Get ready to say goodbye to an Upper East Side fixture. After more than a decade, Five Mile Stone will be closing this month. Employees confirmed to East Side Feed that the bar and restaurant will have its last day on Sunday, January 19.
Advertisement
The space at 1640 Second Avenue, on the northeast corner of East 85th Street, has a history of serving food and drinks to the neighborhood, though employees told us they’ve heard it was a bank in the 1960s. In the early 2000s, the space was the home of Panorama Café, even during the sale and demolition of the surrounding buildings. However, it could not withstand the construction of the luxury condo building The Georgica, and closed in 2008. Panorama was replaced by Midnight Blue, an Italian restaurant from the owner of nearby Bella Blu, which lasted only until 2013. Five Mile Stone opened the following year.
Free Upper East Side News, Delivered To Your Inbox
Five Mile Stone made good use of the two-story space with a bar on both floors, tables on the narrow wrap-around balcony, and plenty of TVs to catch all of the games. Five Mile has long been known as a go-to for brunch, a host of plenty of trivia nights—especially those with a Bravo theme—and a great place to throw a private party. They offered a diverse food menu with a mixture of bar fare (burgers, nachos) and more (Gochujang fried chicken, flat breads, roasted lamb shank). They’ve always had 24 beers on tap and an extensive whiskey menu.
On Sunday afternoon, the tables around the bar were filled and the upstairs was crowded for brunch and lunch. Employees described the closing as a shock, saying they were informed only a week ago by the manager (they told us they don’t know who the owner is)—just two weeks before their final day. Anthony, who has been there six years, and Leslie, who has been there eight, seemed sad, but positive. However, they said that some other employees were crushed. “There was crying,” Anthony said. “For some people, they’re losing their whole lives. They have parents and kids to take care of.” They also said that they spent this past week calling and canceling reservations for tables and private events and that “some people were angry” about the turn of events.
Advertisement
They don’t know why the restaurant was sold or who bought out the lease from the Five Mile owner. They also aren’t aware of what will be taking its place. They were told the space will be renovated, but don’t have any information beyond that. Anthony and Leslie also said that they would love to see some familiar faces during their last week, saying to stop by for a final drink or meal. There are no plans for a closing event, but they did say they hoped there would be a staff farewell.
My grandfather owned a German food restaurant at this location in 1940 or 50. It was called Central Restaurant.