Grupo Fasano opens first restaurant in New York

On Thursday night (24), after two days of soft opening for guests, the Fasano group opens the doors of its first restaurant in the United States.

Designed by architect Isay Weinfeld, the same architect who signs almost all the units in the chain, it is located in Midtown, the heart of New York, just over a kilometer away from Fasano Fifth Avenue, a luxury residential that opened in March 2021.

There are three spaces, with a total of 100 seats: in addition to the elegant main hall, there is an osteria with a more informal menu and, on the upper floor, a private room with live music for up to 26 people. The Baretto bar will open in a second phase, in the North American spring.

From the kitchen, in charge of chef Nicola Fedeli, transferred from the extinct Fasano Al Mare, in Rio de Janeiro, will come dishes from northern Italy that are old acquaintances of paulistanos, such as ossobuco alla menighina, from Fasano, and the mixed bollito, cooked Italian style served in a cart, one of the most iconic orders at Parigi restaurant. The wine list has the signature of the sommelier Manoel Beato.

Only the New Yorker will pay cheaper. The risotto ai funghi porcini e timo, for example, which costs R$223 in São Paulo, costs US$35 in New York — at the exchange rate this Thursday (24th), it would be R$179.08.

A few hours before the official opening, amidst the final adjustments, businessman Gero Fasano spoke with sheet by video call and told the details of the new unit.

How long has the restaurant project been gestated?

We signed the contract 3 years ago. We predicted the opening for a year ago, but the pandemic made the whole process slower. The renovation, which was supposed to last six months, took a year and a half to complete.

What are the features of this unit?

The front part of the property I turned into an osteria. There are tables closer together, basically a menu of pasta and salads, with a more informal service. Equivalent to Trattoria Fasano in São Paulo. Afterwards, a long corridor leads to Fasano’s lounge.

What is your expectation from the audience?

I hope New Yorkers come a lot, especially for the location. We are at a point where a lot of people work, as is also the case with Trattoria, which attracts people from [avenida] I would do Lima. I think we will have a lot of regulars at lunchtime. But I’m also sure that Brazilians who come here will be curious to know.

Even though it is such an expensive city, in simple conversion, New York prices are cheaper. Because?

Everything imported in Brazil costs less here, starting with wines and other beverages. Even if the dollar was at a normal level, prices in Brazil are already expensive due to import taxes. Here, in the United States, items that come from abroad have competitive prices in relation to what is produced in the country. The Brazilian market is still very protectionist.

Are you having a housewarming party?

I never party. If you de-characterize the restaurant, removing tables and chairs, it looks awful. And if I invite only the number of guests that fit in the seats, I end up leaving a lot of people out, I’ll hurt more than please. That’s why we never open a restaurant all at once, but we do.

Fasano Restaurant New York
42 East 49th Street
New York, NY 10017
fasanorestaurantny.com