Opening Again

Colonia Verde Is Back, With New Dishes and a Charming Outdoor Space

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Achiote-roasted chicken with kale, quinoa, feta cheese, shitake mushrooms, and dried blueberries.
Achiote-roasted chicken with kale, quinoa, feta cheese, shitake mushrooms, and dried blueberries. Photo: Hannah Mattix

Back in February, Colonia Verde caught fire, devastating the small neighborhood restaurant. It has taken owners Felipe Donnelly and Tamy Rofe over four months to rebuild, but Colonia Verde is back, and it’s stronger than ever.

This time around, there are two new menus, and the setup is slightly different: The front room will function more as a bar, with snacks like rosemary-and-duck-fat popcorn and grilled spare ribs, and the full menu includes some new dishes, like lime-shrimp tostadas, fish in a grilled corn husk, and a selection of sausages, mini-arepas, and queso fundido. But steak remains a priority here, and there are four different cuts now on the menu — as well as Colonia Verde’s excellent burger with pão de queijo (or Brazilian cheese bread) as its bun.

Fortunately, the space — which earned a nod from the James Beard Foundation for Outstanding Restaurant Design — is just as lovely. (In Grub’s humble opinion, the outdoor patio is one of the best under-the-radar outdoor-dining spots to be found in New York.) The restaurant is in soft-open mode now, with full service starting up again on June 23. Check it out:

Grilled octopus, pineapple, charred onions, and cilantro coulis.
Grilled octopus, pineapple, charred onions, and cilantro coulis. Photo: Hannah Mattix
CV Summer Salad: grilled sweet corn, caramelized pepitas, hierbabuena, cilantro, cotija, and cumin dressing.
CV Summer Salad: grilled sweet corn, caramelized pepitas, hierbabuena, cilantro, cotija, and cumin dressing. Photo: Hannah Mattix
Grilled baby eggplant and farofa with red rice, lentil, dates, roasted cauliflower, and smoky pecans.
Grilled baby eggplant and farofa with red rice, lentil, dates, roasted cauliflower, and smoky pecans. Photo: Hannah Mattix
Here's the outdoor space.
Here’s the outdoor space. Photo: Hannah Mattix
The front room, which will function more like a bar.
The front room, which will function more like a bar. Photo: Hannah Mattix
The back dining room.
The back dining room. Photo: Hannah Mattix

Menu [PDF]
Botanos Menu [PDF]

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Colonia Verde Is Back, With New Dishes and a Charming Outdoor Space