Photos by William Klayer
Sono, a Korean-Italian trattoria, debuted this past week at 176 First Ave. between 10th Street and 11th Street.
The restaurant comes from Chef Sechul Yang, whose résumé includes stints at Gramercy Tavern, Oiji Mi, and DDOBAR.
According to published reports (Time Out, Eater), Yang aims to create a modern trattoria that blends Italian technique with Korean flavors without leaning into gimmicks. The menu features handmade pasta alongside fermented sauces, pickled vegetables and other Korean-inspired ingredients drawn from Yang's upbringing.
Hours are 5:30-11 p.m. on weekdays and until midnight on weekends.
Sono takes over this space from Black Seed Bagels, which departed in April 2025 after 10-plus years here.
The storefront was previously DeRobertis Pasticceria and Caffè, which had operated for 110 years until December 2014.
Black Seed kept as many of the former business's interior architectural elements as possible, including the tiled floors and ceiling... though those elements seem to be gone now...
