The autumn restaurant season in New York City will be the first in almost two years, and despite the uncertainty surrounding Covid, chefs and restaurateurs are pushing forward with openings and reopenings, frequently restarting projects that had been put on hold. Le Pavillon and Iris, two ambitious restaurants in the centre of Manhattan from Union Square to 59th Street, have been up and operating for some time, with more restaurants scheduled to open in the near future. Prominent players such as Danny Meyer, Laurent Tourondel, Ignacio Mattos, and Franklin Becker are diversifying their business portfolios to include new businesses. Rick Bayless of Chicago, Will Beckett of London’s Hawksmoor, and Huw Gott of London’s Hawksmoor are all making their New York culinary debuts. New steakhouses continue to open, and Indian cuisine, both fast-casual and traditional, continues to attract new customers. Despite the absence of certain well-known brands, there are indications of life in Hudson Yards these days. Sushi restaurants with a high level of sophistication continue to appear. And so far, despite the difficulties in staffing and obtaining supplies, the openings seem to be occurring on schedule – a marked improvement over previous years, when several were postponed for months. That may be a good indicator of how keen the owners are to go back to business again.
