Hospitality veterans Will Hock and Lukas Canan are getting ready to roll out Recente, a new upscale Italian restaurant slated for the longtime Cacio e Pepe address at 182 Second Avenue in Manhattan’s East Village. The plan is a refined, intimate setup with an enclosed backyard and an ownership team that says it will be on-site daily, focusing on high-touch, professional service.
According to filings, the owners have applied for a full liquor license and laid out plans for a 49-seat dining room with 18 tables, a bar without stools and a backyard operating until 10 p.m. Permit documents describe a “refined and intimate” atmosphere, with ambient background music and occasional solo performances, as reported by WhatNow.
Where Recente Will Sit
The restaurant is headed to 182 Second Avenue, between East 11th and East 12th streets, an address that will ring a bell for East Village regulars as the home of Cacio e Pepe. TripAdvisor lists Cacio e Pepe at that location, and New York State Liquor Authority records also reference the premises.
Menu And Service
Recente’s proposed menu leans into elevated coastal and regional Italian cooking. Permit filings outline dishes such as focaccia with whipped cod roe and sorrel, spaghetti al burro diretta and pappardelle with XO tail ragu. The owners are emphasizing a service-first approach that keeps the focus squarely on the table experience, including the decision to forgo bar stools, per WhatNow.
What It Means For The East Village
Recente’s arrival is set against a backdrop of nonstop restaurant churn across Manhattan, with new concepts and refreshes landing seemingly every week. The East Village remains a key testing ground for small teams and independent chefs, and recent rundowns of NYC openings point to a brisk pace of debuts and turnovers in surrounding neighborhoods. That suggests Recente will be stepping into a crowded yet receptive dining landscape. Eater NY has been tracking other recent openings around the city.
