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Eater New York has once again refreshed its roster of “The 38 Best Restaurants in New York City,” and one recently opened neighborhood gem has made the cut.
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The latest addition is the Upper East Side revival of Café Commerce, the warmly received restaurant by chef Harold Moore, which debuted in January 2025 at 964 Lexington Avenue (between 70th and 71st streets).Moore first opened Commerce in the West Village, where it earned a devoted following before closing in 2016 amid a landlord dispute and renovation issues. Nearly a decade later, he’s brought the concept uptown—with a tighter, 55-seat dining room, a smaller kitchen, and an emphasis on daily specials. “The Upper East Side is a different animal,” Moore told Eater when the new iteration opened, noting the area’s less touristy and more residential character.
While some classics have carried over—like the sweet potato tortellini and chicken schnitzel—the new menu adds rotating features such as a Tuesday “Feast of Shells” for two. There’s also a curated mix of Californian and French wines, plus cocktails like the cheekily named “Lex and City.”
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In its updated guide, Eater praised the restaurant as “the kind of restaurant we gravitate toward, a longtime name where the chef is still cooking.” The write-up highlights the sweet potato tortelloni with hazelnuts, stuffed cabbage with bacon and rice, and the chicken with foie gras stuffing for two, along with a bread basket stocked with Parker House rolls and pretzels. And of course, the famous coconut cake—a dessert that’s become a social-media darling—is singled out as a must-order.The Michelin Guide echoes that sentiment, saying Café Commerce offers “the kind of menu where there’s always something for everyone.” It notes dishes like sea scallops, beef carpaccio, and steak Diane, alongside daily specials including fried chicken and rack of lamb. The publication also calls the coconut cake “four layers of pure delight.”
After a string of ventures that included Harold’s Meat + Three and Bistro Pierre Lapin, Moore says he’s glad to be back in his element. “I’m happy to be back working in the Commerce genre and reconnecting with what I’m really good at: cooking and being a host,” he told Eater.
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