The Knickerbocker Bar & Grill Will Reopen

"A Greenwich Village mainstay since 1977, this vintage corner bar-and-grill has preserved its old-school charm—horseshoe booths, carpeted, poster-hung interiors—and a loyal, seasoned clientele that ranges from multigenerational families to local celebrities. Known for live jazz (a young Harry Connick Jr. held twice-weekly gigs here in the late ’80s), a solid American chophouse menu, and an unpretentious vibe, the restaurant has also served as a film location and a community anchor. After an extended pandemic-era closure for mandatory repairs and an updated exhaust system—a project that ballooned from a planned three months to nearly a year and cost roughly a million dollars—the owners are preparing to reopen within weeks, having negotiated a new 12-year lease and addressed permitting and inspection hurdles. The shutdown furloughed 48 employees; the business secured a PPP loan and raised nearly $70,000 via GoFundMe (with a notable donation from F. Murray Abraham), and many former staff are returning, including longtime kitchen presence and executive chef Clara O’Marde, credited with dishes like a new farro salad and occasional jerk-chicken specials. With city rules easing on outdoor dining, the team plans limited sidewalk seating despite obstacles like a crosswalk and fire hydrant (and hopes to expand into the adjacent shuttered storefront), though reduced indoor capacity means live music won’t return for the foreseeable future." - Grub Street