Osteria Morini, the Northern Italian restaurant from Altamarea Group founder Ahmass Fakahany, is returning two years afterclosingits longtime Soho location at 218 Lafayette Street. The new version, called Piccolo Morini, will open at 40 Kenmare Street at Elizabeth Street in the formerKimikaspace. The opening positions Piccolo Morini as a more casual counterpart to Altamarea Group’s fine-dining flagship, Marea.
The new restaurant shifts away from the original’s more formal Emilia-Romagna focus toward something more accessible that offers value, according to Fakahany. “Everyone wants to taste a lot of things when they get to a table,” he says.
With the average price of a martini in New York over $20, a big draw will be the all-night $9 martinis
at the bar. “When was the last time you had one of those in Manhattan?” Fakahany says. The restaurant will open in time for World Cup viewing, with matches broadcast throughout the space, including outdoor seating areas.
The food menu relaxes a bit from the original, and will include roughly a dozen small plates and as many as 15 pastas. Small plates will be priced under $20, while the pasta lineup is intended to stay approachable, he says, including simple dishes like spaghetti pomodoro alongside more elaborate options.
A few Osteria Morini staples are returning, including the gramigna with sausage ragu, cappelletti with truffle and pancetta, and garganelli. Bill Dorner, the opening chef at Osteria Morini, who later oversaw Morini in Washington, D.C., is leading the kitchen.
The move also keeps the restaurant planted in Soho like its earlier iteration. He described Piccolo Morini as a neighborhood restaurant first, rather than a special occasion spot. “You don’t need to book three weeks in advance,” he says.
Nulsa Design shaped the look of the 92-seat restaurant, with older Italian touches paired with contemporary details: Murano-style lighting, farmhouse hutches, chrome-and-leather stools, and newer artwork. The restaurant includes a main dining room, bar and lounge seating, a semi-private room, and nearly 40 outdoor seats.
Altamarea Group will also operate the building’s rooftop, featuring 180-degree views of the city – a different spot that will open later in the summer.
