HARLEM — A Harlem restaurant that was named the nation's best new addition to the eating scene when it opened in 2013 is shuttering after just four years.
The Cecil, which brought its unique ethnic fusion cuisine to the corner of West 118th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue, will merge with its nearby sister eatery, Minton’s, a company spokeswoman confirmed.
The merger with the jazz lounge at 206 W. 118th St. aims to create the “ultimate Harlem experience,” owners said. The combined spot will open next week, according to the spokeswoman.
“You go and dine at the Cecil and then hang out at Minton’s, and that’s always been the model,” Cecil's chef Joseph “JJ” Johnson told Grub Street.
“And over the last month, the conversation has been: ‘What if we took the great cooking style of the Cecil and paired it with the amazing jazz inside the Minton’s room?”
The Cecil, which opened in 2013, was at the time named the country's best new eatery by Esquire magazine.
Both businesses are owned by businessman Richard Parsons and restaurateur Alexander Smalls.
Much of its celebrated menu will transition to the new spot and Johnson will remain at the helm.
The menu is described as a "study of the African Diaspora" and takes elements from Brazilian, Caribbean, West African, European and Asian cuisine.
The merger of the two restaurants is slated to debut on Jan. 6 at Minton's, according to its website. The Cecil is expected to become an event space that can be rented for events such as weddings.
