SHMONÉ

SHMONÉ is a fitting name for the newest New York City restaurant from Israeli chef Eyal Shani. Pronounced “shmo-neh” – with the emphasis on “neh” – shmoneh means ‘eight’ in Hebrew. This makes perfect sense – considering the restaurant is located on Eighth Street in the heart of Greenwich Village. Set in a former sushi spot, SHMONÉ arrives in New York after the celebrated success of more than 40 Shani-helmed eateries across the globe. Starting with the seafood-focused Oceanus in his hometown of Jerusalem more than 30 years ago, Shani has established himself as the world’s leading proponent of contemporary Israeli cuisine.

The arrival of SHMONÉ builds off of Shani’s already expansive New York City restaurant portfolio, which includes the vibrant eateries HaSalon, Miznon, North and his most recent, Naked Tomato in Hudson Yards. While SHMONÉ's seasonal, market-driven, neo-Levantine menu is rooted in Shani’s core culinary values, the restaurant is wholly unique and original. For one thing, SHMONÉ is far more modestly-sized than Miznon or HaSalon — which feature grand proportions suitable for the after-hours dance parties that often erupt amid their tables. The restaurant has room for a mere 50 seats — far more intimate than most Eyal Shani outposts. “SHMONÉ will break all the rules about how people think about my restaurants,” says Chef Eyal Shani. “What’s really unique about SHMONÉ for me is that it’s such a small-sized restaurant. We see SHMONÉ as sort of a middle ground between the exuberance of HaSalon and our street food-styled restaurant, Miznon.”