By Lisa Kava
Telio’s, the Mediterranean restaurant that was formerly called Telio Taverna, officially reopened on December 4th at 2672 Broadway (at West 102nd Street), following a “soft” opening in November. It is open daily for lunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. Telio’s closed its location at 2481 Broadway (between West 92nd and West 93rd Street), in December 2022 due to high rent. Owner Yianni Berbeis subsequently made an arrangement with Good Enough to Eat’s owner Jeremy Wladis to share space. The menu at the new Telio’s features some of its previous menu items (moussaka, branzino. salmon, pasta, gyros, and kabobs), and is similar to Korali, which Berbeis owns on the Upper East Side. Abigail’s, the So-Cal inspired restaurant which closed in March, was previously in the space. (Thanks to Phil and Gena for the tip.)
Saperavi, a Georgian restaurant and wine bar, opened at 410 Amsterdam Avenue (between West 79th and West 80th streets), on December 14th. Open for lunch and dinner, it serves authentic Georgian specialty dishes including lobio (bean stew), kupati (sausage), khinkali (dumplings), and various cheesebreads and skewers. Appetizers include; Georgian smashed avocado, motherland cornbread, eggplant rolls, and an assortment of house pickled vegetables. The menu has an “Americano” section which features an impossible burger, salmon with vegetables, and a chicken avocado wrap. “Saperavi” is a type of grape native to Georgian wine making regions. This is the third location in Manhattan for Saperavi; others are in the East Village and on the Upper East Side. Sushi Nonaka and Boka, which closed in April, were previously in the space. (Thanks to Ben for the tip.)
Runaway Poppy, a gift shop, opened a holiday pop-up on December 12th at 461 Amsterdam Avenue (at West 82nd Street). The pop-up will be there until December 27th. Runaway Poppy sells artwork, ceramic bowls and mugs, photographic prints, jewelry, bags, greeting cards, and games. The shop has a permanent location at 2244 Broadway (between West 80th and West 81st streets.). “We have a few items unique to our pop-up that we didn’t have room to display in our Broadway location,” owner Cara Milling wrote to the Rag. “This includes new art, new lighting that features collaborations with the Andy Warhol and Keith Haring Foundations, and a new collection of fun pottery from the United Kingdom.” The store is named after Milling’s grandfather “Poppy” whom she and her cousins spent many childhood summers with. Chalait, the matcha cafe which closed on November 28th, was previously in the space. (Thanks to Ben and Maggie for the tip.)
Blank Street Coffee has signage up at 418 Columbus Avenue (at West 80th Street), with plans to open in the first half of 2026, a representative confirmed to West Side Rag. This will be the fourth Upper West Side location for the coffee chain; others are on Broadway at West 86th Street, Broadway at West 91st Street, and Columbus Avenue at West 69th Street. Blank Street Coffee was founded in Brooklyn in 2020, and has rapidly expanded with multiple locations in NYC, Boston, Washington D.C., England, and Scotland. Andy’s Deli which closed in 2022 was previously in the space.
The Cashmere Sale, the annual pop-up, is closing on December 18th. It opened for the season in October at 2139 Broadway (at West 75th Street). The Cashmere Sale sells cashmere sweaters, jackets, vests, hats, gloves, and scarves at discount prices. The company operates pop-ups October through December at multiple locations throughout NYC and nationwide.
Pressed Juicery, a juice shop at 2857 Broadway (between West 110th and West 111th streets), has closed. It sold fresh pressed juice, smoothies, acai bowls, juice cleanses and wellness shots. The chain has multiple locations in Manhattan; the closest one is at Columbus Circle. West Side Rag has reached out to the company to find out the reason for the closing of the Broadway location. We will update if we learn more.
ICYMI: Playgarden Prep, a preschool and early childhood learning center, is opening an Upper West Side location in 2026 at 601 Amsterdam Avenue (between West 89th and West 90th streets). Read West Side Rag’s coverage here.
The Openings & Closings column wouldn’t be possible without our many tipsters: thank you! Anyone can send tips about openings and closings in the neighborhood to info@westsiderag.com.
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Is Au Jus gone for good?
yes
Oh ,no! Approximately when did they close?
According to the new pre-school’s signage, its name is Playgarden Prep, not Playground Prep.
Surprised there are so many vacant storefronts near Columbia University with huge population and activity. You think it would be a gold mine.
That pressed juicery saved my ass once when I was reeling off an acid trip
No men’s, only women’s?
Mango, women’s clothing chain, is now open on 67th and Broadway.
No men’s, only women’s?
They do have men’s. A full floor, and even more at the 5th Avenue location.
The food at Telio’s and the experience is such a welcomed addition to the neighborhood. Yanni and his team add their special warmth to this place which makes dining out a pleasure.
my wife and I enjoyed lunch there recently and can recommend it. When passing by in the evening they seem to be more than half full and even have a small bar scene. Try the “FIX” Georgian beer!
I hope it works out for them – that location seems to be a constant rotation of restaurants (possibly too big?)
The previous 2 restaurants were run by the same hospitality company and they both went under. Since Telio had a good reputation while on 93rd and then again while sharing space with Good Enough to Eat he has already shown his consistency in creating a great dining experience.
Blanks Street Coffee. Meh.
Worst coffee on the upper westside (or probably anywhere). Went once and never went back. In a city that really discriminates, I’m surprised they lasted this long.
Agree- it’s opened by hedge fund or private investment groups- Serhant is an investor. Blah. Opposite of local.
It’s as if they couldn’t even be bothered to come up with a name. They must have been trying to fill in an actual street name: “[blank] Street” and then they just thought, “Who cares? Let’s actually call it “Blank Street”. It will be so much fun putting independent coffee shops out of business with our generic, faux neighborhood chain.” Such irony. Oy.
I’m not usually into Shah’s Halal but darned if they’re not open to 4AM and willing to cook you a fresh falafel sandwich in the middle of the night. Just thought I’d throw a plug in for them after stopping by this morning, since everyone else closes at 9:30 now.
What is opening on northeast corner of 86 and Columbus ? Construction folks said a restaurant
i think it may be a springbone
That would be nice. That used to be Three Star Diner about a decade ago.
I miss any and all diners that have disappeared from UWS- hard to screw up a plate of fries and always cozy! There is a hilarious scene from the film THE EXTRA MAN starring Kevin Kline and Paul Dano that takes place in that diner. I highly recommend that film, which is both hilarious and touching and features our wonderful neighborhood!
I miss Three Star. Very old school.
Tiny diner and the food was worth about 1.5 stars but the friendliness and neighborhood feel of Three Stars is missed.
You scared me when I saw Runaway Poppy in the “Openings and Closings” Glad it was another opening! Love that place.
Where is the pizza at Telios!
I dined at Telio (not Telio’s) the other night. Co-owner Nico told me Telio in Greek means “perfect.” The food, service and hospitality were perfect. I enjoyed the vegetarian moussaka, a tasty baked dish, and the lentil soup. Nico was excited about the restaurant, his passion and enthusiasm stood out. My hope is that they will enjoy success and become a neighborhood fixture
Wasn’t the new Blank Street location going to be a Japanese coffee shop? Talk about a downgrade to the neighborhood by opening another Blank Street.
Yes! I thought it was going to be % Arabica, according to WSR from two years ago:
https://www.westsiderag.com/2023/12/20/openings-and-closings-mels-burger-bar-the-granola-bar-haven-abes-arabica-chaotic-good-cafe-bourke-street-bakery-just-salad-kossars-update
Huge downgrade from Andy’s Deli. At lease a Japanese coffee shop might have been interesting.
No article on the opening of the Hashi Market on Broadway and 107St. It was a terrific opening Thursd,ay.