UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — The Upper East Side is gaining three new spots: an uptown location of a village favorite, the return of a Cambodian spot and a kosher sushi restaurant.
The restaurants were presented to Community Board 8’s Street Life Committee on Tuesday as owners sought approval for beer, wine and liquor licenses.
Here’s what we learned about each new restaurant:
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Akimori (858 Lexington Ave., between East 65th and 64th streets)
Owner Teddy Khafif already opened his Lexington Avenue restaurant — the fourth location of his growing group of kosher omakase bars — on Monday, but said he is seeking a license in order to serve sake and beer.
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The small omakase space includes just 12 seats at the bar and a small rear yard, Khafif said.
“It’s a growing brand and we have a really, really cool customer base,” Khafif said.
American Bar (1022 Lexington Ave., corner of East 73rd)
The buzzy Greenwich Village spot American Bar is looking to make an impression on the uptown dining scene.
Since 2020, American Bar has been a top spot for celebrities looking for what some call an “unpretentious” meal.
The same owners opened the health and plant-forward Café Clover in 2015 and Clover Grocery in 2017. While Café Clover shuttered in 2020, the team has since opened Holiday Bar and Saint Theo’s in addition to American Bar.
All three spots are known for being buzzy throwbacks with strong aesthetic styling.
Co-owner Adil Fawzi says his team has been looking for an Upper East Side spot for over a year, adding that he used to run a pair of eateries in the neighborhood, including Bistro 61.
The uptown American Bar will also feature sidewalk dining, Fawzi said.
Bayon (408 East 64th St., between First and York avenues)
Owners Minh and Mandy Truong are looking to revive a 14-table Cambodian restaurant that they had operated for years at this East 64th Street location — until the pandemic hit.
Originally opening in 2015 under the name Angkor Cambodian Bistro, its doors shuttered in August 2020.
Angkor was one of the last Cambodian restaurants in the city, according to Eater NY, and its closure was lamented by city foodies.
But once the East 64th Street space became available again, the landlord reached out to the Truongs based on their past relationship, a representative for the owners said.
“Now they’re trying to come back and restart in the same location,” said an attorney for the owners.
The space also features five backyard tables and is expected to open around Feb. 1.
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