The team behind one of the East Village's toughest reservations is opening a walk-up counter just down the street. Chippy's, a new fish and chips shop from the owners of Dame, will open at 21 E. 7th St. between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, serving the restaurant's famed fried fish alongside Sarson's malt vinegar, disco fries and seasonal sandwiches including a tomato sandwich.
The storefront previously housed the craft beer bar Proletariat before it vacated the space, according to EV Grieve. Chippy's marks the fourth restaurant from Patricia Howard and Ed Szymanski, who previously opened the seafood restaurant Dame in June 2021, the English bistro Lord's in October 2022, and the European seafood brasserie Crevette in February 2025, according to Resy. No official opening date has been announced yet, as reported by WhatNow.
A Family Affair Behind the Counter
Chippy's is co-owned by Howard, Szymanski and Evan Baldwin, who is Szymanski's brother-in-law and handles operations and finance for the restaurant, per the same WhatNow report. Baldwin brings experience in hospitality finance, hotel revenue management and restaurant operations, while Howard has a background in restaurant operations, events and marketing, the outlet notes. Once open, Chippy's will run daily from noon to midnight, and the space will include a guest dining area and a bar serving beer, according to the report.
The shop's design leans into its seaside chippy inspiration, with various hues of blue throughout the space, the article notes. Alongside the signature fried fish and chips, the menu will also include British seafood favorites and desserts, rounding out a counter-service format built for grabbing a quick bite rather than settling in for a full sit-down meal.
The Dish That Started During Lockdown
The fish and chips recipe now getting its own storefront has an origin story rooted in the pandemic. Howard and Szymanski's original Dame concept began in March 2020 as a pop-up that raised $20,000 for Black Lives Matter before evolving into a permanent restaurant, according to Columbia College Today. The pair pivoted from meat to seafood during lockdown in part because fish felt intimidating for home cooks to prepare, the same account notes.
That dish went on to earn serious acclaim. Former New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells named Dame's fish and chips his favorite entrée at the restaurant, while New Yorker critic Hannah Goldfield called it the best preparation of the dish she had ever eaten, according to Wikipedia. Those reviews helped turn Dame into one of the harder tables to book in the city, per the same entry. Chef Szymanski, a Food & Wine Best New Chef recognition recipient and James Beard Foundation nominee, completed his culinary training at Pitt Cue in London before moving to New York in 2014, later serving as Head Chef at the Beatrice Inn in 2017 and Executive Chef at Cherry Point in 2018, according to the Southern Smoke Foundation.
From Beatrice Inn Shifts to a Restaurant Group
Howard graduated from Columbia College in 2013 and first met Szymanski in 2017 while both were working at the Beatrice Inn in Manhattan, according to Columbia College Today. The pair reportedly developed their restaurant concepts during shift-end date nights while working together, the same profile notes. That partnership has since expanded into a four-restaurant group, with their third project, Crevette, opening in February 2025 as a 95-seat West Village brasserie that marked the team's first step away from British cuisine toward coastal French and Spanish seafood, as reported by Resy.
Chippy's represents something of a return to form after that Mediterranean detour, bringing the group back to the British comfort food that built their reputation. It also lands amid a broader citywide moment for the cuisine: a June report from Business Insider highlighted a growing trend of modern British dining expanding across New York City, driven by elevated takes on pub grub, Sunday roasts and fish and chips. For East Village regulars who never managed to snag a seat at Dame, Chippy's promises to make that famous fish and chips a walk-in affair.
