Bluestone Lane Takes Over De Maria Space with a Restaurant and Bar Concept

An Australian food and beverage monopoly is erecting in the Soho/Nolita neighborhood. Bluestone lane, a once fast-casual coffee joint selling snacks and sips have now opened a breezy, beachy restaurant at 19 Kenmare, right next door to The Butcher’s Daughter. Did I mention they already have a small cafe just over on Spring Street, situated suspiciously close to Ruby’s Cafe on Mulberry? I smell a happy, handsome, and adorably-accented conspiracy...

Bluestone’s Bowery Café is another addition to the millennial mecca of the neighborhood’s restaurant scene. Refurbished and reinvented, the previous home of De Maria has been transformed into an 80-seat brunch, lunch, and bar space. Designed by another fellow Aussie, Tali Roth (Tali Roth Designs), the restaurant does not disappoint in charm and elegance. Hues of blue, black, beige and white transport you to a beachy summer oasis in the belly of the Bowery. Brick walls are painted white and the minimal, interior dining chairs a seductive matte black. A wall is also lined with sandy hued banquettes for you to lounge upon at your leisure. Outdoor seating and tables reinforce the laid back aesthetic: their easy-going, folding characteristics invite you to spontaneously gather and chill for a while…or at least until your back and butt start to hurt.

The vibe continues at the bar: an alcove comfortably backlit by a colorful wall of spirits. Its circular silhouette is indeed encapsulating, and the counter—a marble slab of deep oceanic blue with delicate strands of white billowing through it—is like that fresh froth of a wave curling to crash against the shore. Be sure to dive in and try their Watermelon Bellini or Aperol Spritz. Walking by on the space on a Friday morning, I can already see the money flying out of all those Gucci and Supreme fanny packs.

The menu is proud to announce that it only serves cage free eggs, taking a “health-focused” and progressive approach to an all-day selection. It sounds trendy and predictable, and it is. But the food becomes so much more inviting when described by stylishly-clad, smiling servers, asserting that the food offers the right balance of Aussie flare and American comfort: feeling adventurous? Order the Toast Bar, a spread that comes with vegemite, jam, and almond butter. For something more recognizable but still instagrammable, the green baked eggs and Buddha bowl practically scream #nofilter #nyceats.

Australian dining culture seems to be seeping in to our American ways of life, and I’m not complaining. A siesta-like coffee break is so much enjoyable than a speedy caffeine fix. Enjoying a late lunch with friends that turns into a boozy summer evening is a welcomed addition to any weekend or mid-week routine. Just make sure to stop by the Bowery Café before the Food Baby does, or you may be waiting in line for a while.