Salute!
A swanky new Italian eatery is now offering high-end pasta and amazing views of the waterfront in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Cecconi’s, which opened on Tuesday, will give locals and tourists alike a new spot to celebrate a milestone, or simply kick back and relax with a drink as they take in its stellar sights, said its executive chef.
“It’s a place for special occasions and it’s a place for the everyday,” said Andrea Cavaliere. “You can come for a pasta or can come for a coffee and a Prosecco.”
The 240-seat restaurant, which is run by the members-only club Soho House, is housed on the ground floor of Empire Stores, a 19th-century warehouse building that is now a retail and office complex. The eatery boasts views of the East River, Lower Manhattan, and the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges from its eat-in bar, main dining room, and outdoor patio.
The restaurant already has outposts in Miami, Hollywood, Barcelona, Berlin, and Istanbul, but the Dumbo location is its first foray into New York. Its international spots are known to draw celebrities, but Cecconi’s also hopes to appeal to everyday Brooklynites, said Cavaliere.
“We want to build a relationship with the community, to creating as many neighbors as possible — people who love coming to Cecconi’s over and over,” he said.
The dinner entrees range from a budget-friendly $13 lamb ragu to a $42 veal chop, along with the restaurant’s signature lobster spaghetti ($32), and a selection of wood-fired pizzas made with New York cheeses. Cecconi’s also serves brunch; a happy hour on weekdays from 4–7 pm where each item costs $4, $7, or $9; and a Sunday Supper from that includes a family-style meal with choice of appetizer, main course, and dessert for $50.
Cecconi’s is the first of several new eateries slated to open in the park, including Pilot, a seafood restaurant on a historic schooner, and Cafe Roebling, a casual cafe. Cavaliere said he is pumped to serve his food in such company.
“The location, the area, there’s a lot of great restaurants opening — a lot of people coming to Dumbo,” he said. “It feels good to be a part of it.”
Empires Stores will also soon welcome the first Brooklyn incarnation of the exclusive Soho House club, called Dumbo House, on its top two floors.
Cecconi’s [55 Water St. between Main and Dock streets in Dumbo, (718) 650–3900, www.cecco
