A new restaurant called Le Yard has officially taken possession of 858 Ninth Avenue in Hell's Kitchen, the former home of Route 66 Bar & Grill, and is now working toward a target opening date of December 1, 2026. The French-leaning neighborhood spot describes itself as blending French delicacies with a distinctly New York spirit, and its team says the timeline still hinges on construction being finished.
“The lease is signed. On September 3, we took possession of 858 Ninth Avenue in Hell's Kitchen,” the restaurant's team wrote in a post on leyardny.com. The address was previously associated with Route 66 Bar & Grill; its OpenTable listing is now marked unavailable. Le Yard is co-owned by Donald Lena and Amaraldo Bego, as reported by WhatNow.
Lena said he and his partner now have the keys and are ready to begin making the space their own, per the same WhatNow report. The restaurant's own account gives December 1, 2026, as a target rather than a firm opening date: “We're aiming for December 1, 2026. That is our target, and the opening date will depend on the work being ready,” the leyardny.com post states. Corporate records reviewed by nycompanyregistry.com show LE YARD CORP. was established as a domestic business corporation in New York on August 6, 2026, and is listed at the same 858 9th Avenue address with active status.
Walnut Tables and a Bar Still Taking Shape
Le Yard's journal describes a warm, understated interior direction, including walnut for the dining-room tables: “Walnut is part of the direction we've chosen for the tables,” the restaurant wrote. The design remains subject to the ongoing buildout.
What the Address's History Shows
The available official neighborhood record provides historical context rather than a current construction approval: Manhattan Community Board 4’s 2007 archive lists a withdrawn Department of Consumer Affairs letter concerning Scenic Route 66 Café Inc. at 858 Ninth Avenue at West 56th Street. That entry documents the site's earlier restaurant history but does not establish Le Yard's current permits or the status of its buildout. Recent openings also show the variety of restaurant formats arriving in Hell's Kitchen. Eater NY reported that Hanaya opened at 630 Ninth Avenue in September 2025 with a 13-course, $75 omakase menu, while a separate Eater NY report said By & By opened at 644 Tenth Avenue in late February 2025 as a table-service neighborhood restaurant and bar. Those openings are useful neighborhood precedents, though they represent different formats and concepts from Le Yard's announced French-leaning plan.
The bar itself isn't finished yet. “The bar is taking shape,” the restaurant's own site notes, and for now Le Yard is not open for walk-ins while construction continues. That buildout will also support a cocktail and wine program, with Lena emphasizing that each drink should be paired with the overall dining experience, WhatNow reports.
A Lunch and Dinner Menu Built Around French Classics
Once open, Le Yard plans to offer French-influenced food alongside American comfort fare, according to WhatNow. The planned lunch service is a prix fixe menu, with dishes reported to include salmon beurre blanc, truffle cacio e pepe and chicken paillard.
Dinner is expected to offer a broader selection, including salmon béarnaise, filet au poivre and beurre blanc cod, per the same report. WhatNow says the restaurant is expected to operate daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. once it opens, although both the schedule and the December target remain contingent on the buildout.
