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A seafood restaurant is in the works for an Upper East Side space that was home to a neighborhood favorite for more than a decade.
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Enrique Lerma and partners are planning to open at 1614 Third Avenue (between 90th and 91st streets) — the former home of Kaia Wine Bar, which closed on December 31 after 15 years in the space.The applicants have filed for a wine and liquor license under the name Top Table LLC. An official name for the restaurant has not been announced.
The menu will focus primarily on seafood, and planned hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Lerma is no stranger to the New York restaurant scene. He co-owns Bar Vivant, a wine bar at 164 East 88th Street that opened last year with chef Anne O’Hare. That opening drew some pushback from residents on the mostly residential block, who raised concerns about noise and foot traffic at a Community Board 8 Street Life Committee meeting. Reviews have been excellent since Bar Vivant opened.
He is also the owner of Alison, a New American restaurant at 1651 Lexington Avenue in East Harlem that has been open since 2019. The restaurant, known for its oysters, craft beer, and brunch, expanded earlier this year with a second location at 110 St Marks Place in the East Village.
Lerma also co-owns El Paso Mexican Restaurant, an East Harlem staple at 123 East 110th Street that has been serving the neighborhood since 1993.
Kaia, the South African-inspired wine bar previously at 1614 Third Avenue, relocated to a larger space at 1446 First Avenue (between 75th and 76th streets) earlier this year.
We’ll provide updates when we learn more!
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