Some refreshing news is on its way to the many food lovers who feel overwhelmed by the slew of unfortunate closures that have hit this city over the past few years.
Sandro’s Restaurant, the popular Italian staple that has been serving the Upper East Side for over 16 years, has finally secured a brand new lease after permanently closing their previous location in February. Sandro’s was founded by Chef Sandro Fioriti, an award winning chef who began his career working as a sous chef for the renowned Franco Carbonari. After many years of training and successful restaurant operation, Sandro would go on to establish Sandro’s Restaurant in New York in 1985, introducing a new generation of Americans to many dishes they had never encountered previously.
As one of the top restaurants of its era, Sandro’s earned wide acclaim thanks to the chef’s creative and flavorful dishes. He closed his original restaurant in 1992 and moved to the Caribbean to enjoy life with his family, but he continued to consult for well-established upscale restaurants. When Sandro moved back to New York, he continued to expand the original Sandro’s Restaurant concept and ended up opening the 81st street location we all know and love in 2007, continuing to highlight his signature Roman cuisine.
Sadly, in February this year the Sandro’s Restaurant located at 306 East 81st Street closed its doors for good. While the owners made their intentions to reopen clear, the details of the future were murky and fans of the beloved restaurant were left wondering when they would be able to enjoy Sandro’s fine Roman cooking again. Now though, more details have emerged regarding their new plans, and What Now New York can confirm that Sandro’s Restaurant will be reopening at a brand new location at 322 East 86th Street, between First and Second avenues.
The new Sandro’s Restaurant will be replacing Little Frog, a popular French bistro from owner Francois Latapie. The new space is comparable in size to Sandro’s previous location, and is expected to seat 56 guests inside, with an additional full-service bar and roadside seating planned for the restaurant. The bar area is a little bit larger than the old one, and the new restaurant will also feature a private dining room for exclusive events.
Perhaps most importantly to the readers, Sandro’s will also be retaining its original kitchen staff. What Now New York spoke with owner Sando Fioriti Jr, who stated that the team’s chief priority was to maintain the same atmosphere that so many locals had to come to love about the original location. So beyond increasing the amount of available space, the new restaurant will be nearly identical to its original operation, which many fans will be relieved to hear. At the moment, Fioriti and the team still need to finalize he details of their liquor license application before they can plan a Grand Opening, but you can follow Sandro’s Restaurant on Instagram for further information as the project develops.
