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

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Taberna 97 is now open on St. Mark's Place

After several weeks in soft-open mode, Taberna 97 has officially opened its doors at 97 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue...



The owners (Eric Baker and sisters Patricia and Raquel Sanguedo, who also own the bar St. Dymphnas on the same block) are behind this venture, modeled after a traditional Portuguese taverna. (The Sanguedos are originally from Porto, Portugal. Baker and Patricia Sanguedo are married.)

Here's a look at the menu... they also have a beer-wine menu....


[Click to go big]

There was a long build-out here. The owners said that Taberna 97 was constructed to meet standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and is certified by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

The previous tenant, Yaffa Cafe, closed (in September 2014), in part, because the city deemed the back patio illegal after being in use as a dining area for 31 years.

As previously reported, there aren't any plans for the Taberna team to offer backyard dining. "Let me assure everyone involved that this has not been nor is it the case," Baker told us back in September. "Our plans for the garden involve landscaping and beautifying so it can be enjoyed from inside our space."

Taberna 97 is open Tuesday–Friday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Previously

Some love for the former Yaffa Cafe mural space

[Photo by Allen Semanco]

NYC street artist Hektad is creating one of his heart murals outside 97 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue...

The wall space was home to the Yaffa Cafe mural for nearly 23 years. A worker painted over that back in May. The cafe closed for good after 31 years in September 2014.

A new restaurant, Taberna 97, will be opening here soon.

Updated

And the finished mural...

[Updated] About the Stop Work Order at the incoming Taberna 97 on St. Mark's Place

Several EVG readers pointed out the arrival of a Stop Work Order at the incoming Taverna 97, the restaurant coming to 97 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue (thanks to Peter D. for these photos) ...



Here's what the DOB website (in their all-cap style) has to say about the Order, dated Monday:

BOROUGH COMMISIONER ORDERS ALL WORK STOPPED EXCEPT TO MAKE SITE SAFE UNDER JOB#122407555 FOR BASEMENT RESTURAUNT. ALL APPROVALS AND PERMITS HAVE BEEN REVOKED. WORK IS APPROX. 90% COMPLETED. WORKERS LEFT AT IME OF POSTING NOTICE. 1 WORKER ALLOWED TO RETURN ON 9/20/2016 TO SEAL REAR OF BUILDING.

We asked co-owner Eric Baker for an update on the situation here.

"The DOB issued the Stop Work Order due to the fact that a few issues were not addressed quickly enough and why they were not addressed quickly enough is a question we have as well for the professionals working on this project," Baker said in an email.

He said that the issues have been addressed and accepted by the DOB, and they are in the process of getting the permits approved.

Baker believes that some of the DOB issues may have originated from neighbors who have concerns about the back garden. The previous tenant here, Yaffa Cafe, closed, in part, because the city deemed the back patio illegal after being in use as a dining area for 31 years.

There haven't been any plans for the Taberna team to offer backyard dining here.

"Let me assure everyone involved that this has not been nor is it the case," Baker said. "Our plans for the garden involve landscaping and beautifying so it can be enjoyed from inside our space. We respect the rights of our neighbors ... [we] will always work toward as harmonious as possible a coexistence and are willing to talk with and address any issues that may come up."

Baker is opening Taberna 97 with his business partners — wife Patricia Martins and sister-in-law Raquel Martins. The trio also own St. Dymphnas on St. Mark's Place.

Taberna 97 will serve small and shareable Portuguese dishes. They also have a beer and wine license.

Baker said that they are nearly 96 to 98 percent complete on the space.

Updated 11 a.m.

The city has lifted the Stop Work Order, Baker reports.

Previously

Plywood comes down outside the incoming Taberna 97 on St. Mark's Place

[EVG file photo]

Workers have removed the plywood from outside 97 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue...



The owners of St. Dymphna's down the block are opening a Portuguese restaurant called Taberna 97 in this space.

The restaurant has an Instagram account, which notes they will be a "Leed Certified ... Sustainable Kitchen." No word on an opening date. (DNAinfo reported in March 2015 that the owners were hoping for a July 2015 opening.)

The space was previously home to Yaffa Cafe, which closed for good after 31 years in September 2014, 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

Out with the former Yaffa backyard dining area, in with a new garden

Workers yesterday began demolishing the backyard dining area that previously belonged to Yaffa Cafe at 97 St. Mark's Place.

The owners of St. Dymphna's down the block are opening a Portuguese restaurant called Taberna here between Avenue A and First Avenue.

As previously reported, the new owners will be turning the back space into a garden…





Co-owner Eric Baker told DNAinfo in March that "windows will be built into the back of the restaurant so customers can look at the landscaped area."

Last fall, the DOB issued a partial vacate order on the backyard space because it didn't have the proper fire exits and because it was zoned for residential use … Yaffa Cafe later decided to close for good after 32 years in the location.

Thanks to the EVG reader for the photos!

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

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

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