Babbo Reopens In New York’s Greenwich Village

A storied New York restaurant is reopening under new ownership and kitchen leadership, reviving a beloved space with contemporary ethos and cuisine.

Babbo is officially open again, thanks to restaurateur Stephen Starr and chef Mark Ladner leading the kitchen. Ladner was initially on the opening team of the restaurant when it debuted 1998, and has since been known for his work at Del Posto and the short-lived fast casual restaurant Pasta Flyer.

“Taking on an institution like Babbo was a first for me. I was drawn to the challenge of preserving this piece of New York City’s history while breathing new life into this storied space,” said Starr. “We wanted to tap into the best parts of Babbo while making it our own. The pressure is immense, but so is the excitement. As Spider-Man’s uncle said, ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’”

Boutique interior design firm, Gachot, renovated Babbo’s bilevel dining spaces. The restaurant’s signature round table sits at base of the stairwell once again, with rows of refurbished leather banquets flanking either side. The upstairs dining room will has been repainted in oxblood red and will be used to seat larger parties.

What to Expect at Babbo 2.0

The newest iteration of Babbo celebrates Italian cuisine from every region, with a New York City lens.

“Mark Ladner’s return to both the Babbo kitchen and New York City’s dynamic Italian food scene marks a full circle moment for one of the city’s most iconic restaurants,” said Starr. “There’s no one better to lead this resurgence while upholding the spirit that Babbo is known for, and I’m thrilled to have him usher Babbo’s legendary energy into a new era.”

Babbo’s menu begins with an antipasti section including crudo served in flights of three finfish and three shellfish and a primi section of handmade pastas that rotate seasonally (with Northern and Alpine specialties showcased in the colder months and Southern, seaside-inspired dishes in the warmer months). Highlights include Ladner’s signature Yesterday’s 100-Layer Lasagna, and his much-anticipated 49-Day Minestrone––a layered, slow-cooked vegetable soup, served with pesto and dried Crusco peppers, which guests will ladle for themselves out of a shiny steel pot.

“With the menu, I wanted to celebrate the diversity of Italy’s culinary landscape through the prism of New York City,” said Ladner. “I was inspired by what I call 22 distinct regions: the 20 regions that comprise Italy, plus two regions for the old and the new Babbo, to honor the restaurant’s own history. It’s a dining experience that melds Old World flavors with a downtown edge.”

The secondi section of Babbo’s menu features proteins including beef, lamb and veal For dolce, the famous saffron panna cotta with rosewater-soaked raisins from Babbo’s beloved former Pastry Chef, the late Gina DePalma, will make a nostalgic return. To drink, Babbo will offers wine by the glass or bottle from Babbo’s cellar, plus an extensive bar program and cocktail list accompanied by Italian-style bar snacks.

“I feel grateful to have the opportunity to return to the kitchen where my career first took off more than a quarter-century ago,” said Ladner. “What I hope to carry forward isn’t just the style of cooking but also a joyous atmosphere around the table,. This was the greatest lesson I took from my time at Babbo. The spirit, the celebration of all the sweet parts of life, is what it’s all about.”