At Café Zaffri in New York, history is served with a rebellious streak

Since opening two years ago, Raf’s – the 11-table downtown trattoria – has quickly become a haven for Manhattan’s fashion and design glitterati. Now, its Union Square-adjacent cousin, Café Zaffri – or Zaf’s – expands on that success story.

‘We noticed this great energy around Raf's – people would finish dinner and want to hang out a bit longer, or they'd show up early looking for a spot to grab a drink or a bite,’ says Jennifer Vitagliano, who opened the haunt with her sister, Nicole Vitagliano. ‘Zaf’s answers that desire. It's livelier, transportive, and built for socialising from day to night.’

Wallpaper* dines at Café Zaffri, New York

The mood: history with a rebellious streak

Zaf’s occupies the entire ground floor of the recently-opened hotel, The Twenty Two New York. While Raf’s pays homage to the long-beloved Sicilian bakery that once stood in its place, Zaf’s celebrates the history of the 1891-built midrise it occupies: its original use as the Margaret Louisa Home boarding for ‘rebellious and ambitious’ women who had just moved to the city.

Prolific Brooklyn architecture and interiors firm Post Company imbued the restaurant with both implicit and explicit hints at the locale’s storied past, but with a fresh feel. ‘Old New York dining rooms had this sense of permanence and personality,’ says Nicole. ‘They were cultural rooms; places where people came to gather, to watch and to be seen. We wanted to honour that lineage but reinterpret it for how people dine and socialise today. We leaned into warmth and subtle nostalgia – something familiar and romantic but without being stiff.’

Leigh Salem, Post Company partner, responded in kind with a scheme that’s timeless, ‘fully transportive,’ and yet still relevant to the community of ‘regulars’ the Vitaglianos have forged. ‘We were playing off the foundational and intimate qualities captured at Raf’s but within a much more ambitious space, one geared towards large celebrations and events – a more exuberant tone,’ he says.

Because it sits inside a hotel, the restaurant needs to serve three meals per day. Salem and his team accommodated this daily shift by delineating three distinctive spaces. The moody entry lounge leads into a bright atrium with detailed colonnades, tiled floors and woven-cane chairs – all custom-made for the space. Also of note: a framed quilt art piece emblazoned with the moniker ‘Calling All Rebels.’

The opulent main dining room toward the rear can be accessed through double-height doors and comes with an intricate wood-panel bar. The three-sided one up front is finished in burl and black marble.

The main dining room is defined by a complex floral wallpaper; an embroidered brocade based on vintage samples. Unlike the central atrium that takes in tons of natural light, this space doesn't have any windows. Post Company implemented a central ceiling motif with discs of rose and peach glass – a play on iconic Tiffany lamps – to help infuse the space with colour and vibrancy. Hand-painted walls and ceilings, patterned upholstery and semi-sheer drapery tie everything together. An analogous palette of reds, oranges, purples, yellows and pinks play well off of the cream-toned walls and mirror-wall surfaces.

‘The cafe and atrium are the heartbeat of the daytime – bright, casual, and energetic,’ says Jennifer. ‘As you move into the dining room, the atmosphere deepens. Lighting softens, the palette warms. By night, the whole space feels charged and immersive. It’s still welcoming, but there’s a current to it: a place you're meant to stay awhile.’

The food: A trip to the Mediterranean

On any given afternoon, digital nomads might be hard at work on their computers. Others might be having lunch and catching up. ‘Zaf’s is an anchor space, acting like the lobbies of grand hotels once did: a living room or social center that invites guests and locals alike, grounding the hotel in the neighborhood,’ says Nicole.

On offer is a dynamic menu developed by award-winning chef Mary Attea (who also heads up the kitchens at Vitagliano's other restaurants Raf’s and the Michelin-Starred Musket Room). Here, it's a refreshed interpretation of classic Mediterranean and Levantine dishes. ‘It’s about bright, simple ingredients, a little char, a little acidity and warmth – traditional flavours through a New York lens,’ Jennifer explains.

One can choose between starters like fried jibneh (Syrian cheese and preserved lemon) or a cucumber fattoush salad with feta and sumac. For mains, there’s a stew-like halibut chraime with Lebanese rice but also a dry-age beef burger and the full skewer service. Deserts include Egyptian-style aish al saraya ‘palace breads’ and uniquely flavored sorbets.

Café Zaffri is located at 16 E 16th St, New York, NY