Workers remove the curbside dining structure from outside St. Dymphna's

From the EVG tipline late this afternoon... workers were spotted removing the curbside dining structure outside St. Dymphna's at 117 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. 

According to the tipster who lives nearby, the bar removed the streetery themselves. 

Meanwhile, a permanent outdoor dining program for NYC is still in limbo. 

As Gothamist reported earlier today: 

Halfway into summer, the City Council is facing pressure once again to pass a bill that would make outdoor dining permanent in New York City, as the latest emergency order that allows restaurants to operate the sidewalk spaces is set to expire next week. 

 Meanwhile... 

But the program’s detractors, in a series of lawsuits, say it invites noise and congestion, and poses unneeded obstacles to New Yorkers with disabilities.

A coat drive at St. Dymphna's tonight

St. Dymphna's is hosting a coat drive tonight at the saloon at 117 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. 

Starting at 8 tonight, you can bring a new or used coat by the bar in exchange for a drink. (Not sure what happens if you bring in, say, 15 coats.) 

St. Dymphna's is taking all the coats to the Bowery Mission.

The Irish breakfast makes triumphant return to St. Dymphna's

The Irish breakfast is once again available at St. Dymphna's at 117 Avenue A. 

This was a popular menu item at the pub during its 24-year run at 118 St. Mark's Place. SD1 closed on St. Mark's in the fall of 2018, reopening in its new home around the corner in August 2019.

For whatever reason, the popular dish wasn't available until now (or yesterday)... SD introduced several other new menu items as well... they open for lunch now at noon...

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SLA temporarily suspends the liquor license at St. Dymphna's on Avenue A

[Photos by Stacie Joy]

Updated 10/14: St. Dymphna's has reopened.

St. Dymphna's is temporarily closed now on Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

According to the paperwork from the State Liquor Authority posted on the front windows, the Irish-style pub had previously been warned — on June 18 and Aug. 5 — for patrons "lingering and/or congregating" outside the establishment.

The paperwork also states that on Aug. 11, an SLA agent saw patrons drinking "without accompanying appropriate food orders" ... and that "the licensee was unable to produce any receipts for food to comply with the requirement that the licensee serve food with any alcoholic beverage purchase."







Co-owner Brendan McElroy addressed the closure in an Instagram post yesterday:

With a heavy heart, I have to announce to you all that St Dymphna’s will be closed, pending a hearing for our liquor license suspension. We were unfairly targeted by the state liquor authority, and issued baseless citations — similar to what has happened to several other bars in the neighborhood. Our attorney is on the case and we will fight this. Looking forward to the day we when we reopen and hang out in our new backyard space...

St. Dymphna's opened here last August, relocating from its home of 24 years on St. Mark's Place.

Several other East Village establishments, including Lucky, the Hairy Lemon, Maiden Lane and the Wayland, had had their liquor licenses temporarily suspended in recent weeks.

Lucky owner Abby Ehmann had started a petition calling for Gov. Cuomo to reverse the state's new mandate that bars must serve substantial amounts of food with any alcohol purchase.

Updated 5:30 p.m.

The SLA posted this about their actions at St. Dymphna's:

On August 11th, investigators with the state's multi-agency task force observed numerous patrons standing, drinking, and ignoring social distancing guidelines outside the premises, with multiple customers observed ordering beverages from a takeout window. Investigators checking sales receipts found that practically no food was purchased with orders that evening, in violation of the Governor's Executive Orders. This was the third strike for this business, a repeat offender that the SLA had charged for violating the Governor's Executive Orders on June 26th and on August 10th.

RIP George Eshareturi

The St. Dymphna's family is mourning the loss of George Eshareturi, a longtime friend and doorman of the bar here on Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

He died suddenly on Saturday night. Eshareturi, who grew up in the Bronx and played college football at Rutgers, was 36.

Several people have left flowers and candles in a makeshift memorial on the bar's step...





The bar's ownership also established a GoFundMe campaign for George's family. Earlier this week, George's father died from complications due to Alzheimer's.

Per the GoFundMe page: "George will forever be remembered for the kind, charismatic person he was — and the positive energy he brought to every personal interaction."


[Image via]

St. Dymphna's debuts to-go window on Avenue A

St. Dymphna's reopened over the weekend with a to-go window for taking home drinks.

Weather permitting, they'll be open daily from 2 to 8 p.m. here on Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

Other nearby drinks to-go options along Tompkins Square Park include 7B/Horseshoe Bar/Vazac's (noon to 8 p.m.) and Maiden Lane (1 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.) — both weather permitting. So probably not today given the rain.

And if you're just tuning in for the first time in awhile, St. Dymphna's relocated here from St. Mark's Place last August.

St. Dymphna's opens in new home on Avenue A this Thursday

[Photo from Sunday]

The new location of St. Dymphana's officially opens Thursday (Aug. 22) at 117 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. Doors open at 4 p.m.

As we previously reported, this is an encore presentation for the Irish-style pub, which closed on St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue last fall after 24 years in service. The new team includes previous owner Eric Baker, Brendan McElroy, proprietor of Dr. Brendan Mac Repair on St. Mark's Place, and a "St. Dymphna's family member."

Baker told me this about SD2 in March:

"I would not say we are trying to replicate the original space into the new one at all. Our goal is to honor the original while letting the new space dictate to us what it should be. Our goal is to recreate the community and cultural atmosphere, which is much more to important to us than architecture. We will be honoring the old space but this is much more of a reincarnation than replication."

Meanwhile, the former location on St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue remains for rent... and available for taggers...



The rent is $15,000 per month, according to a listing at LoopNet.

Previously on EV Grieve:
St. Dymphna's eyeing a return engagement, this time at 117 Avenue A

Reincarnations: St. Dymphna's set to return late spring-early summer on Avenue A

The new St. Dymphna's outpost shapes up on Avenue A

A quick post for anyone curious about what's taking shape at 117 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place... this is the new (future) home of St. Dymphna's.

This is an encore presentation for the Irish-style pub, which closed on St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue last fall after 24 years in service. The new team includes previous owner Eric Baker, Brendan McElroy, proprietor of Dr. Brendan Mac Repair on St. Mark's Place, and a "St. Dymphna's family member."

Baker told me this about SD2 in March:

"I would not say we are trying to replicate the original space into the new one at all. Our goal is to honor the original while letting the new space dictate to us what it should be. Our goal is to recreate the community and cultural atmosphere, which is much more to important to us than architecture. We will be honoring the old space but this is much more of a reincarnation than replication."

Ownership is still shooting for a summer opening.

H/T Steven!

Previously on EV Grieve:
St. Dymphna's eyeing a return engagement, this time at 117 Avenue A

Reincarnations: St. Dymphna's set to return late spring-early summer on Avenue A

Reincarnations: St. Dymphna's set to return late spring-early summer on Avenue A

The operators behind St. Dymphna's announced on Instagram that they have signed the lease at 117 Avenue A, and plan for an opening late this spring or early summer.

As first reported here in December, applicants for St. Dymphna's were on the CB3-SLA agenda for a new liquor license for the space on A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. (CB3 OK'd the license.)

Now the Irish-style pub, which closed on St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue on Oct. 20 after 24 years in service, will have an encore presentation. The new team includes previous owner Eric Baker, Brendan McElroy, proprietor of Dr. Brendan Mac Repair on St. Mark's Place, and a "St. Dymphna's family member."

I asked Baker if they plan to replicate the St. Mark's Place space here.

"I would not say we are trying to replicate the original space into the new one at all. Our goal is to honor the original while letting the new space dictate to us what it should be," Baker said in an email. "Our goal is to recreate the community and cultural atmosphere, which is much more to important to us than architecture. We will be honoring the old space but this is much more of a reincarnation than replication."

No. 117 has remained empty since the bar the Black Rose closed in April 2017 after nearly two years in operation. No. 117 was the longtime home, until August 2013, of the Odessa Cafe & Bar.

Previously on EV Grieve:
St. Dymphna's eyeing a return engagement, this time at 117 Avenue A

St. Dymphna's eyeing a return engagement, this time at 117 Avenue A

[The former St. Dymphna's on St. Mark's Place]

The owners of St. Dymphna's are planning a comeback for the Irish-style pub, which closed on St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue on Oct. 20 after 24 years in service.

Eric Baker, one of the bar's previous owners, is on this month's CB3-SLA agenda for a new liquor license at 117 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.


[117 Avenue A]

"The new space will be going by St Dymphna's — I believe yellowish gold facade and all," Baker told me via email. "We hope to continue the tradition, history and culture of the former space by continuing to provide our local community with a comfortable place to gather together with friends and family for good food, good beverages and good music as we have done previously for over 23 years."

Baker and company began a collaboration with Brendan McElroy, owner of Dr. Brendan Mac Repair on St. Mark's Place and a "St. Dymphna's family member," to hopefully reopen at the new location.

The questionnaire on file (PDF here) has more information on the proposed relocation, including a diagram of the layout and sample menu, which includes the $10 all-day Irish breakfast.

117 Avenue A has remained empty since the bar the Black Rose closed in April 2017 after nearly two years in operation. No. 117 was the longtime home, until August 2013, of the Odessa Cafe & Bar.

Baker said escalating rents were behind St. Dymphna's closure on St. Mark's Place.

"We are excited about the new digs, a new place to make a home," said Baker, who's collecting signatures of support for the new St. Dymphna's.

The committee meeting starts Monday at 6:30 p.m. Location: The Perseverance House Community Room, 535 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Previously on EV Grieve:
St. Dymphna's is closing this weekend after 24 years on St. Mark's Place

So long St. Dymphna's

The Black Rose, 'a neighborhood rock and roll bar,' opening in the former Odessa Cafe and Bar space

Taberna 97 returns for service Thursday-Saturday on St. Mark's Place

Taberna 97 at 97 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue has returned to action... the Portuguese restaurant, which opened in December 2016, had been in use just for special events in recent months.

The owners here also ran St. Dymphna's across the street. That pub closed on Oct. 20 for undisclosed reasons.

Taberna's hours are Thursday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. (Find their menu here.) You might recognize some of the updated decor...

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Our cozy corner ! #bar #winter #nyc #eastvillage #portugal #fancesinha #nyc #sustainable #leedgold #family #guiness #rememberingstdymphnas

A post shared by Taberna97 (@taberna97) on Oct 26, 2018 at 5:28am PDT

So long St. Dymphna's

[Photo yesterday by Rob Mastrianni via Instagram]

Last call came and went late Saturday night/early Sunday morning at St. Dymphna's, bringing an end to the tavern's 24-year run at 118 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue.

The remaining signs came down yesterday morning ... and later (thanks to Steven for these photos)...







No official word why St. Dymphna's closed (aside from unsubstantiated claims of a pending rent increase).

The owners, Eric Baker and sisters Patrícia and Raquel Sanguedo (Baker and Patrícia Sanguedo are married), left this message about the bar on Instagram:

Our shelves are now empty and our hearts are hurting but full of the love she gave us over the 24 years. She is way more than the four walls that held us all together. Those walls will be holding us all together for the rest of our lives even though we will no longer be inside them. Patrícia, Raquel and I and our families would like to thank all of you for making our bar and our lives a better more beautiful place to be. Thank you to you all and all the love we have is yours.

The same message is all now taped to the front gate...



The three also own Taberna 97, currently used for special events, across St. Mark's Place. At least one of the St. Dymphna's signs will live on there, per various Instagram comments.

Previously on EV Grieve:
St. Dymphna's is closing this weekend after 24 years on St. Mark's Place

St. Dymphna's is closing this weekend after 24 years on St. Mark's Place

A reliable EVG tipster said that St. Dymphna's, a neighborhood hangout at 118 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue, would close after service this Saturday, Oct. 20.

We did receive official confirmation on the closure. We reached out to the owners for more information on the decision to close St. Dymphna's, a favorite local spot known for its perfectly poured pints of Guinness and traditional Irish breakfast.

The pub, named for the patron saint of the mentally ill, opened in 1994.

The owners, Eric Baker and sisters Patricia and Raquel Sanguedo (Baker and Patricia Sanguedo are married), also opened Taberna 97 on St. Mark's Place in December 2016. That space is currently used for special events. (Patricia and Raquel also operate Noz Catering.)

In 2017, Conor Oberst had a song titled "Till St. Dymphna Kicks Us Out" on his Salutations album. The video was filmed at the bar... seems like a nice way to end this post...



Meanwhile, the St. Dymphna's Instagram account is now posting photos with #rememberingstdymphnas.

More about Taberna, the Portuguese restaurant opening in the former Yaffa Cafe space

[Photo by Allen Semanco]

We've been keeping an eye on the former Yaffa Cafe space at 97 St. Mark's Place, where the owners of St. Dymphna's down the block are opening a restaurant called Taberna here between Avenue A and First Avenue. (In January, CB3 OK'd the beer-wine license for the new venture.)

DNAinfo's Lisha Arino talked with co-owner Eric Baker, whose business partners — wife Patricia Martins and sister-in-law Raquel Martins — are both Portuguese, about what you can expect.

The restaurant will serve small and shareable Portuguese dishes like caldo verde — a traditional potato-based soup with shredded kale and optional chorizo slices — and bacalhau — dried and salted cod.

Yaffa's illegal back patio, which was partially responsible for its closing, will be turned into a garden, Baker said, and windows will be built into the back of the restaurant so customers can look at the landscaped area.

Gothamist wasn't too keen about this small-plates news yesterday:

Because the world East Village needs more sockless men gesticulating over a gram of food at 4 in the afternoon.

After a major overhaul, Baker hopes to have the space open this July.

Yaffa Cafe closed after 32 years last fall, as we first reported.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Yaffa Cafe is officially gone; back garden dismantled

More about Yaffa Cafe closing

St. Dymphna's owners look to take over the former Yaffa Cafe space on St. Mark's Place

The insides of the former Yaffa Cafe are now mostly outside

An EVG tipster notes the ongoing work out back of the former Yaffa Cafe, which crews are turning into a new restaurant from the owners of St. Dymphna's down the way here on St. Mark's Place.

Yaffa Cafe closed after 32 years last fall at 97 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Yaffa Cafe is officially gone; back garden dismantled

More about Yaffa Cafe closing

St. Dymphna's owners look to take over the former Yaffa Cafe space on St. Mark's Place

Interior demolition continues at the former Yaffa Cafe, soon to be home to a Portuguese restaurant