East Village restaurateur Marcus Andrew is looking uptown. The owner of Aquarelle has applied for a liquor license with Manhattan Community Board Six to open a new, still-unnamed Mediterranean seafood restaurant at 905 1st Ave in Midtown East. The corner space has long been associated with Ethos Gallery 51, and the new plan also calls for outdoor seating. Andrew told the board he is ready to open as soon as the license comes through, which he estimated is a few months away. The move would be his first Midtown project after launching Aquarelle in 2025.
From East Village to Midtown East
Aquarelle opened at 47 Avenue B in June 2025 and bills itself as a Mediterranean seafood bar and cocktail lounge, according to Aquarelle NYC. The project reunited Andrew with hospitality partner Baris Koroglu, a detail noted in coverage of the restaurant's debut. Eater included Aquarelle among that month’s openings and traced Andrew’s history with downtown restaurants.
Midtown Site and License Filing
Andrew’s liquor-license application lists 905 1st Ave as the planned location and seeks approval for outdoor seating, according to WhatNow. The address sits in the Turtle Bay/Midtown East stretch near the United Nations and is recorded in property information as a small multi-story building. Business directories show Ethos Gallery 51 at that address historically, and some mapping services now flag the listing as closed. MapQuest lists the property and past-tenant details.
What’s Next for the Application
Andrew told the community board he expects to open within months once the license is granted, a timeline the filing presents as dependent on State Liquor Authority approval. In New York, liquor approvals require public notice and a community-board review period, and the process can stretch from weeks to several months depending on any complications. Some operators opt for temporary permits so they can begin service while final approvals are still in progress, a step outlined by industry resources and legal overviews such as CKearney Law.
WhatNow first reported the liquor-license filing and the planned Midtown East address, and the community-board listing noted outdoor seating among the requested approvals. We will be watching community-board calendars and State Liquor Authority notices for any scheduled hearings and a confirmed opening date.
