Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

VBar Opening Third NYC Location in Seaport, With a Seafood Twist

By Irene Plagianos | November 13, 2014 12:29pm
 VBar, which has locations in the West and East Village, is slated to open before the end of the year.
VBar Opening
View Full Caption

SOUTH STREET SEAPORT — A cozy bar and cafe that first opened in Greenwich Village nearly 15 years ago is preparing to launch its newest location in the South Street Seaport.

VBar, which has spots on Sullivan Street and St. Marks Place, is slated to open inside landmarked 212 Front St. before the end of the year, owner Enrico Ciotti said.

Ciotti said he’d been “eyeing the space,” which once belonged to the seafood restaurant Carmine's, for a long time.

“We really fell in love with the Seaport,” Ciotti said. “The history, the community here, the buildings — we just wanted to be here.”

Ciotti had decided on the space right before Hurricane Sandy hit, but it’s taken years to get the old restaurant, whose interior was destroyed during the storm, ready for use. Repairs to the landmarked building took a long time, just like they did for many other properties on historic Front Street, a cobblestone block between Beekman Street and Peck Slip.

When VBar finally opens, the two-story space will be warm and rustic, reflecting the history of the building, Ciotti said. The cafe will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the bar will stay open until 1 a.m. on weekdays, and 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

The menu will include classic American fare, like burgers, but also will have more seafood than VBar's other locations. Ciotti, who is originally from Sardinia, said he plans to serve some of the fish in the style of his native Italian island: fresh, grilled, with lemon and olive oil.

"We really can't wait to open," said Ciotti, who lives in the Greenwich Village. "People here really care about the neighborhood and we're very excited to be a part of it."