Libertine, the West Village French bistro from Cody Pruitt and Jacob Cohen, will close after three years of service. The restaurant’s final night will be Saturday, May 23.
“The team is immensely proud of what they created over these past three years, and are deeply grateful to the staff, guests, and community for their support,” the team says in a statement sent to Eater.
Libertine opened in July 2023 at 684 Greenwich Street, near Christopher Street, with chef Max Mackinnon running the kitchen. Former Eater NY senior critic Robert Sietsema praised it shortly after opening, singling out a pork sausage over buttery mashed potatoes with French gravy as a candidate for best dish of the year, and called it a restaurant that “plumbs the heart of bistro cuisine,” evoking the days when the West Village was dotted with them.
The space will remain with Pruitt and Cohen, who plan to introduce a new restaurant later this summer, “following a brief closure.” Separately, 684 Greenwich Street — the building housing Libertine — sold earlier this year, though the ownership team has stressed that the sale of the building is not a factor in the closing, as the space has time on the lease.
The duo also operates Chateau Royale at 205 Thompson Street — a more formal, French restaurant where Pruitt drew on old menus, New York Public Library archives, and visits to the addresses of shuttered NYC restaurants like Lutèce and Chanterelle to build the menu. Dishes there include beggar’s purses, foie gras au torchon, duck a l’orange, and chicken cordon bleu.
In the meantime, Pruitt and Cohen are inviting diners for a final visit before May 23.
Dining and Cooking