A new mural for a new restaurant opening at 97 St. Mark's Place

Cecilia, a new bistro via Russell Steinberg, opens later this summer at 97 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue. More on Cecilia later. (You can visit the CB3 application from January here.) 

And ICYMI: Longtime East Village-based artist Stephen Tashjian — aka Tabboo! — recently created the mural outside the address...

This space was mostly recently Luz Cafe and Taberna 97... and for 31 years it was home to Yaffa Cafe (RIP 2014).

In 2016, workers painted over the mural that had been on the wall since 1993 — a portrait of Lika Ramati, the former co-owner of Yaffa Cafe... a heart mural via Hektad arrived next for the Taberna 97 era.

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

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

A crew has been working this past week (or so) at the former Yaffa Cafe at 97 St. Mark's Place, where there are approved permits for interior demolition of the space.

An EVG tipster passed along the above photo from yesterday, showing some of the Cafe's former contents piling up out back.

Last month, CB3 OK'd a beer-wine license for the owners of St. Dymphna's, the neighborhood pub at 118 St. Mark's Place, to open a restaurant here between Avenue A and First Avenue.

We don't know too much about the new concept just yet. However, according to the minutes (PDF!) from the January CB3 meeting:

• it will operate as a full-service Portuguese restaurant, with a kitchen open and serving food during all hours of operation
• its hours of operation will be 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sundays through Fridays and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays
• it will not commercially operate any outdoor areas

Yaffa Cafe closed after 32 years last fall, in part because the legality of the back garden came into question.

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

Yaffa Cafe's former sidewalk cafe is now a garbage dump

Yaffa Cafe officially announced their closure back on Oct. 1 after 30-plus years in business.

We've been curious what will happen to the space at 97 St. Mark's Place just east of First Avenue. We've haven't heard any news about this in recent weeks… the only activity to note is that someone moved the garbage and recycling to the space where Yaffa's sidewalk cafe was…





Yaffa's management decided to call it quits after the city ordered them to discontinue use of their backyard garden … and from the fines stemming from a recent DOH inspection.

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

More about Yaffa Cafe closing

Reader report: Former Yaffa Cafe backyard garden will be turned over to residential use

[Photo via William Klayer]

According to workers at the scene, Yaffa Cafe's now-defunct backyard garden will be redone for use by the building tenants at 97 St. Mark's Place.

Perhaps they will be more quiet than some Yaffa patrons…

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

More about Yaffa Cafe closing