I hope you’re hungry New York, because a brand new Italian restaurant is on its way to make sure you’re stuffed to the brim with as much pasta as you can handle. What? You look so skinny, you need to eat! Mangia!
Mareluna is a brand new restaurant from restaurateur Marco Britti and Andreea Milgram. Opening up in SoHo between West Houston and Prince Street, Mareluna will be replacing west~bourne at 137 Sullivan Street.
Marco Britti is a well-established restaurateur with years of experience operating restaurants in New York City. Prior to opening Mareluna, his most successful operation was Calle Dao, both in Chelsea and Bryant Park. A rare fusion of Cuban and Chinese cuisine, Marco started Calle Dao to pay homage to Havana’s once-thriving Chinatown. Unbeknownst to many Americans, throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, Cuba was home to the largest Chinese diaspora in Latin America.
Fusing Chinese cuisine with Cuban flavors turned out to be a brilliant idea, and Calle Dao quickly became Marco’s most popular restaurant. Working together with renowned mixologist Jay Daniel, the two earned significant acclaim amongst critics for melding the old world with the new through their exotic dishes and signature cocktails. Marco even personally supervised the design of the restaurant, which was created to function like a sultry, old-world Havana restaurant filled with Chinese artwork and other design accents.
Now Marco and his team are bringing their exceptional sense of vision to a brand new Italian cucina. While not much is known about Mareluna yet, we do know that it will be replacing west~bourne and will offer guests about 783 square feet of space for guests, capable of seating up to 46 people at one time. West~bourne was a popular LA-inspired cafe with a charitable mission and was known for serving west-coast style grain bowls, breakfasts, coffee, beer and wine. While you wait for Mareluna to open, you should consider giving Calle Dao a visit to see what Marco and the team are capable of. Their Bryant Park location is temporarily shut down for renovations, but their Chelsea location is open and thriving. Just be sure to wear a mask and stay safe, wherever you visit this Winter!
