Skip to Content
News

Sartiano’s Opens in SoHo’s Mercer Hotel

Nightlife entrepreneur Scott Sartiano and culinary director Alfred Portale have unveiled their ambitious new Italian restaurant on a famed corner in NYC's SoHo.

Selection of dishes from Sartiano's

Sartiano’s promises a “culinary journey rooted in Italian tradition and New World tastes.” Photo: Teddy Wolff

Sartiano's opens today in New York City, on an iconic corner of SoHo inside the Mercer Hotel. Bond Hospitality founder Scott Sartiano has brought in legendary chef Alfred Portale to serve as culinary director for what promises to be one of Manhattan's most see-and-be-seen Italian restaurants right out of the gate.

The menu at Sartiano's is meant to pay homage to its namesake founder's family roots in Naples, though Portale and executive chef Chris Lewnes are creating something other than a regional Neapolitan restaurant here.

Paccheri for the table, a signature dish at the new Sartiano's in SoHo. Photo: Teddy Wolff

Ranging from caviar to crudo, pasta to steak and seafood, the well-curated selection covers not only Italian but classic Italian-American dishes too. Baked clams, chicken parmigiana, and meatballs, along with Caesar and Caprese salads, offer familiarity, while caviar cannolis, yellowfin tuna crudo, and house-made focaccia showcase the kitchen's creativity.

Of course, there's pasta, from popular dishes such as orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe (here in pesto form) and linguini with clams to a don't-try-this-at-home Paccheri to share with meatballs, sausage, and short rib.

The main courses of steaks and seafood veer into chophouse territory, with high-roller dishes such as Dover Sole Piccata ($68), Veal Milanese ($75) and a 38 oz. dry-aged tomahawk ribeye ($225). That said, most pasta dishes and secondi courses stay in the $25-$40 range.

Sartiano's Culinary Director Alfred Portale (left) and Scott Sartiano. Photo: Teddy Wolff

Sartiano's takes over the restaurant space in the Mercer Hotel long occupied by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, whose Mercer Kitchen served as a celebrity magnet for more than two decades. Given Sartiano's background as founder of the private club Zero Bond, a favorite of NYC Mayor Eric Adams, and other nightlife hot spots (Broken Coconut, Harry's New York Bar, Rose Lane), the scene here will likely amplify.

Still, Portale's involvement will keep the spotlight fixed on the cuisine, carrying on a legacy grounded in his work at Gotham Bar & Grill, where he helped define inventive luxury dining in New York City. His pick for executive chef, Chris Lewnes, is a Brooklyn-born, New Jersey-raised Italian American with a French cooking background (most recently at Bâtard).

Currently open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday, Sartiano's will expand to seven days a week with brunch and lunch service as soon as this summer, and reservations are now available on Resy (and certainly advised).

Sartiano's, 99 Prince St., NYC, sartianos.com

Already a user?Log in

Thanks for reading!

Register to continue

See all subscription options

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Appetito

Making Pizza and Friends in the Amalfi Coast Village of Tramonti

Our contributor travels to Tramonti, a small village on the Amalfi Coast, in search of pizza and finds a beautiful community as well.

September 7, 2024

Sgroppino Angeleno is the End-of-Summer Italian Dessert Cocktail 

The cocktail from Francis Ford Coppola Winery balances sweetness with acidity for a tasty transition from summer to fall.

September 5, 2024

My Beef with The Bear Has Everything to Do with Fine Dining

Our Editor-in-Chief takes issue with the dour mood that dominates Season 3 of The Bear, which he blames on fine dining.

September 5, 2024

Carbonara in a Can? What Kraft-Heinz Rolled Out in the UK

The canned pasta offering announced in Britain last week generated publicity—and controversy.

September 3, 2024
See all posts