Fedora Returns to the West Village with Reverence and Restraint 

Unless you live in the West Village, the word “fedora” might call to mind pinstripe noir detectives or self-styled Casanovas with too much cologne. But for New Yorkers in the know, it’s the name of a storied subterranean haunt with a landmarked neon sign that rivals the Odeon’s in cachet. 

Tucked beneath a 19th-century townhouse on West 4th Street, Fedora has lived many lives. It began as a Prohibition-era speakeasy before evolving into a red-sauce institution helmed by the no-nonsense Fedora Dorato—named after the Umberto Giordano opera—for nearly six decades. In 2010, it transferred to Gabriel Stulman, who brought it under his mini-empire that includes Joseph Leonard and Jeffrey’s Grocery. After it shuttered during the pandemic, the address was revived by the team behind neighborhood favorite wine bar St. Jardim: partners Christa Alexander and Andrew Dete with wine director Basile al Mileik. “At first, we saw the opportunity to take over an iconic space,” Alexander recalls, “but the more we worked in it, the more we felt like we were really the stewards of it, and maintaining the Fedora name just felt right.”  

They enlisted Post Company, the Brooklyn studio whose embrace of place-driven minimalism has yielded understated dining rooms for Raf’s and Cafe Zaffri, to lead the renovation. Rather than start from scratch, the designers leaned into Fedora’s innate eccentricities and built-in warmth. “We worked with the quirks instead of trying to smooth them out,” the firm says of the odd beams, off-center columns, and chunky stair bulkhead that ultimately shaped the layout. “Rather than try to modernize it too much or push it into the background, we designed everything around it.” That includes a new ceiling grid and mirrored walls that refocus attention on the longtime bar. Original details like amber glass doors, paneled cherry millwork, and the entry vestibule remain intact, glowing softly under porcelain sphere pendants. 

In the kitchen is Chef Monty Forrest, a New York native who previously ran the kitchen at Le Rock at Rockefeller Center for the Frenchette group. His menu brings European traditions into conversation with local tastes: spaghetti with clams and oregano, asparagus tempura, black bass Provençale, roasted culotte of beef, and a nostalgic carrot cake. “It was ultimately about balancing a high level of cooking with a menu that feels substantial and familiar yet fresh,” Alexander says. “We were inspired by European spots that were early movers in the natural wine world but also had really amazing chef-driven food. Monty has put his own personality into it in a way we love.” 

The wine program hits similar notes across 300 bottles. “Classical producers are often extremely low-intervention,” says al Mileik, who helmed the wine program at the Wythe Hotel and The Four Horsemen before St. Jardim. “Our ethos is centered around producer-driven wines—ethically made with a focus on regenerative farming. We love classical-leaning producers and cutting-edge newcomers—that’s where the healthy tension on the list is.” His cellar privileges sustainability and personal relationships with growers. Unexpected pairings, such as Vin Jaune with sweetbreads or a 2017 Patrimonio rosé from Antoine Arena paired with the freshness of the cured snapper and black bass Provençale, speak to the program’s range. Or sip on classic cocktails courtesy of St Jardim’s beverage director Ben Finkelstein: a martini, negroni, Manhattan, and Doña Rosa, also focused on low-intervention producers.  

They’re best savored at the same bar where regulars once gathered decades ago, its surface burnished smooth by countless elbows and conversations. This kind of reverence suggests Fedora isn’t angling for splashy reinvention aimed at the ring light crowd; rather, Alexander describes the approach as working to preserve the original Fedora’s character and building onto the beloved legacy of its late namesake. “It’s less about keeping a moment in time and more about maintaining a spirit,” she says. “Our goal is to contribute to the West Village being fun, interesting, and dynamic, and to do so in a way that—hopefully—stands the test of time.”