A new 35-seat restaurant called Circolo is angling to bring a menu of thrice-cooked taro fries, boozy tiramisu and cocktails inspired by Vincent van Gogh and Pink Floyd to 127 East 7th Street in the East Village. The concept, led by mixologist Giuseppe Santochirico and hospitality veteran Ailin Yang, blends Italian flair with Chinese culinary influences, and the pair has yet to announce an official opening date.
According to WhatNow, business filings indicate Circolo's planned debut at the East 7th Street address, where the space includes a 9-foot bar and additional standing room beyond its seated capacity. The menu items detailed in those filings include garlic-glazed parmigiana with roasted garlic and basil oil, grouper carpaccio with citrus oil and Calabrian chili, and gelato for dessert. Once open, Circolo plans to run Monday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to midnight and Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., staying closed on Sundays.
A Liquor License Still Pending Before Opening
The path to service isn't finished yet. In August 2026, Manhattan Community Board 3 listed an on-premises State Liquor Authority application for Circolo as Item #12 on its public 30-Day Notices and Questionnaire docket. Under New York State Liquor Authority regulations, retail hospitality applicants seeking on-premises permits in New York City must file that mandatory 30-day advance notice with their local community board before the state agency can process or issue a license — the same administrative step Hoodline previously tracked for a new American concept on St. Mark's.
The storefront itself carries some culinary pedigree. It previously housed wine bar Rosso and the Michelin-recommended French restaurant Papilles, which operated there from June 2018 through February 2022 before relocating to North Salem, New York, according to EV Grieve. The five-story prewar walk-up, built in 1900 with 14 residential units, once hosted the 25-seat French fondue bistro Taureau back in 2011, per Village Preservation.
Cocktails Built Around Art, Music and Film
Santochirico's drink program draws inspiration from art, music and film, organizing offerings into four thematic categories. One entry, filed under selflessness, is a reverse Manhattan paying homage to Lady Liberty; another, filed under struggle, is a Martinez reflecting Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night. A dark, rich cocktail evoking Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb falls under abyss, while a rosy, booze-free drink inspired by Barbie represents innocence — alongside boozy gummies also on offer.
That thematic bent tracks with Santochirico's background. Originally from Matera, Italy, he gained industry recognition in the 2020 Art of Italicus Aperitivo Challenge for narrative-driven cocktails and clarified milk punches inspired by his Italian heritage and his time in theater acting, according to Difford's Guide. He previously served as beverage director for Manhattan's Midnight Theatre, Hidden Leaf and Midnight Cafe in 2022 and 2023, and earlier ran cocktail programs at Gowanus brewery Finback and Almond Bar & Restaurant, per Forbes.
A Front-of-House Partner With Multi-Concept Experience
Yang rounds out the ownership team with front-of-house chops built across several NYC dining concepts. She managed Hell's Kitchen Mediterranean restaurant Frena in 2026 and earlier served as assistant general manager at French bakery chain Maison Kayser in 2020, according to Wanderlog. That combination of operational management and beverage artistry mirrors the pairing behind other recent East Village debuts, including Hoodline's earlier report on Rollcraft's small-seat handroll counter.
Landing on a Crowded Culinary Block
Real estate listings describe the 127 East 7th Street storefront as a move-in-ready, 600-square-foot commercial space with 20 feet of street frontage, a takeout window and lower-level storage, carrying an asking rent of $7,200 per month and key money of $175,000 in 2026, according to Meridian Retail Leasing. Turn-key spaces like this one, with pre-installed electric cooking and beverage infrastructure, let independent operators launch new concepts while limiting upfront capital costs, the leasing firm's data suggests.
Circolo will need to compete on a stretch of East 7th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A that EV Grieve describes as a recognized East Village culinary corridor, home to long-running Greek institution Pylos, natural wine bar Ruffian, and Overthrow Hospitality's plant-based spots Cadence and Avant Garden. That density echoes the challenge facing another Italian newcomer Hoodline covered earlier this year, Recente's upscale Italian takeover of a former cacio e pepe spot. For now, Circolo's fate rests on clearing its pending State Liquor Authority review before any opening date can be set.
