New York City’s first new marina in 50 years is finally up and running — and it’s anchored by a new restaurant that’s run by a Michelin-starred chef.
The ONE15 marina, a $28 million development owned by Singapore-based SUTL Group, opened last week between Piers 4 and 5 in Brooklyn Bridge Park overlooking downtown Manhattan.
Four years in the making, the city’s first-ever privately operated marina hopes to become a dining destination with the launch of Estuary, a 5,000-square-foot, casual brasserie that’s focused on local and sustainable fare.
It’s the brainchild of pastry chef Francois Payard, culinary director of the marina’s dining options, and will be helmed by Michelin-starred executive chef Danny Brown, formerly of Danny Brown Wine Bar and Kitchen in Forest Hills, Queens.
Inside, the new restaurant will seat 150, along with 28 at a U-shaped wraparound cocktail bar that will serve aperitivos, local craft beer on tap and cocktails. Outside, it will boast a 48-seat patio with views of the lower Manhattan skyline.
Making that patio safe for drinking and dining was no easy feat. The group had to figure out how to protect the marina from the rough waves tossed up by the city’s ferry service, which launched in 2017.
The solution: a 710-foot long, 30-foot wide and 10-foot deep set of steel barge attenuators.
“There’s nothing else like it in the US,” said Shea Thorvaldsen, director of capital projects for ONE15. “We have ferries coming and going all day long and that means lots of waves.”
The marina sits on eight acres between the ferry docks at Pier 1 and Pier 6, which jut into the East River.
“My vision for Estuary was to make a brasserie on the water for the Brooklyn community, with lots of fresh fish and seafood, but not too pricey,” Payard said, adding that the menu is both accessible and affordable, with entrees priced between $23 and $35.
“We also have a good bar scene with lots of cocktails and beers,” Payard said.
Lunch will focus on salads and light fare, catering to people walking on the promenade or coming off their boats.
There also will be three variations of tartare, priced between $16 and $19, as well as $14-$16 tarts, like caramelized onions and goat cheese. Heartier fare includes New York strip steak for $35; eggplant ravioli for $20; branzino “en cocotte” with little neck clams for $29, and a $29 Berkshire pork chop.
“Estuary bridges the gap between casual and finer dining so there is something for everyone,” Brown said.
Payard, whose three eponymous bakeries shuttered last year, is also overseeing the marina’s waterfront bakery and sandwich shop, Ebb & Flow, which opened last week.
The bakery will focus on American specialties, like Pullman bread and layer cakes. Payard tells Side Dish he will be making eight different sandwiches, including an American version of a croque monsieur.
“I used the American layer cake as a guideline and added a French technique with the best Valrhona chocolate in the world,” Payard said, adding that he will also offer bento boxes for people to take to the park.
The restaurant and bakery are along the water in Brooklyn Bridge Park, sharing the same address at 159 Bridge Park Dr.
The ONE15 marina has been in the works since SUTL Group won a bid to build out the eight acres of public park space in 2015. To win the bid, SUTL agreed that a 700-foot community dock with public programs for kayaking and sailing will be funded by 2 percent of the draw from the marina’s private berthing slips.
SUTL Group also pays $300,000 in annual rent to the city, said Eliza Perkins, Community & Government Relations Associate for Brooklyn Bridge Park.
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