5. Gotham Bar & Grill (Founded 1984)
A very popular New American restaurant with a Michelin star, Gotham Bar & Grill closed on March 14 just as the coronavirus began to take a toll on New York City. Opened in 1984 in Greenwich Village, the restaurant became a fine dining legend under chef Alfred Portale. Located in the site of a former warehouse, the restaurant boasted floor-to-ceiling windows and high ceilings and even featured its own art collection. In 2019, Victoria Blamey took over as head chef after Portale opened his first solo restaurant, Portale, in Chelsea. According to Eater, many staff were intensely loyal to Portale, who pioneered a number of iconic dishes like his take on tuna tartare.
After rather sudden news that Gotham would be clothing due to heightened coronavirus measures, customers flocked to the restaurant on its final service for free high-end wines and burgers. The restaurant was known for its fine dining fare, with dishes ranging from Baywater sweet oysters to tilefish to braised rabbit leg. Blamey introduced new dishes like a yellowtail crudo with smoked avocado and Iberico pork cheek with ceci neri and black vinegar pickled pearl onion.
A statement from the restaurant notes, “We have been forced to make the very difficult decision to close the Gotham after 36 wonderful years because the unforeseen situation created by the coronavirus has made operation of the restaurant untenable.”