Gotham Goes Greek
Posted by estiator at 9 November, at 11 : 38 AM Print
COVER STORY
With a slew of openings, NYC celebrates Greek food— and estiators. By Michael Kaminer
These days, any restaurant opening is cause for celebration. But when we see a string of Greek restaurants making their debuts, or Greek restaurateurs who are expanding their footprints, it’s even more reason to cheer. • That’s what’s happening in New York City, where some of the season’s most notable openings have Hellenic roots. In this special preview, we’re rounding up a few of the most exciting launches. Some are brand-new; some are expansions of beloved concepts and brands. We hope you’ll join us in congratulating all of them on making the leap.
Artion Café
Antonis Tertiropoulos has just made the distance between Astoria, Queens, and Manhattan’s Tribeca feel a little shorter. A founder of Astoria’s beloved Artion Bakery Patisserie—whose Greek pastries, croissants, cookies, and breads have earned a cult following— Tertiropolous opened Artion Café in October. Thanasis Zafiropoulos is Tertiropoulos’ longtime partner in the bakery brand; the two also own The Bakery Room in midtown Manhattan.
“Artion Café is a beautiful dine-in space with a very Tribeca feel to it,” Tertiropoulos tells Estiator. The 2,000-square-foot café “is in an enclave with the best galleries in the world, and the space has an excellent ambience to take a break and enjoy our menu.”
With 25 seats, the café also features a stage that belonged to its previous ten- ant, a pop-up retailer. “It can a charcuterie board and bruschetta.” “Koukla,” of course, means “doll” or “gorgeous” in Greek. “When you see a beautiful woman on the street in Greece, you say, ‘Oh my God, what a koukla.’ Or you can say, ‘This restaurant is a koukla.’” Chances are customers will be repeating that phrase; Lampropoulou designed the space herself, importing windows from Greece, along with marble for Koukla’s bar. The walls, in a lime-wash technique, “have a Greek also be an event space, and it’s a gorgeous location for that,” Tertiropoulos says.
Everything in the café is baked daily on-site; many items are produced at the Astoria mothership. The café also includes a dine-in menu with brunch staples like avocado toast. Coffee comes from Queens’ Eldorado Coffee Roasters.
“We’re planning to open more cafés, both in residential parts of New York City and in other states,” says Tertiropoulos, who came to New York from Thessaloniki in the 1980s to study engineering, developed restaurant brands for other entrepreneurs, and started his own business in 2004. “But I always wanted to open in downtown Manhattan.”
Artion Café, 293 Church Street, New York City; artionbakery.com/ location/artion-café
Koukla
“A dream come true.” That’s what hospitality veteran Vasiliki Lampropoulou calls Koukla, the “Athens-style” café she opened in Astoria, Queens, in October.
“Koukla is an all-day concept and espresso bar,” she tells Estiator. “In the morning, you can have your specialty coffee, focaccia panini, and a light brunch menu, the way you would in Greece or Italy. In the afternoon, you can enjoy your Aperol spritz, negroni, or espresso martini during Aperitivo Happy Hour with a charcuterie board and bruschetta.”
“Koukla,” of course, means “doll” or “gorgeous” in Greek. “When you see a beautiful woman on the street in Greece, you say, ‘Oh my God, what a koukla.’ Or you can say, ‘This restaurant is a koukla.’” Chances are customers will be repeating that phrase;
Lampropoulou designed the space herself, importing windows from Greece, along with marble for Koukla’s bar. The walls, in a lime-wash technique, “have a Greek influence,” she says. Walls also feature Venetian plaster details and wood carvings.
Lampropoulou has a star-studded résumé. Her experience includes stints at Nicola Kotsoni’s Bar Six in Manhattan. “She gave me the opportunity when I came here, and back then, it was very difficult, with no family and no contacts,” says Lampropoulou, who also worked for legendary chef Thomas Keller at midtown’s Bouchon. Today, Lampropoulou is also a partner at Water & Wheat, a pair of casual pasta bars in Manhattan.
More Kouklas are on the way, she says. “Astoria is home, but I want to open in Noho or the Upper East Side. I’ve lived in Astoria since I came to New York. I love it, and I’m a local. It’s a great community.”
Koukla, 30-09 35th Ave, Astoria, NY; kouklaespressobar.com
Avra
Avra, the fine-dining juggernaut, has added a seventh spot to its glittery portfolio of locations in New York, Beverly Hills, and Dallas. Located in the Penn District, the redeveloped blocks around New York’s Penn Station, the newest Avra “is our largest location to date, with 20,000 square feet and the most private dining rooms,” co-owner Nick Tsoulas tells Estiator.
“The Penn District is an emerging dining destination and concertgoers, basketball fans, businesspeople and tourists can enjoy the expansive bar and lounge, four private dining rooms and outdoor seating with views of the Empire State Building. We join other notable restaurants in the area after the area has been transformed with a $3 billion development investment,” Tsoulas says.
The new location will boast a splashy design befitting its red-hot location. “Located in the historic Farley Building, Avra was designed by Rockwell Group as a light-filled retreat from the city. A neutral palette of white oak, Dolomiti marble, oil-rubbed bronze, and custom artwork is layered with natural textures and greenery to evoke the spirit of a Mediterranean courtyard,” Tsoulas says. The main dining room is anchored by a soaring Greek pine tree and accented with cleft stone walls, a custom salt-and-cement art installation, and curved banquettes reminiscent of a seafood café. An expansive outdoor terrace offers alfresco dining with views of the Empire State Building, while the lounge features a striking dark blue marble framed by an antique mirror. “Avra’s signature market-style seafood display runs the length of the dining room, leading into the exhibition kitchen,” Tsoulas says.
Next for the on-fire Avra Group: Boston, spring 2026, according to Tsoulas.
Avra, 398 Ninth Avenue, New York; theavragroup.com
Jacob’s Pickles
Jacob Hadjigeorgis’ beloved New York City eatery isn’t necessarily Greek, but has 100 percent Greek DNA.
Hadjigeorgis is leading the move of Jacob’s Pickles’ flagship location to nearby 680 Columbus Ave., doubling its footprint and expanding its hearty menu. The space “has been designed as the fullest expression of the brand to date, where its original values meet wisdom garnered over more than a decade of experience,” according to a statement from Hadjigeorgis. Representing the model for future expansions, it is replete with fan favorites, as well as 23 new dishes, an expanded martini and wine program, an extensive selection of domestic craft beer on draft and an array of American whiskeys.
The son of immigrants from Cyprus who owned a New York restaurant, Hadjigeorgis grew up in Astoria. In his father George’s home village, the family grew much of its own food, ran a communal olive press, and owned its only coffee shop. George “has been Jacob’s role model and mentor throughout his career, imparting lessons in resiliency and operational efficiencies,” according to an official bio.
Fun fact: Along with a dual major in politics and journalism at NYU, Hadjigeorgis earned a Certification in Pickling and Canning at Cornell University. His favorite meal at Jacob’s Pickles is a tie between the Slow Roasted Turkey Leg and Slow Cooked Beef Rib, complemented by a cask- strength bourbon, according to the company.
Jacob’s Pickles, 680 Columbus Ave., New York City; jacobspickles.com
Dear Margo
Dean Pashalis, whose family co-owns the Estia restaurant group, opened this intimate Mediterranean eatery in October in the former Neil’s Coffee Shop site on the Upper East Side. The restaurant is named for Pashalis’ Greek grandmother. The menu will feature small plates, lamb meatballs, and several skewers, including Mediterranean sea bass.
Dear Margo, 961 Lexington Avenue, New York City; instagram.com/dearmargonyc
