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.
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 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
