Saawaan in Bangkok. The five-course tasting is $126, built as a “Thai Sharing Progression” with local New York seasonal ingredients. Slots in the space that once held Calle Dao.
Oyatte — 125 East 39th Street, Murray Hill. Opened earlier in May. Chef Hasung Lee (alumni of The French Laundry, Atomix, Gramercy Tavern, and Geranium in Copenhagen) is running an eight-course tasting built around produce from one single upstate farm — Crown Daisy Farm, led by former French Laundry head farmer Brett Ellis. Thirty seats, fermentation- and preservation-driven, in the former Kajitsu space. Open Tue–Sun, first seating 5:30pm, last 9pm.
Closings: One Coming Goodbye, Health Department Quiet
Loring Place — Greenwich Village. Chef Dan Kluger’s vegetable-forward Greenwich Village fixture announced it will serve its last meal on July 14, 2026, after nearly a decade. The reason cited is rising costs. Not closed yet — so if you’ve been meaning to go, you have a window.
Manhattan health-driven closures — Eight Manhattan restaurants have been shut down so far in 2026 over sanitary violations tracked through ABCEats, NYC’s restaurant inspection lookup tool. Common violations cited this year include contamination by sewage or liquid waste, food contact surfaces not properly sanitized, and evidence of pests in food and non-food areas. This week has been quieter than recent weeks on that front.
Got a tip on an opening or closing we missed? Drop it in the comments — we read every one.
