September 29, 2014 Restaurant/Bar News
Church Street Tavern, the first establishment from Tribute Hospitality Group, has opened in the space that was Bisutoro (and before that Tribeca Canvas), and this time it feels much more successful.
The room is set up the same as in Church Street Tavern’s predecessors, with a bar to the right as you walk in and a dining room beyond; the mezzanine in back is being used for wine storage, and perhaps a chef’s table, in time. The bar area seats 15, while the dining room can handle around 70. The theme is old New York; you’ll find black subway tile, bare brick, Edison bulbs, black tufted banquettes, and an extensive raw bar. The menu, meanwhile, aims to update classics like lamb chops, steak tartare, and asparagus with béarnaise. “And we want to have the best burger in Tribeca,” said Tribute’s Jon Behling, who goes by JB. “We’re not there yet, but we will be. It’ll be off-menu, and we’ll only make 15 or so a night—when they’re gone, they’re gone.”
The folks at Tribute have experience at Meatpacking District clubstaurants, and Church Street Tavern has a 4 a.m. liquor license, so it may become a hotspot as the night goes on. JB said he’s hoping to serve food till 4 a.m., if there’s demand; I explained that people from elsewhere might be excited about the option, but Tribecans are more likely to care about weekend brunch, which should launch in the middle of October.
Downstairs is a separate bar, Bandits Roost, open from 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. When it was announced, much was made of a password system, but JB insisted that you could also ring the buzzer if the doorman wasn’t outside. “We want to welcome people from around here,” he said.
Church Street Tavern is at 313 Church (between Lispenard and Walker), 212-804-7766; churchsttavern.com.
Recent New Kid on the Block / First Impressions articles:
• Tribeca’s Kitchen
• White Street
• EGG by Susan Lazar
• Barre Tribeca
• Haus
• Añejo
• Café Noir
• Pi Bakerie
• Washington Market Tavern
• Macaron Café
• Colony
• Grand Banks
• Satomi Kawakita Jewelry
• Hudson Eats: Black Seed Bagels, Num Pang Sandwich Shop, Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque, Little Muenster, Umami Burger, Olive’s, Tartinery, Dos Toros Taqueria, SkinnyPizza, Sprinkles, Dig Inn, Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar
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15 and only 15. Really??? It’s a burger! How much will we be charged for the honor of being served one of these masterpieces? How obnoxious. Probably not a place I would like anyway. I’l stick to my burgers at Edwards. $16 but they are SO GOOD!
Great curb appeal – hope it’s good.
Looks like a great addition to the neighborhood. That Tribeca Mom probably does not get out much. I’ll try the burger.