A Marea Sibling Will Reopen in Soho as a Neighborhood Pasta Spot With $9 Martinis

Piccolo Morini will open in mid-June at 40 Kenmare Street in the former Kimika space, returning to Soho after Osteria Morini closed its longtime location at 218 Lafayette Street. The new restaurant is positioned as a casual counterpart to Marea, shifting from a more formal Emilia-Romagna focus toward an accessible, value-driven experience. The bar will feature all-night $9 martinis, and the restaurant will be set up for World Cup viewing with matches broadcast throughout the space, including outdoor seating. The menu will include about a dozen small plates under $20 and up to 15 pastas, ranging from simple spaghetti pomodoro to more elaborate options. Osteria Morini staples such as gramigna with sausage ragu, cappelletti with truffle and pancetta, and garganelli will return, led by opening chef Bill Dorner.

"Osteria Morini, the Northern Italian restaurant from Altamarea Group founder Ahmass Fakahany, is returning two years after closing its longtime Soho location at 218 Lafayette Street. The new version, called Piccolo Morini, will open at 40 Kenmare Street at Elizabeth Street in the former Kimika space. The opening positions Piccolo Morini as a more casual counterpart to Altamarea Group's fine-dining flagship, Marea."

"The new restaurant shifts away from the original's more formal Emilia-Romagna focus toward something more accessible that offers value, according to Fakahany. "Everyone wants to taste a lot of things when they get to a table," he says. With the average price of a martini in New York over $20, a big draw will be the all-night $9 martinis at the bar."

"The restaurant will open in time for World Cup viewing, with matches broadcast throughout the space, including outdoor seating areas. The food menu relaxes a bit from the original, and will include roughly a dozen small plates and as many as 15 pastas. Small plates will be priced under $20, while the pasta lineup is intended to stay approachable, he says, including simple dishes like spaghetti pomodoro alongside more elaborate options."

"The move also keeps the restaurant planted in Soho like its earlier iteration. He described Piccolo Morini as a neighborhood restaurant first, rather than a special occasion spot. "You don't need to book three weeks in advance," he says. Nulsa Design shaped the look of the 92-seat restaurant, with older Italian touches paired with contempor"

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