A brand-new sushi restaurant is getting ready to open on the Lower East Side later this year.
Tokyo Tavern is an exciting new restaurant concept from Bobby Khorrami. Khorrami is a well-established New York hospitality vet with years of experience and is currently known as the operator of The Harrow, a popular gastropub on Tenth Avenue that endeavors to serve fresh, seasonal food that is sustainably grown and responsibly farmed. He also operates two successful restaurants further upstate, Meso in Rye, New York, and Derby in Poughkeepsie.
Now, according to a recent liquor license application submitted with Community Two, Bobby is once again getting ready to debut a brand-new restaurant concept. His new restaurant, which is tentatively titled Tokyo Tavern, is described as “A Japanese/American experience with food served on small plates with a concentration on sushi, showcasing American/Japanese spirits.”
Tokyo Tavern is currently slated to open up at 183 Grand Street. The location was formerly home to John Jovino Gun Shop, well-known among locals as the oldest gun retailer in the city. Open since 1911, John Jovino had been featured in multiple films and television shows set in the neighborhood and closed early on in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. The location is easily identifiable and features about 600 square feet of space with an additional 200 square-foot backyard, which Bobby hopes to incorporate into his restaurant. Of course, he will also be removing the massive fake gun that previously welcomed guests to John Jovino
Khorrami’s current plan for the space envisions 10 tables and one 10-seat bar, bringing the overall number of seats in the premises to 34. Khorraami is currently getting ready to meet with the community board to discuss his plans for Tokyo Tavern, and he is proposing operating hours of 4:00 PM – 2:00 AM Monday through Friday, and 12:00 PM – 2:00 AM on weekends. Unfortunately, Bobby has not released any of Tokyo Tavern’s social media profiles yet, so you will just need to keep your eyes on the space for future developments.
