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Update July 17, 2020: Odessa will close as scheduled but only for renovations, as reported today by Gothamist. Co-owner Steve Helios told the publication, "We'll be back." Time Out New York reached out and while Helios was not available for comment, a man who picked up the phone confirmed the restaurant is closed and won't open until next year.
Long before the current crisis, New York City’s reputation as The City That Never Sleeps was already waning.
Odessa Restaurant, an East Village mainstay for the past 26 years, was a favorite of locals and late-night revelers alike. But on July 19th, the Ukrainian diner will permanently close and the city will lose yet another type of restaurant that’s increasingly rare to find these days: a 24-hour restaurant.
Rumors circulated this weekend about the restaurant shuttering and the EV Grieve reported earlier this morning that it confirmed with the restaurant’s manager, Dennis Vassilatos, about the closure. He attributed the cause to “the significant loss of business during the COVID-19 crisis” and unlike most restaurants, it wasn’t about rent (an Odessa co-owner is the landlord), according to the blog’s story.
The restaurant, located on Avenue A between St. Mark’s Place and Seventh Streeted opened in 1990 but felt much older with its faded green signage and greasy spoon feel. It was an expansion of Odessa Bar and Cafe next door, which opened in the 60’s and closed in 2013.
While many New Yorkers will be wishing the restaurant to RIP, there are still a few spots in the East Village catering to night owls: Veselka, Sunny & Annie’s Deli and Punjabi Grocery and Deli—though hours have been modified the past few months, so it’s worth checking in beforehand.
If you’re looking to order some Eastern European dishes (the pierogi and kielbasa are popular) or diner favorites (they cook classics like cheeseburgers and French toast), Odessa will be taking orders at 212-253-1482 for takeout and delivery.
Oh, this one hurts. Odessa was the first place I ate in NYC after I moved in around the corner in 1994. Had a cheese and kielbasa omelet. It was always open, a comforting sight as I stumbled home from Max Fish or Ludlow St. Cafe (yes, I am that old). Sad.https://t.co/XbLuVXmGmm
— honor sachs (@drhonor) July 12, 2020
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