A new Mediterranean restaurant called Cavalier is in the works for 1 East Broadway, right at the edge of Kimlau (Chatham) Square in Manhattan’s Chinatown. Executive chef and partner Mason Lindahl is leading the concept, described as a low-impact, sit-down neighborhood spot that blends eastern and western Mediterranean small plates with grilled mains. As part of the buildout, the owners are seeking a wine, beer and cider license.
According to What Now, pre-opening filings outline a menu built around mezze like orange-spiced olives, herbed sheep-milk feta and pine-nut-and-currant stuffed grape leaves, along with heartier plates such as a lamb patty melt on marble rye, grilled whitefish skewers with spiced yogurt, and grilled lamb chops with black-garlic tahini. The same filing names Lindahl, previously of Diner in Brooklyn, as executive chef and partner on the project.
Community board review
Documents filed with Manhattan Community Board 3 show that Cafe Cleo Holdings LLC, doing business as “Cavalier,” has applied for a wine, beer and cider license for a roughly 45-person restaurant at 1 East Broadway. The board’s March vote sheet recommends denying the application unless the applicant accepts notarized stipulations that would limit hours (opening no later than 5 p.m. and closing by 12 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday), ban outdoor commercial use, require a closed fixed façade after 10 p.m., restrict music to ambient recorded background, and prohibit live music, DJs, promoted events or dancing. The paperwork notes both a small petition from nearby residents supporting the plan and objections from a local block association focused on the proposed late hours.
How Cavalier fits the neighborhood
The address sits at the busy six-way junction commonly known as Kimlau or Chatham Square, the southern gateway to Chinatown that the city is reworking through the Chinatown Connections public-realm program to improve pedestrian space and the neighborhood welcome. The storefront most recently housed Once More Zaipin, a wheel-cake and bubble-tea shop that listed 1 East Broadway as its address, so Cavalier would replace a small local food retailer with a full-service sit-down restaurant.
What comes next for the license
With Community Board 3’s recommendation now on record, the application heads to the New York State Liquor Authority for final review. On-premises wine, beer and cider applications require standardized notices and documentation as outlined by the SLA, which will review the filing, the board’s recommendation and any agreed stipulations before deciding whether to grant a license.
The owners have not announced an opening date, and What Now reported that it has reached out to the team for comment. For now, Cavalier remains a formal filing and a plan, one to watch as East Broadway and Kimlau Square continue to evolve.
Dining and Cooking